Tamara C. Valovich McLeod, PhD, ATC, FNATA, is the Athletic Training program director, professor of Athletic Training, research professor in the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, and the John P. Wood, DO, endowed chair for Sports Medicine 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 founding director of the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network. 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, academics, and health-related quality of life.

Dr. McLeod is also involved with pediatric sports injury education and prevention through the Positive Play Project in conjunction with Mesa Parks and Recreation.

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.​

Dr. Anderson is a Tenured Professor in the ATSU Athletic Training programs. He teaches a variety of courses in both the online DAT and MSAT programs, with a focus on developing clinical skills and athletic training clinical education Dr. Anderson also advises doctoral applied research projects in the DAT program. Dr Anderson holds a Level 1 Functional Movement Screen™ certification, and is an accredited Graston Technique™ clinician. He has extensive experience and training in therapeutic exercise prescription, fundamental movement patterns, and manual therapy techniques.

Prior to coming to ATSU, Dr. Anderson worked full-time clinically for 10 years as an athletic trainer in the collegiate, high school, and clinical settings. Dr. Anderson's research interests include the assessment and correction of fundamental movement patterns, the development of clinical reasoning skills and advanced clinical practice, and athletic training clinical education. Dr. Anderson is the Chair of the CAATE Standards Committee, and a member of the CAATE Professional Accreditation Council. He is also a member of the Association for Athletic Training Education (AATE) Research Network, and serves as a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation. Dr. Anderson earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Sports Medicine and Athletic Training from Missouri State University, his Masters of Science in Sports Health Care from A.T. Still University, and his Doctor of Health Science degree from Nova Southeastern University. He has been recognized as the Arizona School of Health Sciences Educator of the Year (2016), Distinguished Service of the Year (2019), and Scholar of the Year (2021); named a Distinguished Educator by the RMATA in 2019, and received the NATA Service Award in 2018.

Cailee E. Welch Bacon, PhD, ATC, FNATA is a professor in the Department of Athletic Training Programs and a research professor in the Department of Basic Science in the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona at A.T. Still University. Dr. Bacon 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 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. Dr. Bacon completed a post-doctoral research fellowship within the Center for Clinical Outcome Studies at A.T. Still University, which focused on patient-oriented outcomes. Dr. Bacon serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Athletic Training Editorial Board and the Athletic Training Education Journal, and is a contributing scholar for the Association for Athletic Training Education Research Network. Dr. Bacon also serves as the Associate Director for the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network (AT-PBRN), where she primarily oversees the continuing education platform and the cost-free academic electronic medical record (AEMR). Dr. Bacon’s research agenda seeks to understand how the educational outcomes of health professions education programs shape and guide the practice patterns of healthcare professionals. The long term goal of her research is to determine key elements that drive the successful educational outcomes of professional and post-professional athletic training programs to ensure future generations of athletic trainers are able to effectively provide athletic training services to enhance patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. In 2023, Dr. Bacon was named a Fellow of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

Sue Falsone, PT, DPT, 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. Dr. 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 currently serving as the Director of Movement and Return to Performance for the Houston Texans. 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, Dr. 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 (ATSU). He received a bachelor of science in athletic training and a master of education in human movement from Boston University. He also completed his doctor of science degree from Boston University with a focus on movement sciences. Prior to becoming a faculty member at ATSU, Dr. Lam completed a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship within the Center of Clinical Outcomes Studies at ATSU with a focus on patient-oriented outcomes research. His current line of research seeks to understand the overall impact of sport-related lower extremity injuries on patient-oriented outcomes such as health-related quality of life. In addition to his faculty responsibilities, Dr. Lam serves as the director of the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network (AT-PBRN) and as the vice chair of the Institutional Review Board at ATSU - Mesa campus. He also serves as a member of the Research Committee for the NATA Foundation, a member of the Athletic Training Research Committee of the NATA Foundation, and an editorial board member for the Journal of Athletic Training and Journal of Sport Rehabilitation. In 2022, Dr. Lam was named a Fellow of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Prior to earning his doctorate, Dr. Lam practiced as a certified athletic trainer at Boston University, Rutgers University - New Brunswick, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Alison Snyder Valier, PhD, ATC, FNATA, holds the positions of Professor within the Department of Athletic Training and Assistant Director of Research Support at A.T. Still University (ATSU). She received her bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Whitman College in Washington and a master of science degree in exercise physiology at the University of Toledo in Ohio. In addition, she received her doctorate in exercise science from the University of Toledo, where she majored in applied physiology and completed a minor in human anatomy. Dr. Valier completed a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Clinical Outcomes Research, awarded to her by the NATA Research and Education Foundation. She is actively involved in the instruction of students enrolled in the Post-Professional Masters in Athletic Training and the Doctor of Athletic Training programs at ATSU. Alison's extensive research proficiency encompasses Clinical Outcomes Assessment, with a distinct emphasis on leveraging Patient Reported Outcomes Instruments to facilitate informed clinical decision-making. Her scholarly pursuits also span social determinants of health and their impact on individuals leading physically active lives, epidemiology of athletic injuries, and enhancing healthcare quality. Throughout her career, Alison has demonstrated a dedicated commitment to the advancement of the Athletic Training field. Her contributions include holding pivotal roles such as Chair of the NATA Foundation Pronouncements Committee and membership in the NATA Foundation Research Committee. She has also served as a reviewer for the Journal of Athletic Training, Athletic Training and Sports Health Care, and the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation. Dr. Valier has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to the field of Athletic Training, earning her the distinction of being named a Fellow of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association in 2022.

Kelsey J. Picha, PhD, ATC is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences where she co-teaches Clinical Anatomy. Dr. Picha has previously taught functional anatomy and assisted with several other courses related to the human body and patient care. Her research interests are in the areas of patient adherence to rehabilitation and social determinants of health in athletic health care. Dr. Picha has secured grant funding both internally and externally for her work. She currently serves on several professional committees including the AACA Branding, Promotion, and Outreach Committee, the NATA Education Advancement Committee, and AZATA Governmental Affairs Committee. Dr. Picha also serves as a section editor for the Clinical Practice in Athletic Training Journal and serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Sports Rehabilitation. Dr. Picha earned her bachelor of athletic training degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato, master of science degree in post-professional athletic training from A.T. Still University, and earned her doctor of philosophy degree in rehabilitation sciences from the University of Kentucky.

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.

David H. Perrin is Dean of the College of Health and Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training at the University of Utah. He serves as an adjunct faculty member for the DAT Winter Institute and has been a contributor to the institute since 206.

From 2007 – 2014 he served as Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and as Dean of the School of Health and Human Performance at UNCG from 2001-2007. Dr. Perrin’s career as an administrator began in 1995 in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia where he served as program area director of Kinesiology (then Health and Physical Education). In 1999, he was appointed Chair of the Department of Human Services at UVa. He received his BS in Physical Education from Castleton State College, MA in Athletic Training from Indiana State University, and PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Perrin was editor-in-chief of the Journal of Athletic Training for eight years (1996-2004) and founding editor of the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation (1990-1995). He is author of Isokinetic Exercise and Assessment and Athletic Taping and Bracing, 3nd Edition (with translations in Japanese, Greek, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean and French), editor of The Injured Athlete, Third Edition, and coauthor of Examination of Musculoskeletal Injuries and Research Methods in Athletic Training. He also served as series editor of the 5-textbook Athletic Training Education Series.

For 15 years Dr. Perrin directed the graduate programs in Athletic Training (MEd) and Sports Medicine (PhD & EdD) at the University of Virginia. He was named the Joe Gieck Professor of Sports Medicine, founded the Sports Medicine and Athletic Training Research Laboratory, and mentored over 50 students who received a doctoral degree in Sports Medicine. His primary research interest, funded by the National Institutes of Health, focused on anterior cruciate ligament injury risk factors in female athletes.

From 2007 to 2011 he served on the Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary, Community-Based Linkages, Bureau of Health Professions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As a faculty member, he was recipient of a University of Virginia All-University Outstanding Teaching Award in 1997 and in 1998 received the Curry School of Education Foundation’s Outstanding Professor Award. His professional awards from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association include the Sayers “Bud” Miller Distinguished Educator Award in 1996, the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer award in 1998, the William G. Clancy, Jr., MD Medal for Distinguished Athletic Training Research in 1999, and induction into the Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2015 he received the NATA Research & Education Foundation’s Lifetime Contribution Award. Among his honors are distinguished alumni awards from CSC, ISU, and Pitt, including induction into the Legacy Laureate Society at the University of Pittsburgh in 2008. In 2009 he received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the Arizona School of Health Sciences at A.T. Still University.

Stacy E. Walker, PhD, ATC is a tenured Associate Professor of Athletic Training at Ball State University. She serves as an adjunct faculty member for the DAT Winter Institute. She has over 30 peer reviewed journal articles, more than 40 professional presentations. Her research agenda focuses on the use of standardized patients to provide additional clinical education experiences for athletic training students and the transition to practice of newly credentialed athletic trainers.

She received the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers’ Association Outstanding Educator Award in 2014. She is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Athletic Training and the Athletic Training Education Journal and is a member of the NATA Research and Education Foundation Research Committee, the Board of Certifications Maintenance of Certification Task Force the Association of Standardized Patient Educators Grants and Research Committee and serves as a CAATE Site visitor. S

he obtained her bachelor of science degree from Southern Illinois University, a masters in rehabilitative science from Clarion University and a masters degree in athletic training from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga followed by her Doctor of Philosophy degree in administration and teaching from the University of Southern Mississippi.

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.

Dr. Avinash Chandran is the Director of the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program at the Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention. Prior to joining the Datalys Center, Dr. Chandran was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he concurrently worked within the Matthew-Gfeller Sport-Related TBI Research Center, the Center for Study of Retired Athletes, and the Injury Prevention Research Center. Dr. Chandran is a quantitative Epidemiologist, and his research interests are, broadly, in athlete health over the lifespan. Dr. Chandran holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from the University of Maryland, College Park. He completed his Master of Science in Epidemiology, as well as his PhD in Epidemiology at the George Washington University.

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.

Tamara C. Valovich McLeod, PhD, ATC, FNATA, is the Athletic Training program director, professor of Athletic Training, research professor in the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, and the John P. Wood, DO, endowed chair for Sports Medicine 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 founding director of the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network. 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, academics, and health-related quality of life.

Dr. McLeod is also involved with pediatric sports injury education and prevention through the Positive Play Project in conjunction with Mesa Parks and Recreation.

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.​

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.  

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.

Kaylynn Schmitt is the Program Manager for the Department of Athletic Training. Mrs. Schmitt brings over 10 years of administrative and clerical experience to our program, working closely with the Department Chair, Program Director, and faculty with administrative responsibilities for both the Doctor in Athletic Training and Master 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.