Univ. of South Alabama - Instructional Design & Development

07/23/2026

In Loving Memory: Dr. William "Bill" Gilley

We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Dr. William "Bill" Gilley, Professor Emeritus and former Associate Dean of the College of Education at the University of South Alabama. Dr. Gilley spent 37 years (1970–2007) shaping the College of Education through his leadership as Department Chair, Director of Research, and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research.

Remembered by colleagues and alumni as a "phenomenal teacher of research and statistics," Dr. Gilley was a dedicated mentor and student advocate who served on over 75 doctoral committees and edited the Journal of Sport Behavior for nearly two decades. His high standards, caring mentorship, and commitment to student success left a lasting legacy across our university community.

Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Dr. Gilley’s family, friends, and the countless students and colleagues whose lives he touched.

11/04/2025

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1446422533915111&id=100056421351227

Dr. Dempsey was a great colleague and was always at the forefront of innovation. As noted in the write up, he was a leader in developing the IDD programs at USA, and it was his vision that was responsible for the Innovation in Learning Center. We are saddened by his loss, but we celebrate all he brought to the IDD programs and South Alabama!

The University of South Alabama mourns the loss of former faculty member, Dr. John "Jack" Dempsey, who passed away on October 28, 2025.

Dr. Dempsey was a true pioneer during his 28-year career at USA. He was instrumental in establishing the Instructional Design and Development (IDD) graduate programs and, notably, was the first professor to teach fully online courses at the University starting in 1997. He also served as the inaugural director of the USA Innovations in Learning Center, after having spearheaded the creation of the IlC's predecessor unit - the USA Online Learning Lab. His legacy in educational technology is profound.

We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Brenda, and his entire family.

To read Dr. Dempsey's full obituary and share your memories, please visit:
https://andersonfhsc.com/obituaries/john-dempsey-2025

01/31/2025

Second Call for Proposals for the EdMedia + Innovate Learning 2025 conference just announced!
Second Call for Proposals: APRIL 4


May 19-23, 2025
Barcelona, Spain
Second Call for Proposals: APRIL 4

This annual conference offers a forum for the discussion and exchange of ideas on all topics related to Innovation and Education. EdMedia, an international conference since 1987, spans all disciplines and levels of education of professionals in the field from 40+ countries.
EdMedia is organized by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). To find out more about EdMedia and the submission guidelines, go to the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education - AACE https://aace.org/

I hope to see you in Barcelona.
Thanks!

Gayle V. Davidson-Shivers, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Instructional Design and Development,
Dept. of Counseling and Instructional Science
University of South Alabama

12/13/2024

5 PhD students hooded today! •Congratulations to these students, their mentors., and our MS grads.

09/03/2024

https://tinyurl.com/4f4dwrec

The Department of Leadership & Teacher Education is looking for five new faculty members:

Reading Education
Special Education
Social Studies Education
Educational Leadership (Higher Education Leaders) and
Educational Leadership (PK-12 Leaders).

Application materials should be submitted by September 30, 2024.

Come join our team, where we are “Leading today. Impacting tomorrow.”

https://tinyurl.com/4f4dwrec

08/18/2024

05/08/2024

Congratulations to Shane Mitchell, David Woolverton and Holly Park on completing their IDD PhD Spring 2024! Looking forward to a bunch more graduating summer and fall !

05/07/2023

We hooded 5 PhD students today! Congratulations to Jenifer Towne, Margaret Salter, Yolani Lagos Ortiz, Michelle Loo, & Allison Hill

04/21/2023

We are looking for a new IDD Faculty Colleague. The link below will take you to the details.