Faculty

Dr. Alshammari has authored 25+ research articles on physical therapy and spoken at numerous international PT conferences. He has 15+ years of clinical expertise working with neurologic patients. Specialties include geriatrics, neurological disorders, neurological rehab, and spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries.

Dr. Ascher is a licensed physical therapist and educator specializing in cardiovascular and pulmonary care, geriatrics, orthopedics and sports medicine. With certifications in strength and conditioning, and golfer rehabilitation, he empowers older adults to achieve optimal health by enhancing mobility.

Dr. Balakrishnan has expertise in mental health, neurological disorders and neurological rehabilitation. With a doctorate in Neurophysiology, she has done extensive research on maternal infection and fetal brain development.

Elizabeth Wagner has 20+ years’ experience in various occupational therapy settings, including developing a mild traumatic brain injury program for the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. She has expertise in sensory integration, traumatic brain injuries, neurological rehabilitation and geriatrics, including dementia and cardiovascular and pulmonary care.

Dr. Bezkor has 15+ years of clinical care experience in orthopedics, neurology, vestibular, respiratory and hand therapy. He is a member of APTA and CPTA and has received awards for excellence in education and professional service.

Dr. Body is an expert in orthopedics, anatomy and healthcare higher education. She has experience in outpatient orthopedics and has worked in different clinical settings.

Dr. Bonsall specializes in pediatrics and has experience teaching courses related to research and theory. His work focuses on family-centered care and helping parents of disabled children, as well as supporting parents.

Dr. Brito specializes in rehabilitation of individuals following spinal cord injury, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. She is passionate about seating and positioning, reducing rehospitalizations and integrating adaptive sports into their rehab journey.

As a certified Autism Specialist, Dr. Burr is an occupational therapist with expertise in population health, pediatrics, kinesiology, health administration and school systems. She has published research on the advantages of animal-assisted therapies and is a qualified handler of therapy dogs.

Dr. Byrne is a physical therapist with a focus on improving developmental outcomes in neonatal and cardiac intensive care units. She has a passion for neuromotor rehab with specialties in acute care, cardiovascular and pulmonary, neurological rehabilitation and pediatrics.

Dr. De Brun’s specialties include community mental health, pediatrics, mental health and population health. She has extensive experience working in emerging practice, and community-based pediatric and adult mental health services.

With expertise in Kinesio Taping ® and industrial medical testing, Dr. Despain is a physical therapy expert with specialties in pediatrics, pelvic health, wound care, manual therapy and orthopedics. He serves as a consultant on fraud investigations for the Physical Therapy Board of California.

With specialties in adult rehabilitation, geriatrics, long term/rehabilitation nursing and neurological rehabilitation, Dr. DiGrado has worked in various clinical settings and primarily focuses on serving individuals with neurological impairments throughout the lifespan.

Dr. Disney is a board-certified orthopedic physical therapist with a focus on pelvic floor dysfunctions and orthopedic injury rehabilitation. She has experience working with both an adult and pediatric population. Her expertise includes higher education, manual therapy, pelvic health and sports medicine.

With expertise in adult medical speech-language pathology, Dr. Eaton’s background spans research, clinical work and advocacy, including founding a group that offers speech therapy to adults with aphasia at no cost. She specializes in acute care, adult rehabilitation, anatomy, neurological rehabilitation and traumatic brain injuries.

Dr. Evans has more than 40 years of experience in clinical and management roles in multi-disciplinary adult and geriatric physical disability settings, including acute care, rehabilitation, long-term/rehabilitation nursing and home health care.

Having authored/co-authored 40+ peer-reviewed manuscripts, Dr. Ganesan is a recognized authority in neurological rehabilitation who has a strong background in research and education. His areas of interest in study are balance and movement in older adults with neurological problems.

Dr. Gildersleeve-Neumann specializes in higher education leadership and pediatrics, focusing on severe speech sound disorders and multilingualism. Her expertise includes childhood apraxia of speech, bilingual speech development and assessment and intervention for monolingual and multilingual individuals.

Anna Golombek, MS, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers), is a Clinical Coordinator for the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Master of Speech-Language Pathology program on the San Marcos, CA campus. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Music (Vocal Performance) from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Master of Science in Clinical Speech-Language

Dr. Gonzalez-Cabrera specializes in community mental health and pharmacology. He co-reported fundamental discoveries that led to the development of a small molecule therapeutic approved in the United States and Europe.

Dr. Grzina excels in pediatric speech pathology, focusing on feeding and swallowing disorders, and preparing future clinicians through interprofessional education, clinical education and higher education. She brings experience from pediatric medical settings, including NICU, PICU, and cleft and craniofacial anomalies teams.

Dr. Hanover has 25+ years of expertise providing children with outpatient treatment and early intervention. Her study focuses on therapeutic approaches those with Spina Bifida and Down Syndrome with a particular interest in neurological rehabilitation, pediatrics and school systems.

Dr. Herrera specializes in clinical education, manual therapy and orthopedics. As a physical therapist and athlete, she has a strong interest in sports medicine and is dedicated to promoting quality movement and empowering individuals on their health journeys.

Specializing in manual therapy, orthopedics and sports medicine, Dr. Ingstad brings experience in outpatient physical therapy, particularly in sport rehabilitation and preventing sports injuries. He is a certified athletic trainer and a member of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Sports, Orthopaedic and Education sections.

Dr. Johnson’s specialties include adult rehabilitation, orthopedics, spinal cord injuries, sports medicine, neurological disorders and interprofessional education. She has 30+ years’ expertise working with patients with neurological impairments and is a frequent presenter on OT education and rehabilitation practice.

With specialties in clinical education, cardiovascular and pulmonary, chronic disease management, geriatrics and pediatrics, Dr. Kamel is a physical therapist with 25 years of academic and clinical experience. With an interest in lifestyle and weight management, he is skilled in home health, outpatient PT, neurological rehabilitation and musculoskeletal PT.

Dr. Laughlin is an occupational therapist specializing in dementia care and mental health. With a strong focus on geriatrics and behavioral health, she empowers individuals to engage in meaningful occupations and provides trauma-informed care for chronic pain management.

Dr. Leyva has been a physical therapist (PT) for more than 30 years and specializes in manual therapy, orthopedics and sports medicine. She is a certified orthopedic clinical specialist and a strength and conditioning specialist, and is an active member of multiple PT organizations.

Dr. Lyons-Brown is an Assistant Professor and Doctoral Coordinator with over 20 years of experience. Her specialties include neurological populations and prevention of intimate partner violence.

As an experienced practicing therapist and educator specializing in community mental health and mental health, Dr. MacDermott has expertise in chronic pain management and occupational science.

Dr. Martinez is an occupational therapist with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder, clinical education, pediatrics, school systems and sensory integration. She has extensive experience in the public school system and opened her own private practice.

With a specialty in geriatrics, Dr. Mathews is dedicated to preparing students for clinical practice by fostering critical thinking and creating safe learning environments.

As a certified bilingual speech-language pathologist with more than a decade of experience, Dr. McGill specializes in clinical education, healthcare higher education and pediatrics. She is engaged in advocacy efforts, with her research focused on reducing healthcare disparities between rural and urban populations.

Dr. McIntyre is an occupational therapist with a specialization in community-based mental health settings, particularly working with adults experiencing psychosis. Her scholarly work focuses on trauma-informed education, hoarding disorder and the inclusion of experts by experience in academic settings.

Dr. McNulty, an expert in geriatrics, is a passionate educator, researcher and clinician. With a background in psychosocial occupational therapy and geriatric rehabilitation, she has dedicated her career to improving the lives of individuals with complex conditions.

Dr. Menefee is a board-certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist with expertise in orthopedics and movement science. She joined the University as contributing faculty and moved to a full-time faculty position in 2022.

Dr. Meyer is an expert in fieldwork education and supervision with 35+ years of experience specializing in adult rehabilitation and clinical education. She created international fieldwork experiences and is nationally recognized for her work with OT students with disabilities.

As a board-certified Geriatrics Clinical Specialist, Dr. Miller specialties include orthopedics, adult rehabilitation, healthcare higher education, interprofessional education, neurological rehabilitation and wound management. She has worked in multiple areas of physical therapy including military hospital clinics and Veterans Administration hospitals.

With expertise in multi-sensory learning approaches, sensory regulation programs, and handwriting and keyboarding programs, Laura Moe’s specialties include pediatrics, school systems, healthcare higher education and neurological disorders.

Dr. Moore is an orthopedic board-certified physical therapist specializing in adult rehabilitation and orthopedics. With a background in the U.S. Army and extensive clinical experience, she has expertise in amputation and polytrauma.

Dr. Angelina Muñoz is a pediatric occupational therapist with expertise in diverse population pediatrics. She has worked in various settings, including sensory-based clinics, school districts and pediatric hospitals.

Dr. Orozco Arteaga is a specialist in Autism Spectrum Disorder, chronic disease management, community mental health, pediatrics, population health and sensory integration. She has a background in interdisciplinary collaboration, and her research and academic interests center on health disparities, equity and inclusion.

Board-certified in pediatrics, Dr. Park specializes in Autism Spectrum Disorder, clinical education, higher education, mental health and sensory integration. She has lectured globally on interdisciplinary approaches to feeding assessment and intervention and holds advanced practice certification in swallowing assessment, evaluation and intervention.

Dr. Parker specializes in manual therapy, neurological rehabilitation, orthopedics and sports medicine. With a passion for sports and teaching, his career has included helping others as a CrossFit trainer, where he developed skills in functional movement with proper load and form.

An AAOMPT Fellow, Dr. Parrish specializes in manual therapy and orthopedics. Her expertise focuses on interprofessional education, best practice simulations and online education in the field of orthopedics.

Dr. Petersen specializes in pediatrics, school systems and sensory integration. With more than 10 years of experience in clinical practice and academia, he is dedicated to transitioning individuals with intellectual disabilities, developmental disability and Autism into adulthood.

With specialties in adult rehabilitation, clinical education, kinesiology and orthopedics, Dr. Phung’s experience includes delivering concierge PT care to adult populations. She is an advocate for community development and health education and is a mentor and speaker in various capacities regionally and internationally.

Specializing in pediatrics, Monica Putt is a speech-language pathologist with diverse clinical experience, having worked in homes, schools, clinics and hospitals. She is an international board-certified lactation consultant, integrating her pediatrics expertise with lactation consulting.

Dr. Rice joined the University in 2017 as contributing faculty in the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary, Biophysical Agents, Integumentary and Analytical Anatomy courses. She became a full-time faculty member as Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education in November 2021. She is the Director, Physical Therapy Clinical Education Coordination. Dr. Rice graduated with a Bachelor of Science in

With 20+ years of clinical experience and specialties in manual therapy and oncology, Dr. Roberts is an occupational therapist practitioner with expertise in lymphedema, burn therapy and hand therapy.

As a board-certified Clinical Specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy, Dr. Rodriguez has expertise both in the classroom and clinical practice. His specialties include traumatic brain injuries, chronic disease management and neurological disorders and rehabilitation.

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

Jorge Sarmiento joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in the spring of 2013 as a contributing faculty member teaching Administration and Management. He became a core faculty member in fall 2017 teaching Therapeutic Exercises, Biomechanics, and Administration and Management. He also assists in gross anatomy lab. Prior to joining the university, he

Dr. Schwier specializes in sensory integration, pediatrics, community integration and the influence on academic performance and social skills. She is a frequent presenter, published author and researcher in occupational therapy education and student self-efficacy.

With 25+ years of experience in orthopedic PT, Dr. Smith specializes in adult rehabilitation, manual therapy and orthopedics. She holds certifications in manual therapy, manipulative therapy and orthopaedics.

Dr. Sorce specializes in adult rehabilitation, orthopedics and clinical education. With extensive clinical experience in acute care, outpatient orthopedics and mobile concierge services, she is passionate about post-operative rehabilitation and empowering patients through education.

As a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist, Dr. Tizon specializes in geriatrics, manual therapy, orthopedics and sports medicine. With pain management and higher education expertise, he mentors future physical therapists and provides patient care in outpatient and home health settings.

Claire Uke is a licensed and registered occupational therapist with school-based experience serving parents and children from diverse backgrounds. She has dense technical knowledge on a variety of topics and is passionate about sharing information and finding solutions. She is currently pursuing a certification in assistive technology. Uke began teaching as an Assistive Technology Lab

As a certified bilingual speech-language pathologist, Deanne Wayt has expertise in autism, pediatrics and clinical education. In addition to higher education, her experience includes working with culturally and linguistically diverse pediatric populations in early intervention, clinical and school-based settings.

Dr. Liz Wilson became an Academic Fieldwork Coordinator at the University in 2018. She started at the University as a guest lecturer and then contributing faculty before transitioning into her current full-time position. She has worked in a variety of occupational therapy settings including inpatient acute hospitals, outpatient clinics, home health, pediatric school systems and

As a certified strength and conditioning specialist, Dr. Witkin expertise includes acute care, orthopedics and sports medicine.