Meet Our Staff

Michele Gribbins, Ed.D.
Associate Provost for Institutional Research & Effectiveness

PAC 512/MS PAC 525
Email: mgribbin@uis.edu

As the Associate Provost for Institutional Research and Effectiveness, Dr. Gribbins oversees and coordinates UIS's institutional research and effectiveness activities. She also oversees our institutional accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and serves as the liaison to HLC and other external bodies.

Before joining the Provost's Leadership Team, she was the Director of the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service (COLRS) at UIS where she partnered with deans, faculty, and staff to ensure the success of online learning at UIS. Her long history in online education was recognized with her selection as an Online Learning Consortium Fellow in 2024. Prior to COLRS, she had also taught in the Department of Management Information Systems at UIS, the Department of Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), and was a Computer Training Specialist in the Center for Business & Industry at Lake Land College in Mattoon, IL.

Dr. Gribbins researches various online learning topics including pedagogy, best practices, emerging technologies, and academic integrity. Her research has been published in the British Journal of Educational Technology, Online Learning Journal, Journal of Information Technology, Communications of the Association for Information Systems, Electronic Markets, and International Journal of Management Theory and Practices. She has co-authored two book chapters and has delivered more than sixty presentations at international, national, and regional conferences. She has held several leadership roles in UPCEA, presently serving on the Finance Committee, and served as the Treasurer of the Illinois Council on Continuing Higher Education for six years, receiving ICCHE's Past-Presidents' Award for Service. 

Dr. Gribbins has a Doctorate in Education from Indiana University-Bloomington, a Master's in Business Adminstration from Eastern Illinois University, and a Bachelor's in Finance from Illinois State University. She also completed all the doctoral coursework required for a Ph.D. in Business Administration from UIUC. 

Matthew Suda, Ph.D.
Director of Institutional Research

PAC 508/MS PAC 525
Email: msuda@uis.edu

Dr. Matthew Suda directs and coordinates the OIRE’s institutional reporting responsibilities. These responsibilities include annual submissions to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), as well as the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). Internally, Dr. Suda specializes in collecting and analyzing student and program-level data, and he maintains the Institutional Research Data Book. Both the Unit Cost Study and Resource Allocation and Management Program (RAMP) fall within his purview, as do ad hoc data requests from faculty and staff.

Dr. Suda’s efforts in the OIRE at UIS build on prior experiences in higher education in the Memphis metropolitan area, where he led the implementation of a Department of Labor grant at Arkansas State University Mid-South and data management and accreditation activities for Christian Brothers University. Most recently, he led enrollment management and institutional research at University of Arkansas-East Arkansas Community College.

In his role as Director of Institutional Research, he draws on his background in clinical health research, having completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the Center for Innovation in Health Equity Research (CIHER) at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. He earned a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Memphis, where his work led to publications in several academic journals.

Harsha Chamala
Information Technology Technical Associate (Data Analyst)

PAC 503/MS PAC 525
Email: hchamala@uis.edu

Harsha Chamala is an Information Technology Technical Associate (Data Analyst) at the University of Illinois Springfield. He brings extensive experience in data analysis, reporting, and business intelligence from his work across higher education and corporate organizations, including the University of Illinois Chicago, GardaWorld, Cisco, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

At UIC, Harsha played a key role in supporting the university’s $100M annual fundraising initiatives and multi-year $1B capital campaign. He partnered with senior leadership, prospect development analysts, and gift officers to deliver dashboards and reports that transformed complex data into actionable insights, helping guide strategic decisions and improve advancement outcomes. In his previous roles at GardaWorld, Cisco, and SIUE, he contributed to cross-functional projects, streamlined reporting processes, and supported organizational goals through clear and accessible analytics.

Harsha is passionate about using data to drive transparency, enhance operational efficiency, and support institutional decision-making. He collaborates closely with teams across advancement, finance, and academic operations to ensure reports and insights are meaningful, accurate, and actionable. His career reflects a commitment to improving processes and empowering stakeholders through high-quality data analysis.

He earned his master’s degree in computer management and information systems from Indiana Wesleyan University and his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from VRSEC in India. Committed to continuous learning and professional growth, Harsha leverages his experience to support institutional effectiveness and strategic initiatives at UIS.

VACANT
Associate Director, Assessment and Accreditation