Dr. Penny joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) as a contributing faculty member in 2023. He teaches the Research Methods II class and serves as committee chair for students working on their Doctor of Education (EdD) dissertation research. At USAHS and in other settings, Dr. Penny has guided more than 85
Dr. Claryssa (Clary) Montgomery joined the University in 2023 as a clinical educator and transitioned to her current position in October 2024. Her experiences as a medical speech-language pathologist (SLP) navigating the healthcare systems in Texas and New York have influenced her approach to patient care and clinical mentorship. Dr. Montgomery’s areas of clinical expertise
With nearly three decades of experience in speech-language pathology, Kathryn Flurry Mercer has worked in a variety of adult and pediatric healthcare settings, as well as diverse educational environments. She joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) in 2019 and works as the clinical coordinator of the MS-SLP program on the Dallas,
Dr. Tania Tablinsky has an extensive background in allied health and physical therapy education with a focus on clinical education, program development and accreditation. Her background is in geriatrics and neuromuscular rehabilitation. She earned her doctorate and master’s degrees in physical therapy from Nova Southeastern University and holds a bachelor’s in biological sciences from Florida
Dr. Lekeitha R. Morris is a speech-language pathologist certified through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association with more than 20 years of clinical experience providing services to children and adults to enhance communication skills. A transformational educator, administrator and researcher, she began her higher education experience in 2011. At Delta State University, she served as a department
Kristyn King joined the University in May 2024. She earned her master’s degree in communications and sciences disorders from Chapman University in 2015 after working as a behavioral therapist in pediatrics. King has worked primarily in hospitals with adults in the acute, acute rehabilitation and outpatient settings. She holds certifications in McNeill Dysphagia Therapy, Vital
Dr. Grzina, who joined the University in April 2024, has worked in pediatric medical settings, including the neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric intensive care unit, acute care and outpatient, and has served on cleft and craniofacial anomalies teams. She has specialized in working with infants and children with feeding and swallowing disorders, cleft lip and
Dr. Jen Featheringham is an occupational therapist, educator and researcher with a passion for quality and accessible higher education and rehabilitation services. Her areas of clinical expertise are in acute care practice, neurorehabilitation and critical care, where she has facilitated development of rehabilitation programming in the intensive care setting. Her research and academic interests are
Based at the Austin, TX campus, Rossana Ramires joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences as a Clinical Educator in January 2024. She has experience in clinical instruction, having worked in various settings with children and adults as a speech-language pathologist since 2002. Her main focus as a professional is to provide individualized
Dr. Kristine (Kristi) Hanks received her Bachelor of Science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Master of Science and Transitional doctorate degree in physical therapy from Marymount University, and Doctor of Health Sciences (Education) from Radford University. As a practicing physical therapist, she has experience in multiple settings for 25 years, including acute care,
Dr. Mohamed Kamel is a physical therapist with 25 years of academic and clinical experience in the field. His background and training include pediatric physical therapy, geriatric physical therapy, home health, outpatient physical therapy, neurological rehabilitation and musculoskeletal physical therapy. He earned his bachelor’s degree (1997) and master’s degree (2003) from Cairo University and has
Dr. Jessica Phung obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biophysics from the University of California San Diego and her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS). Her clinical experience has been in various settings including inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient orthopedics, and in delivering concierge physical therapy care to