Occupational Therapy Faculty

Tamara Lemmonds graduated with an MSOT degree from Belmont University in 2001. She later earned her EdD in Leadership and Professional Practice from Trevecca Nazarene University. Tamara currently serves as the Program Chairs and OTD Program Director and Assistant Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy. Her research interests include curriculum development, pediatric interventions, cultural competence, and developing leadership and professional behaviors in students. When not at Belmont, Tamara works as a pediatric occupational therapist at a community outpatient clinic in Nashville. There she is part of a dynamic therapy team who primarily serve children with autism spectrum disorders; sensory processing disorders; or developmental delays. Outside of work, Tamara loves spending time with her husband and their 3 boys. Her family loves cheering on the Nashville Predators; playing sports together; and staying active with their family dogs.

Allison Koch (OTD, OTR/L) currently serves as the Program Director for the MSOT program and as an Assistant Professor who has taught in the MSOT and OTD programs. Prior to coming to Belmont in the spring of 2015, Allison taught as an adjunct instructor at Belmont University. Allison also worked at Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital for 11 years as a full-time clinician and continues her role at Stallworth as a PRN therapist. While at Stallworth, Allison specialized in caring for patients post-stroke and was the Program Director for the disease specific committees, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury.

Allison’s interests include neurological based intervention, interdisciplinary education, and patient advocacy. Allison is a member of AOTA and spends her time outside of work reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Missy Bryan, OTD, OTR/L, ATP, CPST, serves as assistant professor. She has 20 years of pediatric practice experience in home health and hospital-based outpatient settings. Her current clinical practice is in the seating and mobility clinic and specialized transportation clinic at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. She is a RESNA certified Assistive Technology Professional and a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. She has been a part of the Belmont faculty since 2012, teaching coursework related to pediatrics and technology.

Missy's professional interests include the use of assistive technology to enable function, seating and mobility, safe transportation of children with specialized needs, and early power mobility. In her time away from work, she loves to travel and spend time with family and friends.

Elena Wong Espiritu (OTD, OTR/L, BCPR) currently serves as an Associate Professor, teaching both in the MSOT and OTD programs. Prior to coming to Belmont, she worked for 10 years in the adult physical disabilities setting (acute care, inpatient acute rehabilitation and outpatient) both as a clinician and team coordinator. Her research interests are self-management, community reintegration, clinical education, cognition and providing quality therapy to those with least access. She has presented both at the local and national level on the application of self-management related to chronic disease management. For her doctoral project, she co-authored an on-line continuing education course for AOTA on fall prevention interventions. Dr. Espiritu is AMPS calibrated, a facilitator for the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program and board certified in physical rehabilitation through AOTA.

Debra Gibbs (EdD, MHS, OTR/L, CAPS, FAOTA) is an Associate Professor in Occupational Therapy teaching in both the MSOT & OTD programs. She has been a OT practitioner for 35 years and has worked in a variety of settings including acute care, industrial rehabilitation, outpatient orthopedics and pediatrics. Dr. Gibbs has been an active practitioner in the Nashville community responsible for developing occupational medicine programs and onsite ergonomic and industrial rehabilitation programs. Dr. Gibbs is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS). She has served on multiple boards and has delivered in-services and workshops at the local, state and international levels. Dr. Gibbs was awarded the distinction of Fellow by the American Occupational Therapy Association in 2008 for “Promoting the Development of Occupational Therapy Practice”.

Dr. Gibbs teaches courses in adult interventions, occupational behaviors and clinical studies. Her research interests include professional behaviors, ergonomics, community service delivery, and the use of clinical simulation in education.

Cindy Hickman, OTD, OTR/L, SIPT, CLT, LANA, serves as the academic fieldwork coordinator for the OTD program. Cindy graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Western Kentucky University, her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and Doctor of Occupational Therapy from Belmont University. She has 15 years of pediatric practice experience in educational and clinical settings. Her experience includes serving as a lymphedema therapist in the oncological setting working with patients with breast cancer. She is also a certified children’s yoga and mindfulness teacher. Her current clinical practice is in the pediatric outpatient setting at Dynamic Therapy Center in Lebanon, TN. She has been a part of the Belmont Occupational Therapy program since 2018, teaching coursework related to pediatrics and development.

Cindy’s professional interests include the use of yoga, mindfulness, and self-regulation as related to improving occupational performance. In her time away from work, she enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with her husband and four children.

Lorry Liotta-Kleinfeld (EdD, OTR/L, BCP) is a Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy at Belmont University. She has twenty years of teaching experience in higher education and fifteen years of clinical experience as a pediatric occupational therapist. Lorry is Board Certified in Pediatrics through the American Occupational Therapy Association. She co-authored Motor Behavior as part of AOTA's Self-Paced Clinical Course in Neuroscience and Occupation: Links to Practice in 1997 and The Client in the Acute Care Environment as part of AOTA's neurorehabilitation Self-Paced Clinical Course series in 2006. She has been an external consultant for the Vanderbilt Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, grant funded by Health Resources and Services Administration, since 1999.

Her research interests include the study of treatment techniques that are used to promote function in children with neurological disorders. She has published and lectured at local, state, and national conferences on the use of weighted vests and other neurophysiological treatment approaches and methods.

Natalie Michaels, PT, EdD, GCS Emeritus is a Professor with a shared  appointment in the School of Occupational Therapy and School of Physical Therapy. Her professional experiences include older adult rehabilitation, prosthetics, pediatrics, pathology, kinesiology, cognition, reflective critical thinking, and statistical analysis.

Dr. Michaels received her Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Ithaca College, a Master’s Degree in Applied Psychology from Fairfield University, and a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Central Florida. She taught as an adjunct professor at Edison College in Fort Myers, Florida and as an adjunct at Trevecca Nazarene. In 2006, she began teaching at Tennessee State University in the Department of Physical Therapy where she served 6 years as an associate professor, followed by 2 years as a full tenured professor. While at TSU, Dr. Michaels earned the Professor of the year Award in  2007, the Faculty Research Award in 2008, the President’s Fellowship in 2010, and the Faculty Service Learning Award in 2012.

Dr. Michaels is a certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist (GCS) Emeritus with the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. She is also a Credentialed Clinical Instructor with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), a Certified Aquatic Therapist with the Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Institute (ATRI), and she completed her Aquatic Clinical Competency from the APTA in 2015. She serves as an item writer for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), and as a reviewer for multiple journals. She has also been active in the community working with the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk, and the development and implementation of Aquatic Exercise Programs for Older Adults, the Health Uncovered for Guidance Series (H.U.G.S.), music venues for fundraising, and weight loss studies for high school students.

Dr. Michaels has over 20 peer-reviewed publications since 2008, with two papers recently accepted but not yet in print on topics such as: fall  prevention, scoliosis, social justice, deep vein thrombosis, and ethics.

Publications and Presentations
Blash, A., Schneller, B., Hunt, J., Michaels, N., Thorndile, J. (2018 in Press). There’s got to be a better way: Introducing faculty to mid-course formative reviews as a constructive tool for growth and development. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, In Press.

Dagnan, E., Michaels, N., DeKupier, B., Lazzaro, J., Morabbi, C., Zerwic, T., Bernard, A.M., Byland, A. (2018). Motivation and habit formation: An exploration of rock climbing and its implication for exercise participation. Research & Investigations in Sports Medicine, 2(4): RISM.000542.2018. DOI: 10.31031/RISM.2018.02.000542.

Michaels, N. (2017). An Electric Triumph. International Journal of Innovative Trends in Engineering, 56(36): 1-5.

Ferrigan, K. Hice, J. Leemkuil, K., Singer, S., Charles, C., Michaels, N.N, Jones, T. (2017).  Aquatic exercise for weight reduction in middle aged adults: A pilot study. Journal of Aquatic Physical Therapy, 25(2): 16-21.

Michaels, N. N., Jones, T. Stevens, S., Raynes, E. Charles, D. (2017). Aquatic exercise in the community as a tool for the instruction of higher order thinking in a doctoral physical therapist program. Journal of Applied Global Research, 10 (24): 52-63. 

Murabito, S. Michaels, N., Jones, T. (2017). The effect of exercise on the systolic and diastolic bood pressure in adolescents. Journal of Applied Global Research, 10 (24): 88-95.

Espiritu, E., Allen, A., Graham, J., Blades, P., Elder, M., Callicoat, M., Miner, K., Michaels, N. N. (2017). Changing attitudes and actions about action planning with education: A pilot study with an acute inpatient rehabilitation team. Journal of Applied Global Research, 10 (24): 1-17.

Michaels, N. (2017). The Efficacy of a Skill-Building Workshop for Reflective Critical Thinking with Graduate Students: Effect-Size Differences Based on Race. Journal of Interdisciplinary Education, 15(1):198-215.

Trent, D., Hays, N., Kmieciak, N., Mathew, D. Mellow, M., Michaels, N. (2016). Identifying Perceived Occupations in Adolescents with and without Down Syndrome, utilizing the Pediatric Activity Card Sort (PACS): A Pilot Study. Journal of Applied Global Research, 9(22): 8-22.

Michaels, N., Barrredo, R., Raynes, E., Edmondson, D., Kunnu, E. (2016). A Diagnostic Tool to Predict Performance on High-Stakes Multiple Choice Tests: An Attempt to Recognize Potential Discrepancies Due to Diversity Before the Test is Taken. Journal of Interdisciplinary Education,15(1):51-68.

Brolsma, N., Gilbert, H. , Marshall, R., McBrayer, K., McClain, S., Webreck, L., Michaels, N., Garvey, T. (2016). Down Syndrome and Parental Perceptions Related to Participation and Obesity: A Study Conducted in Middle Tennessee. The International Journal of Social Health Information Management, 9(17):110-124.

Michaels N, Jones T, Hughes E, Starks E, Rosedale, S (2015). Weight Change in High School Students During a Competitive Pedometer Study. Review of Higher Education and Self-Learning,8(27):27-33. 

Stover A, Smith C, Maloney J, Mitchell C, Michaels N, Jones T, Raynes, E (2015). Aquatic Exercise for Pain Reduction in the Active Older Adult with Osteoarthritis. Journal of Aquatic Physical Therapy, 23 (2): 13-19.

LaRae Murray (OTD, OTR/L) is an Assistant Professor in Occupational Therapy teaching in both the MSOT and OTD programs. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology and went on to earn her clinical doctorate (OTD) in Occupational Therapy from Belmont University. She specializes in adult rehabilitation with a focus on the hand and upper extremity. She has practiced in a variety of adult-based occupational therapy settings including inpatient (acute, SNF) and outpatient neurological and orthopedic rehabilitation. LaRae's professional interests include injury prevention in musicians, patient advocacy, and marginalized populations. Outside of work, LaRae enjoys being outside, reading on the couch by her cat, and spending time with friends and family (including a new niece!).

Teresa Plummer (PhD, MSOT, OTR/L, CAPS, CEAS, ATP) is an Associate Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy. Her professional experiences include adult rehabilitation, assistive technology and seating & positioning. Dr Plummer has over 35 years of occupational therapy experience.

She has conducted workshops nationally and internationally in the areas of rehabilitation and assistive technology. She has been an invited guest speaker in Ireland, Switzerland, Singapore, and Argentina as well as many organizations in the Unites States. She holds Assistive Technology Practitioner credentials from RESNA and actively continues clinical practice in this area. She is also a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist and a Certified Aging in Place Specialist. Teresa serves on the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Career Advanced Placement Board, the Tennessee Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Political Action Committee. She is a member of the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America, the American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Home Builder Association.

Dr. Plummer graduated with her Associate of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy from Mount Aloysius College, a Bachelor of Science from the Medical College of Virginia in 1984 and her Masters of Science from Belmont University in 2005. She graduated from Nova Southeastern University with her PhD in Occupational Therapy in 2010.

Dr. Plummer serves on the Editorial Board for Rehab Management and is a reviewer for the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. She has co-authored the RESNA position paper on Pediatric Power Mobility (2009). Teresa is the author of “Leadership in the Classroom” in Dunbar’s text, An Occupational Perspective on Leadership (2009), a co-author of Leadership in Academia in Dunbar and Winston’s textbook, "An Occupational Perspective on Leadership” (2nd ed.) and Function and Movement of the Trunk and Neck in “Kinesiology for the Occupational Therapy Assistant” (2012). Her doctoral dissertation topic was published 2012 in the Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice and is entitled “Participatory Action Research to Determine the Essential Elements of a Wheelchair Assessment”. Dr. Plummer provides OT services pro bono at Siloam.

Amanda Satcher (OTD, OTR/L, C/PAM) is Belmont OTD program graduate who, for the past 9 years, has been a clinician serving the adult population in various settings. She began her career at Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehab Hospital providing care for orthopedic patients and helping to establish a post-acute program for burn patients. Since that time, she has expanded her practice area and now serves clients in both acute care and inpatient rehab settings, and enjoys working with patients after neurological injuries. Her professional interests include the emerging practice area of pelvic floor therapy, and she is passionate about advocacy for occupational therapists in this practice area. Throughout her career, she has also worked part-time as a pediatric therapist for a Nashville area private practice, serving primarily pre-school aged clients in a school setting. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband and new baby, Birdie.

Katy Schmidt (OTD, OTR/L) serves as an Assistant Professor in the MSOT and OTD programs. Born and raised in Nashville, Katy is an alumna of Belmont University, where she has earned her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, Bachelor of Psychological Science, and Bachelor of Music. She is also an alumna of the Johns Hopkins Mental Health Occupational Therapy Fellowship. Katy has clinical experience serving children and adults in inpatient psychiatric hospitals, outpatient psychiatric clinics, school systems, criminal justice systems, and community-based programs. She is especially passionate about serving individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders, and chronic pain as a clinician, researcher, and advocate. In her free time, Katy enjoys playing the clarinet in local orchestras, playing board games, and hiking.

Camille Turner serves as the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for the MSOT Program, a position she has held since 2007. Prior to that, she provided occupational therapy services at Park Center, a community-based mental health provider, and Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute, an outpatient clinic for individuals with acquired brain injury.

Scholarly Interests
Adult / non-traditional learners; educational technology; fieldwork-related topics including professional behaviors, generational differences in service providers and their impact upon service quality, and community-based services for underserved populations

Professional Affiliations and Service
Co-Chair, Scholarship Committee of Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association 2018-present
Advancement Review Board Member for Career Advancement Program (CAP) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center – 2017 – present
Tennessee Consortium of Academic Fieldwork Coordinators – 2016-present
2016 – 2018 Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association
1998 - 2018 American Occupational Therapy Association
2001 – 2018 State of Tennessee Occupational Therapy Licensure – Health Related Board #2825
NBCOT Certification #1053027, 2001-present

Publications
Turner, C. & Koch, A. (2017). Differentiating between case studies and case reports. NDTA Network, (24)6, 12-13.

Presentations
“Level II Fieldwork Panel, 2017 TNOTA Conference Student Conclave”– October 2017 – Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association annual conference.
“TN Fieldwork Consortium Updates in Fieldwork Education and Practice”-panel at Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association annual conference– October 2017
“Level II Fieldwork: How to Thrive and Not Just Survive – April 2015 –Short Course at AOTA National Conference, Nashville, TN