Murphy Deming Faculty

Dr. Susan “Sue” Stevens joined Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences in August 2018 as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Stevens previously served in a variety of experiences in higher education with increasing leadership positions throughout her career moving from a clinical education coordinator in accredited athletic training programs at Elon University, Elon NC and University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro NC. She was also the Master of Athletic Training Program Director and Health and Human Performance Department Chair at The University of Findlay. She also served as the chair of the Institutional Review Board, the vice chair and chair of the Undergraduate Council as well as vice chair of the Faculty Senate at The University of Findlay.

She has also held external leadership positions including Secretary, President Elect, and President of the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Athletic Trainers Board. She was also a member of the Public Relations Committee, College and University Committee, and Governance Restructuring Task Force for the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association. She was also selected as a member of the Rotary Foundation Group Study Exchange Team, which is an international exchange program for young professionals. This experience included a month long professional and cultural exchange in Italy where she was able to interact a variety of health care and other professionals to learn more about international health care systems.

Stevens brings considerable experience with the quality improvement model of program and curricular assessment through the completion of numerous internal assessment reports as a program director and department chair, and recognizes the importance of setting appropriate goals and objectives, collecting data to measure success, developing action plans for continuous improvements and closing the loop by assessing successful completion of the action plan while always trying to move in an upward spiral of improvement.

She is also a firm believer in the role of experiential education for students. Every student should have at least one professional opportunity to apply knowledge and skills learned in the classroom out in the community. Experiential learning is vital to student development, moving from laboratory experiences, to clinical rotations, to internships, study/ service abroad or locally.

Stevens began her career as a practicing collegiate athletic trainer with experience at different levels of competition from a small private institution (NAIA II) to the mid major NCAA I level and has been a BOC certified athletic trainer (ATC) since 1993. She is also a Virginia licensed athletic trainer (AT). Providing health care to athletes as part of the sports medicine team is an amazing opportunity no matter the level, highlights of her clinical practice include international travel with multiple teams, providing health care services to elite athletes during NCAA post season events at all divisions, and the opportunity to provide health care services to olympic caliber athletes. She was also honored to be on the Host Medical Team for the 1999 Special Olympics World Games in Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh North Carolina.

Research Interests:
Her primary research interest involves students learning through clinical experiences. She has presented at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Annual Meeting and at the NATA Athletic Training Educator’s Conference as well as other regional and state meetings. She has been published in Athletic Therapy Today and Athletic Training Education Journal.

Academic Credentials:
Doctor of Education in Exercise and Sport Science, The University of North Carolina Greensboro, 2005
Master of Science in Physical Education/Athletic Training, Indiana State University, 1995
Bachelor of Arts in Athletic Training, Capital University, 1993

Dr. Adams began her nursing education at Norfolk General Hospital School of Professional Nursing, graduating with a Diploma in Nursing in 1979.  She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Old Dominion University, Master Public Administration (MPA) from Troy State University and Doctorate in Nursing Practice from American Sentinel University in Aurora, Colorado.

Dr. Adams served the U. S. Navy as a legalman at Naval Air Station, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Upon completion of nursing school, she returned to the U. S. Navy Nurse Corps retiring in December 1998 at the rank of Commander.  Dr. Adams’s career in the Navy included orthopedic, ear, nose and throat, mental health, and critical care nursing.  She directed the Quality Management Department at Naval Hospital, Naples, Italy.

Dr. Adams was one of the first Navy nurses assigned to an outpatient military clinic. She was awarded multiple awards for her dedication to nursing leadership and changing the paradigm for military outpatient nursing while serving as the Nursing Director in the Otolaryngology Clinic at Portsmouth Naval Hospital.

Upon retirement from the Navy, Dr. Adams entered nursing education. She has taught and directed at multiple undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.

Dr. Adams is an active member of the American Nurses Association, President of the Florida Nurses Association, and member of Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society.

Megan Ady is a native of the Shenandoah Valley. She completed her undergraduate studies at Roanoke College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry and a Minor in Mathematics in 2010. She completed her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at Shenandoah University In Winchester, Virginia in December 2013. After graduation, she joined Augusta Health as a family practice PA and operated her clinic as the sole provider for three years.  

During that time, she helped restructure and operate an occupational health clinic in Low Moor, Virginia for Bacova Guild Industries which she did for six years. In 2016, Ady transitioned to full-time practice in urgent care in Covington, Virginia. There, she also served as the lead PA within the care team and coordinated staff training and education. She became a Nationally Certified Medical Examiner for the US Department of Transportation. With a continued drive to improve overall health, promote health education, and provide access to rural healthcare, Ady became an American Heart Association BLS, HeartSaver, and First Aid instructor in 2018. With several years of clinical experience under her belt, she felt it was time to start mentoring students and have them work with her in her clinics. It was then that Ady knew she had a passion for teaching and helping students pursue their PA education. 

Ady joined the Murphy Deming faculty in January 2021. She states, “if you don’t know the medicine you can’t make the diagnosis and I want to help make those connections.” Ady resides in Bath County, Virginia with her husband and three small children.  She enjoys spending time with her family, vacationing, working in the garden, and going to concerts. She owns a clothing and gift boutique named Lady Ady’s. She is a certified EMT and volunteers with her local rescue squad. She is certified in basic life support, advanced cardiovascular life support, and pediatric advanced life support. She continues to work clinically in the urgent care setting and as needed to help with staffing shortages at Bath Community Hospital.

Dr. Kwame Asante Akuamoah-Boateng is a DNP prepared nurse practitioner and a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine. Before joining the MBU School of Nursing as the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program Director, he spent the past decade training Acute Care Nurse Practitioner students at the University of Virginia. His clinical expertise focuses on Surgical Trauma and Critical Care Medicine and he served as the lead Advance Practice Provider in multiple Level 1 Trauma facilities. In 2017, he served as the regional chapter president for the Carolinas/Virginias- Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), where he created the vision for the diversity, advancement, recognition, and empowerment (D.A.R.E) program which advanced the organization’s multi-institutional research, global outreach initiatives, and mentorship programs. Additionally, Dr. Akuamoah-Boateng has led international initiatives to train nurses and physicians in critical care medicine in Low Middle-Income Countries (LMIC).

Dr. Akuamoah-Boateng’s research interests include addressing burnout among clinicians in critical care medicine, and the prevalence of frailty in the non-geriatric patient population and evaluating mitigating measures to decrease adverse patient outcomes in this population. On a personal note, he is the father of three daughters, a husband, and a pastor. He describes himself as a servant-leader for his community and the critically ill.

Dr. Andrew Baldwin earned his BS in Health Sciences and MS in Physical Therapy from Nazareth College of Rochester, and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Shenandoah University.

He has over 17 years of clinical experience primarily in the outpatient orthopedic setting, and has served as a rehabilitation director at a skilled nursing facility. While treating patients for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions in the local community for his entire career, he was also a multi-site center manager and has worked closely with and mentored many students and graduates of the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences Physical Therapy program since its inception. Most recently he served on the Murphy Deming Doctor of Physical Therapy Program’s Advisory Committee. He is a certified dry needling specialist and has an interest in pain science education and incorporating evidence-based practice into patient care.

Casie Brim graduated in 2004 from the University of Oklahoma (OU) with a BSN.  She began her nursing career at St John Medical Center in the Surgical ICU.  After four years of nursing experience, the ICU expanded and she became the educator of the Neuro, Trauma, Surgical ICU when it opened in 2008.  This role was in charge of hiring employees and training them for their roles in the unit.  This included a formal clinical orientation for nurses that lasted 16-20 weeks.  She then earned a Master of Science with emphasis in Nursing Education again with OU in 2009.   Next completed a Post-Master’s Certificate as an Acute Care NP from University of South Alabama (USA) in 2010.  After graduation she stayed with St. John, but with the Trauma Team as an NP.   She manages trauma patients in the ER, ICU, floor, and has a clinic.  She has written many policies and protocols, as well as formal education events to improve the care of trauma patients.  Additional clinical experience also includes providing telemedicine for rural hospitals fulfilling nocturnal hospitalist coverage.  

Brim’s educational experience in the academic setting began as Adjunct Faculty member for her alum (USA) in 2014.  She also completed her DNP at USA in 2017.  Brim then took a faculty position for one year at the University of Tulsa AG-ACNP program. 

Emily Budd earned a BS in allied health science from Bridgewater College, followed by a MOT from James Madison University where she assisted in authoring the business plan for Occupational Therapy Clinical Education Services.  She completed her post-professional OTD from the University of St. Augustine, graduating with high honors.  Her capstone project examined the impact of participation in Tai Chi on occupational performance in older adults.

She has practice experience in skilled nursing and outpatient settings and has enjoyed supervising many level I and level II fieldwork students.  Dr. Budd has a practice interest in developing community-based wellness resources for older adults to support aging in place.  She is a certified clinician in the LSVT-Big program for the treatment of adults with Parkinson Disease, a master trainer for the Matter of Balance program to manage fear of falling in older adults, and an instructor in the Tai Chi for Rehabilitation program.

Dr. Budd is a Virginia native and enjoys exploring outdoor spaces from the beach to the mountains with her husband and two young children.

Lisa Burns completed her Ph.D. in Human Development (with a specialization in higher education) at Marywood University in Scranton in 2013. While in that interdisciplinary program she received the William G. McGowan Medal for Excellence in Doctoral Studies. Dr. Burns earned a master’s degree in Theology at the University of Scranton and received the Frank O’Hara Award for Academic Excellence in her studies. She completed her Occupational Therapy bachelor’s degree with honors at Indiana University. An occupational therapist for more than 25 years, her practice focused on older adults and management of rehabilitation teams. Prior to joining Mary Baldwin University, she spent more than a decade as an Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and also taught a variety of courses including kinesiology, pathology, and physical dysfunction. Dr. Burns has been actively involved in researching and presenting on topics related to professional development for a number of years. Currently, she is active in several professional organizations and enjoys presenting nationally and regionally on a variety of topics. Her scholarly interests include interprofessional competency and interprofessional identify, leadership development, and outcomes related to the entry level Occupational Therapy doctoral capstone experience. As a veteran of the United States Army, Dr. Burns holds a special place in heart for those who serve or have served; she is married to an Air Force veteran. Originally from Pennsylvania, Dr. Burns enjoys life as a ‘Virginia transplant’. She spends free time with her husband Brian, motorcycle touring back roads of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. She is also attempting to develop her green thumb and gardening skills.

Ms. Cullaty brings an extensive clinical history in neurological rehabilitation, both in the inpatient and outpatient settings.  She is a graduate of the University of Florida where she studied under highly respected PT neuro researchers as well as participated in a neurologic residency program through MUSC. Ms. Cullaty has advanced certifications as a Neurologic Certified Clinical Specialist and Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist. She has taught in the neuro curriculum at MDCHS since 2017 taking on progressively more responsibility each year in both labs and lectures. Ms. Cullaty teaches all of the classes in the adult neuromuscular series and is the lead for the NeuroWellness Program.

Dr. Cundiff received his JD at Touro College Law Center, his MBA at Wagner College, and his LEAN Certificate for Healthcare and Hospital Settings at the University of Tennesee, Knoxville. He is an experienced business leader and health care administrator in both proprietary and not for profit environments.

He has served as Campus Executive Officer at Briarcliffe College in New York and spent a number of years in the foreign medical education industry. In addition to his professional service, Dr. Cundiff is an adjunct professor in MHA, MBA, and Executive MBA programs and has served as a board member in various community organizations.

B. Kent Diduch, MD, is a native Virginian who studied at the College of William and Mary before graduating from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He is a board-certified family physician who practiced in Bridgewater for 12 years before he transitioned into education. He started as a faculty member in the PA program and Athletic Training programs at JMU while also serving as their primary care team physician. He joined the PA faculty at Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences in the summer of 2018. When not working, Dr. Diduch likes cycling and spending time with his family. His wife is a professor of economics at Mary Baldwin University and they have one daughter, Emma.

Pam Dressler brings over 30 years as a professional nurse in the areas of Critical Care, Nurse Management, and Nurse Educator to the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences/Mary Baldwin University. She received an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, a Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN) in the RN to BSN Program at the University of Virginia, and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in the Nurse Educator program at Old Dominion University. She has taught in many practice arenas, including; Critical Care, Cardiac Care, The Joint Commission Stroke Prevention certification program, general nursing skills for new nurse graduates, clinical and classroom instructor for the VCCS on-line ADN program, and electronic health record documentation to all of the regional nursing schools prior to their clinical practicum at Augusta Health. Also, in 2015 she began teaching as an Adjunct Faculty for the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences – RN to BSN program. Dressler is dedicated to the growth and development of nursing education, placing importance on the correlation of advanced education of nurses and quality healthcare.

Allison Ellington has been a faculty member at Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences since 2013. She earned a BS in occupational science and MS in occupational therapy from Ithaca College, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She later completed her post-professional OTD at Chatham University.

She has extensive practice experience in adult neurological rehabilitation, both in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation settings and continues to practice as an occupational therapist in both settings.

Dr. Ellington has been a member of a research team to develop an occupation-based virtual reality system that is now commercially available. She has published a number of articles on the outcomes of using virtual reality among individuals with stroke. Additionally, she has published and presented nationally on topics including the use of online journal clubs to educate and support fieldwork educators, processes and outcomes of the entry-level OTD doctoral experiential component, and faculty development and support.

When not working as an occupational therapist, Dr. Ellington enjoys spending time with her husband and two young children riding bikes, visiting playgrounds, and swimming.

Kelly Elmore is a practicing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist for orthopedics and outpatient surgery in Charlotte, NC. Prior to relocating to the Carolinas, she provided anesthesia care to a variety of patient populations at a level 1 trauma center in Cincinnati, OH. She has over 10 years of experience in both didactic and clinical anesthesia instruction and previously served as core faculty for the University of Cincinnati Nurse Anesthesia Program. Dr. Elmore holds a BA in Bio-Psychology, two MSN degrees (Nurse Anesthesia and Clinical Nurse Leader foci), and a DNP (Population Health focus). Her interests include ambulatory anesthesia, anesthesia care for older adult populations, and preoperative quality improvement initiatives.

Mark Erath is an Associate Professor at Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, Mary Baldwin University. He has over 30 years’ experience serving health systems, payors, academic medical centers, and other diverse organizations nationwide, leading teams to deliver strategy, operations, finance, risk management, accountability, and performance excellence solutions.

He has taught courses in healthcare financial planning, analysis and control; economics and policy; business operations and management; and performance quality, measurement, accreditation and public reporting.

Previously, he worked in surgery as a hospital volunteer, as a PwC Healthcare Partner (now retired), as Chief Financial Officer of Geisinger Medical Center and Parkland Health and Hospital System, and as the Health Practice Strategist of SmithGroup Architects.  He is a Master Examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and a Board member/Treasurer of Cynosure Health.

Mark Erath holds an MBA in Healthcare Leadership, with honors, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and he received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Louisiana State University.  He is board-certified as a Fellow in healthcare management and finance, a Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Global Management Accountant, Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality, and Certified Specialist, Managed Care.

Felicia Esteban, MD, grew up in Reston, Virginia, and received a degree in Biochemistry with a minor in English Literature from Virginia Tech. After completing her university degree, she worked at the National Institute of Health, studying the tertiary structure of the insulin receptor. Inspired by her research, she went on to attend the Medical University of South Carolina in the beautiful city of Charleston. Felicia was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society during her third year of medical school and stayed in Charleston to complete a pediatric residency at the Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. She received a teaching award from her fellow residents and medical students during her final year there.

After completing her residency, Felicia and her husband moved to San Antonio, Texas. While there, her husband did his orthopedic surgical residency training, and Felicia worked as a civilian pediatrician for a military medical center.  After her husband’s residency was finished, they relocated with their young family to the Shenandoah Valley where they have lived for the last eighteen years. Felicia worked as a private pediatrician in Fishersville, Virginia, and later for the Harrisonburg Community Health Center.

Having always been passionate about teaching and encouraging students through their demanding studies, Felicia went on to become a faculty member at James Madison University. While there, she served as an educator and mentor to both undergraduates and graduate students. Subjects taught included anatomy, physiology, pediatric medicine, and medicine for athletic trainers. She was recognized by the JMU Office of Disability Services in 2021 for her student access support and was nominated in the spring of 2022 for the Madison Vision teaching award by her students.

In addition to a busy career and raising four children with her husband, Felicia is an active board member of the Valley Children’s Advocacy Center, serving children who have survived abuse in our community. Her other pediatric advocacy interests include breastfeeding, childhood infectious disease, and healthy development. She believes actively engaging caregivers in these topics empowers them to nurture both their own children and the children they serve, all of which translates to a healthy community.  The new childhood epidemics of obesity and diabetes are the next causes she is eager to take on with her colleagues. Felicia is honored and excited about her new career at Murphy Deming. Her goals include training physician assistant students in their journey to becoming exemplary providers of medical care, but also in their realization of their crucial role as child and community advocates.

In her spare time, Felicia enjoys eating savory food and spending time outdoors with her husband, Ramon, and their four children, who range from teenagers to young adults. She grounds herself weekly by hiking the trails in Shenandoah National Park with her particolored standard poodle, Rico.

Ben Farley grew up in Greeneville, Tennessee. He graduated from Bucknell University in 1989 with a B.A. in English. After working one year as a social worker, tutor, and counselor for at-risk youth in Philadelphia and one year as a teacher, he matriculated at the Medical University of South Carolina in 1991 and graduated in 1995. He completed his postgraduate training in 1998 at Wyoming Valley Family Practice Residency in Kingston, PA. While there, he was awarded two scholarships and a Resident Teacher Award by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, “in recognition of demonstrated interest, ability, and commitment to family medicine education.”

Ben moved to Staunton in 1998 and worked at Augusta Health Family Practice and Augusta Health in Fishersville from 1998 until 2012. During his tenure at Augusta Health, he served two years as vice-chair of the medical department and two more years as chair of the medical department. He was also a member of Augusta Health’s executive committee for those four years.

In 2012, Dr. Farley joined Staunton Medical Associates, where he practiced outpatient family medicine until joining Augusta Health as an urgent care physician in June, 2015. He has worked closely with PAs throughout his career, and he enjoys teaching and precepting students. He is an instructor in the following courses: Clinical Reasoning, Clinical Medicine Casework, Pathophysiology, Patient History and Communication, Physical Diagnosis I and II, Clinical Medicine I, II, and III, and Laboratory and Diagnostic Studies. He also looks forward to continuing to serve as a preceptor.

Ben is married and has three children. When he is not taking care of patients or working with students, he enjoys spending time with his family, running or hiking with his three dogs, reading, and playing soccer.

Dr. Marty Fontenot received his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) in 2006 from the University of Delaware, where he also completed a post-doc sports residency in 2009. Dr. Fontenot previously was full time faculty at South University in Richmond, VA. In addition to his teaching experience, Dr. Fontenot, has a strong clinical background having worked/managed outpatient orthopedic clinics in Georgia, Delaware, Utah and Virginia. Dr. Fontenot is a certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) and a certified Sports Clinical Specialist (SCS), thus bringing a highly sought after specialty in orthopedics and sports medicine to the program. Dr. Fontenot’s publications include a textbook chapter, articles in Orthopedic Practice and Athletic Training & Sports Healthcare, as well as a number of national and regional presentations/posters. He teaches the musculoskeletal course series content in the DPT program.

Emily Greene graduated from James Madison University Physician Assistant Program after attending the University of Mary Washington for her B.S. in Biology. She practiced Urology full time for nine years before transitioning to education. As a member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee at Augusta Health Hospital, she is dedicated to promoting awareness of antibiotic resistance. Emily has participated in Medical Mission trips in Mexico, Bolivia, and in Appalachia. A Shenandoah Valley native, Emily lives with her husband and dog in Afton. She is an avid gardener and mountain biker, and prefers to spend most of her time outside.

Dr. Jennifer Hancock joined Mary Baldwin University in 2016 after teaching anatomy, physiology and research methods for 7 years at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio.  She earned her BA in biology from Capital University and her PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from Ohio University.

Within the Murphy Deming College of Health Science, Dr. Hancock teaches anatomy and pathophysiology for the physician assistant program, anatomy, physiology and neuroanatomy for the physical therapy program, and anatomy and neuroanatomy for the occupational therapy program.

Greg Hansen received his PhD in Motor Learning from the University of Virginia. He has a Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University and a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from West Virginia University. Dr. Hansen has been a practicing occupational therapist for 20 years. Prior to coming to MDCHS he was employed at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (VSDB). In addition to his work at VSDB, Dr. Hansen has practiced at Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center, Fayette County Schools (WV) schools, Augusta Health and a number of other hospital based centers. Dr. Hansen has been an invited guest speaker at many regional colleges and has supported OT students in training as a clinical instructor, receiving two awards as “outstanding fieldwork educator.” His area of expertise and his recent research focuses on children with special needs.

Dr. Chris Harnish earned his Bachelor of Science in Clinical Exercise Science at Ithaca College; his Master of Science in Exercise Physiology at the University of South Carolina; and his PhD in Exercise Physiology at Virginia Commonwealth University. His dissertation was titled, “Comparison of two different work to rest ratios on the acute metabolic and inflammatory effects of a single bout of spring interval training.”

As an exercise physiologist and coach, Dr. Harnish has worked with both clinical and healthy populations, as well as beginner to professional athletes. His research interests are broad, but revolve around optimizing human performance, with more than 20 publications.

Dr. Harnish is a lifelong endurance athlete, starting as a speed skater early on, and then moving to competitive road cycling for nearly 20 years. After starting his PhD, he began trail running and mountain biking before taking up Xterra triathlon, which culminated in a USAT age-group National Championship in 2018.

Matthew is an assistant professor for the Exercise Science program at the Murphy Deming College of Health Science at Mary Baldwin University as well as an athletic trainer. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Appalachian State University and his Master of Science in Health and Movement Sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Currently, he is completing his Ph.D. in Rehabilitation and Movement Science at VCU.

Jennifer Hunt completed her Master’s in Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Arcadia University in 2009. After graduation, she joined Lima Memorial Physicians group as a family practice and occupational medicine PA. While at Lima Memorial, Ms. Hunt was asked to join the EMR committee and helped develop clinical templates and implement the use of electronic medical records in all of the outpatient clinics. As one of the few clinicians on the EMR committee, she developed educational materials for her fellow clinicians and streamlined the processes of EMR use.

With a passion for wellness and preventive medicine, in addition to her clinical practice, Ms. Hunt became the Lima Memorial Wellness Coach and helped develop the hospital’s insurance wellness program and community worksite wellness programs. This involved coordinating the compliance of wellness participants, performing and interpreting wellness screenings, and developing educational and preventive programs. Ms. Hunt was an integral liaison between the ever changing push toward wellness and prevention in healthcare and the affected patients and medical providers.

Prior to joining the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, Ms. Hunt worked with Hometown Urgent Care and Occupational Health in Columbus, Ohio. She currently practices clinically in urgent care at Augusta Health.

Dr. Lieske is a Board Certified Neurological Clinical Specialist with 6 years of clinical experience in in-patient rehabilitation, skilled-nursing facility,  and outpatient settings. She received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Shenandoah University (2017) and later completed a Neurological Residency through the Medical University of South Carolina (2020). She completed additional training to become a Parkinson’s Wellness and Recovery (PWR!) certified therapist.  She enjoys working with clients following diagnosis of stroke and Parkinson’s Disease to assist them in improving their function. She strives to provide excellent clinical care that utilizes technology and incorporates evidence-based practice.

Dr. Lieske has assisted in laboratories for the neurological curriculum at Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences since 2021 before joining the Faculty full-time in 2023 as the Co-Director of Clinical Education.

The OT program is thrilled to welcome Dr. Sarah McCadden as a full-time faculty member.  Sarah earned her master’s of science in occupational therapy from Shenandoah University and later obtained her post-professional doctorate of occupational therapy from Radford University Carilion with a focus on education. In practice, she specializes in treatment of the adult and geriatric population. She has practiced in various settings including acute care, outpatient, home health, inpatient rehab, and skilled nursing facilities with specialization in treating the adult population with stroke, brain injury, and spinal cord injury.

Additionally, she served as an OT manager at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Virginia.   One of her greatest joys has been working with OT students, coordinating level I and II fieldwork assignments.  Sarah is a Virginia native and has now lived in the Shenandoah Valley for 5 years. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her son Jackson. They love most outdoor activities, especially hiking and bicycling.

Dr. McLeod joined our faculty in 2023 to lead the undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology program.  An experienced educator, he has taught domestically and internationally at both secondary and post-secondary levels. Dr. McLeod earned his bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education Biology at Emporia State University, a Master’s of Science in Ecology and Organismal Biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Kansas.

As a herpetologist, anatomist, and biology educator, Dr. McLeod is interested in many things.  His current research focus is on the systematics and morphology of Southeast Asian amphibians.  He uses molecular and morphological tools, including 3D technologies to study these animals. He actively mentors students in field-, laboratory-, and museum-based research projects. Dr. McLeod is a research affiliate of the National Museum of Natural History (Herpetology).

Dr. Jennifer D. McPherson is a practicing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and retired U.S. Navy Commander. She served as an assistant professor and clinical site director with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) School of Nursing in San Diego, where she was responsible for the didactic and clinical teaching of Phase II Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists. Her areas of expertise include pain management, critical care, ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia, and simulation.

Dr. Carolyn Moore joined MDCHS after serving as Director of the PTA Program at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, TN. Prior to that position she was in the Pediatric Neuro-rehabilitation Department of the University of Michigan Health Systems (U of M) for twenty years and a part of the Pediatric/Adolescent Traumatic Brain Injury Team. In addition, she served for five years as the supervisor of Outpatient Therapies at the U of M. She received her PT degree at the University Of Texas School Of Allied Health Sciences, her Masters of Health Sciences at University of Indianapolis, Krannert School of Physical Therapy, and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. She has held numerous professional and community service positions and has been involved in international service learning. Her research includes presentations and articles in the areas of Mindfulness, concussion, balance and adaptive design. Dr. Moore currently teaches Foundations of PT, and Neuromuscular Management 2 – Pediatrics, and the content on management of amputations in the DPT program.

Dr. Nine received her Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science from State University of New York at Empire, a Master of Science in Health Psychology from Capella University, and a PhD in Public Health with a specialization in epidemiology from Walden University.

Dr. Nine worked as a research and data coordinator and prevention educator in a comprehensive behavioral health hospital with various patient populations as well as with community leaders, schools and coalitions. In 2012 she accepted a position as the Senior Coordinator for Quality Management with New York State’s largest healthcare provider, the nation’s 14th-largest healthcare system, with 21 hospitals and more than 550 ambulatory and physician practices.

From 2010 through 2017 Dr. Nine has held various faculty and adjunct faculty appointments with Ashford University’s MHA Program, Kaplan University, teaching courses in public health, epidemiology, and health information management and working as lead faculty and curriculum specialist for development of the MHS, health information management program. She has also served as course developer and subject matter expert for Carrington College.

In 2015 she accepted the position of Department Chair of the Healthcare Administration department at Briarcliffe College. During her tenure at Briarcliffe College she developed the College’s first graduate degree program, a Master’s in Health Care Administration as well as revised the undergraduate Health Care Management Internship course serving more than 400 ground and online students.

Derek Owens DrAP, CRNA, graduated with an Associate’s degree in nursing in 2002, Bachelors of Nursing in 2004, Masters of Nurse Anesthesia in 2009, and a Doctorate of Anesthesia Practice in 2015. Subsequently in 2019 Dr. Owens completed a fellowship in Acute Surgical Pain Management at Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia.

Derek has had the opportunity to practice in a multitude of different settings from medical mission trips to the Philippines and Mexico, large hospital anesthesia groups, small community hospitals and even mobile military resuscitative surgical systems and military ships. As a military officer he held numerous leadership positions both in garrison and in deployed surgical settings. After leaving the military in 2018 he served as Chief CRNA of two different groups, both providing full practice autonomy for CRNAs.

Prior to anesthesia school, Dr. Owens was adjunct faculty at an associate degree nursing program. He has been clinical coordinator for multiple nurse anesthesiology programs and has designed and taught model and cadaver based regional anesthesia courses.

When not working, Dr. Owens can typically be found adventuring or working on home projects with his wife and their 3 young boys.

Caitlin Powers, Assistant Professor, earned her Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies from JMU in 2017. Prior to this, Caitlin completed a Master’s in Molecular Biology at East Carolina University, in Greenville, North Carolina.  Her research focused on identifying expression patterns and potential molecular targets of microRNAs. She also maintains two BS degrees from the University of Rhode Island in Biological Sciences and Animal Science and Technology. 

Upon graduation from the JMU Physician Assistant Program, Caitlin joined the Augusta Emergency Physicians group as an Emergency Medicine PA. She has been working in the Augusta Health Emergency Department for the past four years.  Simultaneously, Caitlin has also acted as an adjunct faculty member for the JMU Biology Department, and the Health Sciences Department, instructing courses on molecular techniques, and infectious disease. 

Caitlin lives locally in Augusta County with her husband and two rescue dogs. She enjoys spending time outdoors and riding her horse Louis, a former racehorse.

Elizabeth Richardson earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Occupational Therapy from James Madison University in 2002. In 2006 she transitioned to a full-time position as faculty member and academic fieldwork coordinator in an OT program while completing her master’s degree in Health Sciences (2007). While in this role, she helped establish an on-campus pediatric OT clinic where she has provided OT services to local families and engaged in clinical supervision of students.  In addition to serving as the founding director of this clinic.

During her tenure in higher education, Dr. RIchardson has engaged in a wide range of teaching, scholarship, and service activities. She has served as co-director and clinical instructor in the Summer Autism Camp and Interprofessional Autism Clinic where she advocates for the unique role and distinct value of occupational therapy through modeling and instruction of intervention approaches that reflect the core values, attitudes, and principles of OT including an emphasis on play and strengths-based approaches. Her work in interprofessional education and practice in these programs was used as a basis for her doctoral capstone project while completing her post-professional doctoral degree in occupational therapy at the University of St. Augustine. Other research and clinical practice interests include exploring nature as a therapeutic modality, eco-sustainable OT practice, and complementary and integrative health

approaches in OT.

As a mother of four children and grandmother, she values time with her family and also loves to spend as much time as possible in the mountains or on the water exploring outdoor adventures.

Dr. Pam Stephenson received her OT Degree from Ulster Polytechnic in Northern Ireland in 1984. In addition she has a Master’s Degree in Health Sciences (1995) from St. Georges Hospital Medical School, London, a Post-Professional MS in Occupational Therapy from San Jose University, and a Post-Professional Occupational therapy Doctorate from Rocky Mountain University (2014). In 2012, she was co-author of a book chapter “The Use of Psychosocial Methods and Interpersonal Strategies in Mental Health” as part of the 3rd edition of Psychosocial Occupational Therapy: An Evolving Practice. She is active in the Virginia Occupational Therapy Association (VOTA) and served as the “Blue Ridge District Chair” directing the VOTA activities in the region from 2009 until July 2015. Dr. Stephenson recently accepted the position of Forum Coordinator for the AOTA Early Intervention and School Special Interest Section (EISSIS). Her major areas of interest focus on mental health and autism.

With over 30 years of clinical practice, Shelia Talbott, DNP, FNP-C brings a diverse range of expertise to Mary Baldwin University’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences. She received an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and a Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Old Dominion University. She has practiced in a wide variety of clinical settings including general medical/surgical, orthopedics, home care, nursing informatics, urgent care, family practice and women’s health. Prior to accepting the position at MDCHS, she served as faculty at Old Dominion University and has precepted FNP students from several colleges and universities.

In addition to her clinical practice and educational roles, Dr. Talbott has led short term medical mission teams to Honduras and Haiti for over a decade. She is the co-chair of the Christian Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (CCNP). Her areas of clinical scholarship include cultural competency in medical missions and increasing access to care in low resource areas. She has presented on these topics at both state and national levels.

Dr. Turner joined Mary Baldwin University in 2023 after 11 years on faculty at the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). While at UNLV she served as the Academic Review Chair for the department for 5 years and was Co-Director of the College of Fine Arts Clinic for Health and Injury Prevention. Dr. Turner was a longstanding member of the university’s Interprofessional Education and Practice Committee serving as Chair for 2022.

Originally from the U.K. and a former professional dancer, she received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, MSPT, DPT, and PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from UNLV. Her PhD had an emphasis in Cultural Studies, International Education, and Multicultural Education, resulting in research and service interests in topics related to DEI. Additional research interests include performing arts medicine and injury prevention in dancers, along with prior collaborations related to military medicine, and biomechanics.

Dr. Turner’s clinical practice focuses on orthopaedics and performing arts. Her teaching areas include orthopaedics, applied exercise physiology, therapeutic exercise, psychosocial aspects of healthcare, clinical research, and learning experiences in interprofessional education and practice.

Originally from Upstate NY, Amy Wielar obtained a BSN from the University of Virginia in 1994, a MSN in Nurse Anesthesia from the University of Southern California in 2000, and a DNAP from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2022.

Early in her career, she gained considerable experience in the critical care setting at Johns Hopkins and Virginia Commonwealth University.  In addition, she spent 10 years at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill providing pediatric anesthesia before relocating to Charlottesville, VA in 2010, where she practices at the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Children’s Hospital of Richmond, specializing in pediatric anesthesia and pediatric cardiac anesthesia.

Dr. Wielar enjoys traveling to Honduras for pediatric mission trips, which allows her to continue developing her Spanish language skills.  When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, running, and making pottery.

Dr. Katherine Wilford joined Mary Baldwin University in August 2023 with over seven years of teaching experience and 14 years of clinical experience. She earned her BS from Colorado State University and her DPT from Boston University. After moving to Austin, Texas, she earned her ScD from Texas Tech University Health Sciences where she explored the correspondence between sociocultural factors and sensorimotor control. She became a Board Certified Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy in 2016. Dr. Wilford has spoken at national and international conferences on topics related to teaching and learning as well as musculoskeletal content. She currently teaches the kinesiology and biomechanics courses and serves as the coordinator for the doctoral project series of courses.

Whit Worman, Assistant Professor, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a minor in Math and Science from the University of Dayton, Dayton OH. She received her Surgical Physician Assistant degree from Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH, graduating first in her class. Her Master of Physician Assistant Studies was completed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, in Leadership with an Educational Theory focus.

Ms. Worman spent the vast majority of her PA career in surgical sub-specialties, finishing her surgical career as a cardiothoracic PA. In addition, after her surgical career, she practiced in cardiology, family medicine and behavioral health. The past 10 years she has worked in PA education, holding positions as Program Director, Director of Academic Education and Director of Clinical Education.

Dr. Ziebarth has worked extensively in the areas of Education, Research, Nursing Administration, Critical Care Nursing, Community Health, and Global Health. She recently held the position of Nursing Chair of the Herzing University – Brookfield having received successful accreditations through both CCNE and ACEN for the BSN and LPN Tracks. She has since facilitated the writing of the CCNE self-study for Mary Baldwin University for their four DNP programs (Nurse Anesthesiology, Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult Gerontology-Acute Care, and Post MSN-DNP). She is now faculty for Mary Baldwin University in the Murphy Deming Health Science College School of Nursing.

She has worked several years (2011- current) as a nurse educator and as a Herzing University faculty member, she received the Faculty Scholarship Award in 2012. Before her work at Herzing University, she received national recognition for the community-based nursing programs she directed from 1996-2011 (American Hospital Association 2006 “Nova Award” and the 2008 Volunteer Hospital Association “Best in Class” Award). She was also recognized in 2010 by Wisconsin Nursing Association with a “Face of Nursing” Award.

Deborah has consulted for the Westberg Institute on various research projects since 1995 and served as the FCN Research Project Manager from 2014 – 2016. She has developed many of the WI Position Statements and the FCN Transitional Care Program, facilitating three 2-year research projects in Transitional Care. She has developed the Spiritual Care Nursing Professional Certificate for Capstone University. As a researcher, she has published several studies in Professional Journals in the specialty area of Faith Community Nursing and has created the Theoretical Model of Faith Community Nursing.

She received her BSN and MSN, with a focus in nursing education, from Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and her Doctorate in Nursing Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She has her board certification in Faith Community Nursing.