Tamara Valovich McLeod, PhD, ATC, FNATA, FNAK, FNAP is the John P. Wood, D.O., Endowed Chair for Sports Medicine, professor and director of the Athletic Training program at A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona. Dr. McLeod completed her doctor of philosophy degree in education with an emphasis in sports medicine from the University of Virginia. She is the director of the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network and her research has focused on the pediatric athlete with respect to sport-related concussion. Her current work is investigating the short- and long-term effects of pediatric sports concussion as well as recovery following concussion on traditional concussion assessments and health-related quality of life. Dr. McLeod also has research interests regarding gender differences in lower extremity function, specifically neuromuscular control, and postural stability and studies these areas through an injury prevention approach in younger athletes. Dr. McLeod was a contributing author for the NATA Position Statement on the Management of Sport-Related Concussion, the lead author on the NATA Position Statement on the Prevention of Pediatric Overuse Injuries, and a consultant and contributing author on the Appropriate Medical Coverage for Secondary School-Aged Athletes. Dr. McLeod serves on numerous editorial boards, and publishes frequently in the athletic training and sports medicine journals and is a NATA Fellow.

​Barton E. Anderson, DHSc, AT, ATC, is a professor in ATSU’s Athletic Training (AT) programs, serving as the primary clinical faculty member and clinical education coordinator for the Residential Post-Professional Master’s program. Dr. Anderson oversees all aspects of the Advanced Clinical Practice program (Clinical Education), including establishing and maintaining graduate assistantships, coordinating affiliated clinical sites and preceptors, and providing clinical mentoring to AT program students. Dr. Anderson holds a Level 1 Functional Movement Screen™ certification, and is an accredited Graston Technique™ clinician and Graston™ faculty instructor. He has extensive experience and training in therapeutic exercise prescription, fundamental movement patterns, and manual therapy techniques. Prior to ATSU, Dr. Anderson worked clinically for 10 years as an athletic trainer in the collegiate, high school, and clinical settings. He continues his clinical practice part-time throughout the academic year at a local sports medicine clinic. Dr. Anderson is a member of the CAATE Standards Committee, and also serves as the electronic medical record manager within the Athletic Training Practice Based Research Network, the chair of the Arizona Athletic Trainers’ Association Communications Committee, and the AzATA website coordinator. He earned his bachelor’s of science in sports medicine and athletic training from Missouri State University, his master’s of science in sports health care from ATSU, and his doctor of health science degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Cailee Welch Bacon, PhD, ATC, FNATA, FNAP, is a professor of Athletic Training within the Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences at A.T. Still University. Dr. Welch earned her bachelor of science degree in athletic training from Boston University, followed by a master of science in education degree in athletic training from Old Dominion University. She also earned her doctor of philosophy degree in human movement science with a special focus in athletic training curriculum and instruction from Old Dominion University, where she investigated the effectiveness of educational techniques to aid athletic trainers in learning the fundamentals of evidence-based practice. While at Old Dominion University, Dr. Welch served as an instructor for several undergraduate courses within the Health & Physical Education and Exercise Science departments, as well as a teaching fellow for numerous courses with the Post-Professional Athletic Training Program. Recently, Dr. Welch completed a post-doctoral research fellowship within the Center for Clinical Outcome Studies at A.T. Still University. As a part of her post-doctoral fellowship, Dr. Welch assisted with clinical outcomes and evidence-based practice courses within the Post-Professional Athletic Training Program. Currently, she serves as the Clinical Practice Site Coordinator within the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network, which includes conducting the education and training for athletic trainers across the country. Additionally, Dr. Welch currently serves on the CAATE Post-Professional Annual Report Committee, the BOC Evidence-Based Practice Review Panel, and is the Managing Editor for the Clinical Bottom Line in the NATA News. Dr. Welch’s research agenda includes two independent areas: capturing the concussed patient perspective for improving outcomes of patient care, and athletic training educational outcomes.

Sue Falsone, PT, MS, SCS, ATC, L-AT, CSCS, COMT, RYT, is an associate professor in ATSU-ASHS Athletic Training program. She teaches courses within the athletic training Master of Science degree program and online courses in orthopaedic rehabilitation foundation within the online Doctor of Athletic Training program. She also serves as a clinician scientist within the school’s Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network.

Ms. Falsone’s many accomplishments include being the first female head athletic trainer in any of the four major American professional sports leagues, when she was named the head athletic trainer for the LA Dodgers in 2012. She also served as the head of athletic training and sport performance for the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team. She is known internationally for her expertise in sport rehabilitation and performance enhancement and bridging between physical therapy and return to sport.

An alumna of Daemen College, Ms. Falsone graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a master’s degree in human movement science; is owner and founder of Structure and Function Education, an educational company working to bring the concepts, philosophies and techniques of dry needling to the allied healthcare professional.

Dr. Rachel Geoghegan is the newest faculty member in the Department of Athletic Training, joining the faculty in 2023. She brings with her nearly two decades of full-time clinical experience in the college/university setting at locations across the country including Idaho State University, Gonzaga University, and Boston University. As a clinician, she boasts a contemporary clinical expertise in non-orthopedic conditions with a particular interest in female athlete health concerns and pelvic health. She originally hails from South Carolina where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from Erskine College in Due West, SC, and a Master of Human Resource Development from Clemson University in Clemson, SC. In 2020, she rounded out her education by earning her Doctor of Athletic Training degree from A.T. Still University. While new to academia, Dr. Geoghegan has experience as a clinical educator by serving as a preceptor for a number of institutions including Idaho State University, Whitworth University, University of Idaho, Washington State University, Boston University, and Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. Dr. Geoghegan is also active in professional service at the local, regional, and national level and seeks to advance the profession any chance she gets. Her research interests include non-orthopedic conditions treated by athletic trainers, pelvic health among athletes, and female athlete health concerns. She is passionate about normalizing compassionate and appropriate conversations about pelvic health between athletic trainers and their patients.

Nicolette “Nikki” Harris serves as an Associate Professor and the Director of Student Recruitment for the Athletic Training Programs at A.T. Still University. An alumnus of the ATSU Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT) program, Dr. Harris brings a wealth of clinical experience to this role. Prior to arriving to ATSU, she spent 6 years as the Coordinator for Athletic Training Services for Florida International University (FIU) where she worked to enhance the health care services provided to both FIU students and campus recreation participants. In addition, she served 3 years as the Head Athletic Trainer at Miami Booker T. Washington Senior High school providing care to secondary school athletes during their pursuit of 4 State Championship Titles.

In addition to her clinical practice, she has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Clinical Preceptor to athletic training students. Nikki actively engages in professional service at all levels, currently sitting as the NATA Career Advancement Committee (CAC) Chair Elect, the BOC Liaison to the Athletic Training Research Agenda Committee (ATRAC) as well as a member of the CAATE Education Committee. Dr. Harris values the effects of research on practice and education and has demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice through her scholarly works.

Kenny Lam, ScD, ATC, FNATA is a professor of clinical research within the Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences at A.T. Still University. He completed his bachelor of science degree in athletic training as well as his master of education degree in human movement at Boston University. He earned his doctor of science degree (Sc.D.) in rehabilitation sciences with a specialization in movement sciences from Boston University. Prior to becoming a faculty member, Dr. Lam completed a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship within the Center for Clinical Outcome Studies at A.T. Still University that focused on patient-oriented outcomes assessment and evidence-based practice. His current line of research revolves around the prevention and rehabilitation of lower extremity injuries, with a special emphasis on sport-related knee injuries in the adolescent population. He is specifically interested in assessing the clinical outcomes of ACL injuries as it relates to health-related quality of life patient and the comparative effectiveness of rehabilitation techniques. In addition to his faculty responsibilities, Dr. Lam serves as the Director of Clinical Informatics for the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN), where he oversees the day-to-day management of the relational database, supervises all aspects of education and training of clinicians, and acts as the liaison between the clinicians and administration of the AT-PBRN. Prior to attaining his doctoral degree, Dr. Lam practiced as a certified athletic trainer at Rutgers University – New Brunswick Campus (NJ), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA), and Boston University (MA).

Alison Valier, PhD, ATC, FNATA, is a BOC certified and state licensed athletic trainer, serves as associate professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences and Assistant Director of Research Support through the Office of Research, Grants, and Information Technology Systems. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and physical education from Whitman College in Washington and her Master of Science degree in exercise physiology at the University of Toledo in Ohio. In addition, she received her Ph.D. in exercise science from the University of Toledo, where she majored in applied physiology and completed a minor in human anatomy. Most recently, Dr. Valier completed a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Clinical Outcomes Research, awarded to her by the NATA Foundation. Dr. Valier’s teaching emphasizes the assessment of clinical outcomes and evaluating the end result of healthcare services and she instructs in both the Post-Professional Athletic Training and Doctor of Health Sciences programs. Her primary research area of interest is in measuring the outcomes of various athletic training interventions as well as evaluating HRQOL of high school and college athletes who suffer sport-related injury. Another interest of hers is the use and development of patient-based outcomes instruments for the purpose of outcomes assessment and measuring the end result of healthcare services. During her doctoral studies, Dr. Valier taught in the athletic training education program at the University of Toledo for four years. In addition, she has served as an athletic trainer with Health South and outreached to Whiteford (MI) High School and Summerfield (MI) High School. Dr. Valier is a member of the NATA Outcomes Advisory Panel and serves on the Arizona Governmental Affairs Committee. Additionally, she is a grant reviewer for the NATA Foundation and a reviewer for the Journal of Athletic Training, Journal of Sport Rehabilitation Research, and Athletic Training and Sports Health Care.

Sara Brown is emeritus faculty at Boston University, where she served as the director of the athletic training program and clinical associate professor until her retirement in July 2020. She attended Miami University (BS) and University of Arizona (MS). Beyond her direct experience in professional education, she also served as the as chair of the NATA’s Executive Committee for Education, the chair of the Standards Committee for the CAATE, and on the Board of Directors for the Board of Certification. She is one of the founders of the Association for Athletic Training Education and currently serves as its vice president.

R. Mark Laursen, MS, ATC, was selected as Boston University’s Director of Athletic Training Services in June 2008. At that time, he also was named a Clinical Associate Professor of Athletic Training in BU’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. No stranger to BU, Laursen has served in numerous capacities at the University since 1983, when he first joined the Department of Athletics as an assistant soccer coach for two seasons. He has worked as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Athletic Training and is a Faculty in Residence in the Office of Residence Life. Mr. Laursen is an adjunct faculty member for the DAT Winter Institute and has participated since the founding of the program.

From July 2007 to May 2008, he was a clinical instructor at the University of South Carolina. As a member of its graduate faculty, he coordinated all graduate clinical education. Additionally, from 1993-1998 he was the Head Athletic Trainer at Washington College at Chestertown, MD. He has contributed too many publications, has made more than 90 presentations, and is a reviewer for Athletic Therapy Today and The Journal of Athletic Training. He has served as the Treasurer, Vice President and President of the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). He has visited over 20 schools’ athletic training programs as an Evaluation Team Member or Team Chair for NATA’s Professional Education Committee, CAAHEP and CAATE. He has been awarded Athletic Trainer of the Year from Athletic Trainers of Massachusetts (2013) and NATA’s Head Athletic Trainer of the Year (2007), Service Award (2009) and Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer (2016).

Laursen has volunteered as an Athletic Trainer at numerous sporting events including the Boston Marathon, NCAA championships for men’s basketball, men’s ice hockey and wrestling, and U.S. Figure Skating Challenges. A 1983 graduate of Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science degree, Laursen majored in Health Education and minored in Athletic Training. He earned his Master of Science degree in 1986 from Canisius College.

Andrew P. Winterstein is a clinical professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he currently serves as the program director of the athletic training professional preparation program. A graduate of the University of Arizona, University of Oregon, and the University of Wisconsin‐Madison; Dr.Winterstein has been active in athletic training patient care and educational programming at UW‐Madison since 1986. Dr. Winterstein serves as an adjunct professor for the DAT Winter Institute and is the primary course professor for ATRN 8140: Leadership and Professionalism in Athletic Training.

Dr. Winterstein’s academic interests include: emerging technologies and their use in teaching and learning, medical humanities and their application to athletic training education, organizational dynamics, educational interventions/behavioral change, and patient‐reported outcome measures following injury. His papers and abstracts have appeared a variety athletic training and sports medicine journals and he has been privileged to make numerous professional presentations at state, regional, national, and international conferences.

He is the author of three textbooks: The Athletic Training Student Primer (Slack, Inc), Administrative Topics in Athletic Training: Concepts to Practice (Slack, Inc) with Greg Gardner and Gary Harrelson, and The Athletic Trainers Guide to Differential Diagnosis: A Visual Learning Approach (Slack, Inc) co‐authored with Sharon Clark.

Dr. Winterstein has received numerous awards, including the 2016, NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award, 2008 Great Lakes Athletic Training Association Outstanding Educator Award, 2007 Wisconsin Athletic Trainers’ Association Outstanding Educator Award, and the 2006 UW‐Madison School of Education Distinguished Service Award. He and his colleagues are three‐time winners of the NATA Educational Multimedia Committee award for educational innovations and have been awarded the MERLOT Classics Award for exemplary on‐line learning objects.

JJ Wetherington, MS, LAT, ATC, BCS-O is a board certified orthopedic specialist athletic trainer. He currently works as a clinical athletic trainer for a fellowship trained sports medicine surgeon at St. Luke's Sports Medicine in Boise, ID. In addition to his clinical duties, he serves as core faculty for St. Luke’s CAATE accredited orthopedic residency program.

His professional career began in 2009 at Flagler College where he provided care for the men’s soccer and baseball teams. In 2014, JJ went on to further his training by completing an orthopedic athletic training residency at St. Luke’s Sports Medicine. Following his residency JJ was recruited to Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, MI to develop an athletic training residency along with his duties as a clinical athletic trainer. JJ served as program director from 2015-2017. In 2017, JJ returned to St. Luke’s to work clinically and in the operating room specializing in shoulder pathologies. Additionally, JJ is currently adjunct faculty at AT Still University and affiliate faculty at Indiana State University for both of their DAT programs.

Historically, JJ has been the co-leader of the NATA’s Committee on Practice Advancement (COPA) Athletic Trainers in the Physician Practice Workgroup. Currently he serves the athletic training profession as in numerous capacities with many members of the strategic alliance. JJ is currently serving the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) as as a site visitor for residency programs, previous he has served as a member of the Standards Committee and. He is currently serving the Board of Certification's (BOC) as a member of the Specialty Council. Additionally, for the BOC he has worked on the practice analysis and exam generation of the orthopedic specialty certification. He also is the vice president of the Athletic Trainers in Physician Practice Society (ATPPS).

He has authored and contributed to numerous peer-reviewed and professional publications focusing on athletic training specialization and athletic training residency programs. JJ is a sought-after speaker with multiple presentation nationally on athletic training specialization, improving physician practice efficiencies, and the implementation and utilization of athletic trainers.

JJ earned his bachelor's degree in athletic training in 2007 from Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina and a post-professional master's degree in athletic training in 2009 from Indiana University in Bloomington.

Born in Camden, NJ, Brian received a B.A. in physical education with a concentration in sports medicine. Upon graduation from Denison University, he pursued a master’s degree in sports medicine from Ohio University. He continued his post-graduate studies at the Ohio State University where he completed his doctoral degree in Exercise Science.

Dr. Hortz was part of the athletic training staff at Denison University from 1995-2019, he served as the Head Athletic Trainer from 1997-2010, and the Director of Sports Medicine from 2010-2019. His primary responsibilities at Denison University included being a professor in the Department of Health, Exercise, and Sports Studies Major, as well as, directing the sports medicine program. Dr. Hortz has presented at state, national, and international level conferences in different areas focusing on dry needling, athletic training, medical ethics, regulatory issues, health, and physical activity. He served on the Ohio State PTOTAT licensure board for 9 years and has served in many roles from Joint Board Chair, Chair of the AT section, and other board assignments. Dr. Hortz was inducted into the Ohio Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame in 2018 and has received the NATA Service Award in 2015, The Board of Certification Dan Liberia Award in 2009, and was the Ohio Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2008. Included among his professional affiliations are memberships in the National Athletic Trainers Association, the Great Lakes Athletic Association, and the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association.

Dr. Hortz is currently an Instructor and the Director of Research and Education for Structure & Function Education. In addition to his work with Structure & Function Education, he also has a concierge practice and continues to work one-on-one with athletes to make them well.

Dr. Ann Lee Burch is the dean of A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Health Sciences (ATSU-ASHS). Dr. Burch received her doctor of education from Columbia University, Teachers College in 2005. She received her masters of public health from Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health in 2002 and her masters of physical therapy from Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1989. She was a postdoctoral fellow with the Research Group on Health Disparities at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her BA is in psychology from the University of Rochester.

Prior to her appointment as dean, Dr. Burch served as vice dean for ATSU-ASHS. She served as the chair of the Physical Therapy Department from 2008-January 2012. Prior to ATSU, Dr. Burch was the director of physical therapy at the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She has held administrative and/or faculty positions at the International Center for the Disabled in NY, NY, Mercy College in NY, and Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY.

Dr. Burch’s area of scholarly interest and application of that interest is in knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy of health care providers and healthcare professional students towards underrepresented patient/client groups.

Dr. Burch is the author of a Guide to Physical Therapy (Vault Publishers) which was written to increase information access about physical therapy to both high school graduates and re-entry adults. She was a co-investigator on an NIH grant at the University of Puerto Rico exploring the feasibility of an exercise program for breast cancer survivors living in San Juan.  Dr. Burch has lived in Symi, Greece, Taipei, Taiwan, Ahmdebad, India and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and is committed to research, teaching and service that further the understanding of the impact of socioeconomic and cultural variables on health.

She was a member of the class of 2014 cohort of Women in Educational Leadership at Harvard Graduate School of Education. In 2017 she was the co-PI on a Centers for Disease Control, Association for Prevention and Teaching grant exploring a population health case study format for teaching and communicating the impact of social determinants of health on health disparities. She was recently appointed a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission.  

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Dr. Salas-Provance, is professor and vice dean of A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Health Sciences (ATSU-ASHS). Dr. Salas-Provance received her doctorate in speech science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She received her masters of health administration from the University of Missouri School of Medicine-Columbia. She holds both a bachelors and masters in Speech Pathology from New Mexico State University.

Prior to her appointment as vice dean, Dr. Salas-Provance served as associate dean of academic and student affairs for the School of Health Professions at the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston. She served as assistant dean and chair in the College of Education, Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico and department chair in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Montevallo (AL). She held faculty positions at Fontbonne College and St. Louis University, in St. Louis, MO.

She has made extensive professional contributions to the American, Speech, Language & Hearing Association (ASHA), serving on the Speech-Language Pathology Advisory Council, member of the Financial Planning Board, and the Multicultural Issues Board. She served as coordinator of ASHA’s Special Interest Group (SIG) 14, Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse populations and was a founding member and coordinator of SIG 17, Global Issues in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is an ASHA Fellow and received ASHA’s highest awards for “Special Recognition in Multicultural Affairs” and “Outstanding Contributions in International Achievement.”

Dr.Salas-Provance has served as a clinical educator throughout her academic career, especially related to children with cleft lip and palate. She is a member of an international medical team with Rotaplast International and has traveled worldwide for over 15 years to provide clinical services to children with cleft palate. She implemented a program for graduate students in speech pathology to provide clinical services in Spanish to children with cleft palate in Lima, Peru. In addition to Lima, Peru she has provided clinical services in China, Bangladesh, Philippines, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Venezuela.

Dr. Salas-Provance is coauthor of the textbook Culturally Responsive Practices in Speech-Language and Hearing Science (Plural Publishing, 2019) which meets the needs for training students in healthcare professions regarding practice with individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Her research is focused on attitudes towards disability by diverse populations and addressing the use of language interpreters during healthcare and educational encounters.

Over the past ten years she has lectured extensively to international audiences, both in English and Spanish, including as invited speaker for the Congreso Internacional en Trastornos de la Comunicacion at Escuela de Fonoaudiologia (Speech Language Pathology / Audiology) de la Universidad de Talca, Chile and for the Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Nacional Arzobispo Loayza, Lima, Peru, Endoscopic Evaluation of Velopharyngeal Dysfunction. She was invited keynote speaker for the First International Congress in Speech-Language Pathology and Orthodontics in the area of cleft lip and palate in Lima, Peru.

Dr. Salas-Provance was selected for the American Council on Education (ACE) Women’s Leadership Program and attended the National Women’s Leadership Forum in Washington DC (2017) for advancing female executives in higher education.

Tamara Valovich McLeod, PhD, ATC, FNATA, FNAK, FNAP is the John P. Wood, D.O., Endowed Chair for Sports Medicine, professor and director of the Athletic Training program at A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona. Dr. McLeod completed her doctor of philosophy degree in education with an emphasis in sports medicine from the University of Virginia. She is the director of the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network and her research has focused on the pediatric athlete with respect to sport-related concussion. Her current work is investigating the short- and long-term effects of pediatric sports concussion as well as recovery following concussion on traditional concussion assessments and health-related quality of life. Dr. McLeod also has research interests regarding gender differences in lower extremity function, specifically neuromuscular control, and postural stability and studies these areas through an injury prevention approach in younger athletes. Dr. McLeod was a contributing author for the NATA Position Statement on the Management of Sport-Related Concussion, the lead author on the NATA Position Statement on the Prevention of Pediatric Overuse Injuries, and a consultant and contributing author on the Appropriate Medical Coverage for Secondary School-Aged Athletes. Dr. McLeod serves on numerous editorial boards, and publishes frequently in the athletic training and sports medicine journals and is a NATA Fellow.

Kaylynn Schmitt is the program manager for the Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Ms. Murphy brings over 5 years of administrative and clerical experience to our program. She assists the program director, faculty and administrative manager with the administration responsibilities for both the Doctors in Athletic Training and Masters in Athletic Training programs.

Valerie Hill began working at A. T. Still University in December 2022 as the Administrative Assistant for the Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences and the Department of Athletic training. Valerie joined ATSU’s team with over 30 years of administrative experience from another local institution of higher education.