Dr. Cynthia (Cyndi) Haynes is a pediatric therapist with more than 20 years of experience. She has worked as a clinician and director across diverse settings, including a regional pediatric hospital, pediatric rehabilitation facility, outpatient clinics, early intervention and community preschools, as well as home- and school-based services. As occupational therapy regional director with Employer
Dr. Justine Faghihifar joined the University in 2023 and serves as an Associate Professor in the Occupational Therapy (OT) programs on the Dallas, TX campus. She holds a Doctor of Occupational Therapy and a Master of Family Studies from Texas Woman’s University . Specializing in Autism Spectrum Disorder, mental health, pediatrics, school systems and sensory
Sarah Kelly is a bilingual (Spanish/English) speech-language pathologist focusing on pediatric care. Her interests lie in assessing and providing interventions for culturally and linguistically diverse populations, second language acquisition, bilingualism and clinical education. With experience living abroad in Mexico, Spain and Argentina, Kelly brings a global perspective to her work. In her professional career, Kelly
Dr. Marianne Hanover obtained her Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from San Diego State University and her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California. Dr. Hanover joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in 2017. She became an American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Board-certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical
Laura Bostock began her career as an occupational therapist in 2017, after graduating from the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) San Marcos, CA campus. As a school-based practitioner, she has continued to expand her emphasis on multi-sensory learning approaches, sensory regulation programs, and Learning
Dr. Macy Burr has a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology and a minor in psychology. Prior to starting occupational therapy school, she worked in outpatient rehabilitation and mental health settings. Dr. Burr graduated from Stanbridge University with a Master of Science in occupational therapy and began her career as an occupational therapist working in outpatient
Shimko earned her Master’s in Physical Therapy 1996 at Barry University. She has been a member of the American Physical Therapy Association/Florida Physical Therapy Association member since 1990 (PTA 1992-1996). Shimko has 10 years’ experience serving in elected and appointed positions for the FPTA Board of Directors. She served on the FPTA Board of Directors
Dr. Crowder joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in 2015 as a contributing faculty member and transitioned to Assistant Professor in the Post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy program in 2018. Prior to joining USAHS, she specialized in school-based occupational therapy with 17 years of practice experience in this setting. Additionally, she worked
Dr. Blackwell is passionate about occupational therapy. She splits her time between researching innovative practices, teaching graduate occupational therapy students, and providing service in community pediatric settings. Her service focuses on supporting participation in important childhood occupations in authentic environments. More specifically, she understands the challenges of addressing sensory and self-regulation needs in the classroom,
Dr. Erik Perez earned his Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Texas Pan American in Edinburg, TX and his post professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy with a concentration in Education from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. Dr. Perez accepted a core faculty position in the Occupational Therapy Program at the
Dr. Petersen is an Assistant Professor in the Occupational Therapy program on the San Marcos, CA campus. He brings more than 12 years of experience working in both clinical practice and in various academic roles. His clinical background has focused on working with children in clinics and schools. He has also worked with adult populations
Cat Daniel earned a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) from the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) to MOT bridge program at Western New Mexico University. As a COTA, her areas of practice ranged from a private practice outpatient hand clinic, hospital setting