From Idea to Impact: Connecting College to Career
Posted on November 3, 2026
How can colleges better connect students’ experiences to their career goals? At South Alabama' College of Education and Professional Studies, Dr. Kathy Thompson, director of the Center for Innovation in Postsecondary Education, is exploring that question alongside new approaches to student advising.
Thompson secured more than $1 million in grant funding during the past year, including support from Lumina Foundation and ECMC Foundation. The grants support projects focused on career preparation and the use of technology to strengthen student advising.
A career-connected high-impact practices initiative supported by Lumina Foundation focuses on strengthening connections between students’ college experiences and career preparation.
A $639,000 grant from ECMC Foundation supports Enhancing Advising Technology Integration, an initiative exploring how artificial intelligence and other technologies can be used more strategically to strengthen student advising and institutional practices.
“Both grants were awarded by nationally recognized philanthropic organizations that are committed to improving educational outcomes and expanding opportunities for students,” Thompson said.
The projects create opportunities for South faculty, staff and graduate students to participate in research, project management and professional development.
“These experiences strengthen the University's capacity to support students and contribute to the institution's reputation as a leader in higher education innovation,” Thompson said.
Through this work, Thompson is helping colleges strengthen the connections among learning, advising and career preparation, turning grant support into opportunities for students and the institutions that serve them.
Part of “From Ideas to Impact,” a series highlighting how more than $17 million in active grant funding supports faculty-led work across the College of Education and Professional Studies.
