Prior to joining the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in 2017, Dr. Ed Bezkor was a faculty member in the DPT program at San Diego State University, where he was awarded the Most Influential Faculty Member in 2015 and 2017. He was also a faculty member in the biomedical department at Pacific College
Dr. Miguel Garcia is a core faculty member in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Miami, FL campus. He has been teaching in the DPT Flex program since 2009 and leads the various neurological courses within the DPT curriculum. He was promoted to his current position
Dr. Melissa Green joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) as a full-time instructor for the Flex Program in 2018. She is currently teaching in the neuromuscular curriculum. Prior to joining the University, Dr. Green worked as a physical therapist at Brooks Rehabilitation for more than 10 years, primarily in the outpatient
Dr. Edla da Silva is a results-oriented and multi-faceted program coordinator in the higher education and physical therapy industries. As a past coordinator of the Physiotherapy department at the University of Caxias do Sul, Brazil, she has created undergraduate and graduate physical therapy programs that have been approved by the Ministry of Education and Health
Dr. Fernandez has 35 years of clinical and leadership experience in providing and promoting rehabilitation services throughout the population’s lifespan. Her clinical experience and specialization include and are not limited to traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, cerebral vascular accident, neuro-rehabilitation, adult and pediatric orthopedics, adult and pediatric burns, adult and pediatric movement disorders, dementia,
Kristian Llaca has been a practicing occupational therapist for five years working in different healthcare settings ranging from acute care, home health, inpatient rehab and private practice. He graduated from Florida International University with a master’s degree in occupational therapy. Since then, Llaca has specialized in the adult neurological population while working at West Gables
Dr. Neeraj Kumar is an Associate Professor in the College of Rehabilitative Sciences on the Dallas, TX campus. He has a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy (1996) from Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India; a master’s degree in sports physiotherapy (1998) from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India; a PhD in rehabilitation science (2009) from
Dr. Jasper graduated from Universidad de Sta. Isabel, Philippines with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy and obtained her Doctor of Physical Therapy from AT Still University (ATSU). She received her Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. Her doctoral work was focused on the impact of prescribed walking in older
Dr. Summer San Lucas received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree from Westmont College in 2001. She graduated from Loma Linda University with her Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2005 and Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy in 2012. She is an American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) board-certified clinical specialist in neurologic and pediatric
Dr. Ana Rivera earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Central Florida. In 2017, she obtained her Doctor of Philosophy in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences from the University of Florida. Dr. Rivera directs her research interests toward neurogenic communication disorders, bilingualism and their
Dr. Zeida Gutierrez is an educator, a clinician, a lifelong student and interested in technology. After graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Recreational Therapy, she realized she wanted to continue her education and transition into occupational therapy. After receiving her Master of Health Science in Occupational Therapy, she worked in a variety of clinical
Dr. Gabriela Perez entered the role of teaching as a lab assistant in 2018 and came onboard at the University as full-time faculty in March 2020. She started her career as a physical therapist assistant in 2009 and remains practicing. Dr. Perez earned her bachelor’s degree in education with a focus on health and fitness,