Dr. Snodgrass is the Area Chair and Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy. In addition, he holds graduate faculty appointments at Walden University (School of Health Sciences) and the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (t-OTD and t-DPT programs). Dr. Snodgrass graduated with a B.S. in Occupational Therapy from Eastern Kentucky University and a M.P.H. with a concentration in Public Health Administration from East Tennessee State University. He holds a PhD in Health Sciences with a specialization in Healthcare Administration from TUI International. He serves on the editorial boards for the peer-reviewed journals Occupational Therapy in Health Care and American Journal of Occupational Therapy. He serves as the quarterly editor for AOTA's Work and Industry Special Interest Section Newsletter and has previously served on the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (licensure board) and executive board for the Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association. Dr. Snodgrass has published original research on leadership in the peer-reviewed Journal of Allied Health. He co-authored the recently published Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for Individuals with Work Related Injuries and Illnesses through AOTA Press. He has presented at the local, state, and national levels covering such topics as administration and leadership, ergonomics, and rehabilitation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. He holds clinical specialty certifications as Certified Work Capacity Evaluator and Board Certified Disability Analyst. He is a fellow of the American College of Disability Analysts. He is licensed to practice occupational therapy in Tennessee and Virginia. He maintains active membership status for the American Occupational Therapy Association, Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association, and American Public Health Association, Dr. Snodgrass is married to Shellena, a pediatric occupational therapist, and has two children, Ansley and Aiden.

In addition to directing the MSOT Program at Milligan, Dr. Snodgrass is responsible for instructing courses in health care administration, health policy and regulation, adult orthopedic physical dysfunction, kinesiology, and work rehabilitation.

Current Research Projects: Leadership and administration in health care, evidence-based OT interventions for the prevention and rehabilitation of work-related injuries, and the utilization of ergonomics in hand therapy.

Dr. Isbell holds a B.S. in Occupational Therapy and a Master in Health Sciences with a speciality in occupational therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina. Her Ph.D. is in Child Development and Family Studies from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville . Dr. Isbell is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist and has more than 18 years of experience. She has worked in school systems, hospitals, outpatient facilities, homes and child-care centers. She is trained in Neurodevelopmental Treatment and Sensory Integration Treatment of children. She is especially focused on the treatment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Cerebral Palsy. Dr. Isbell maintains her clinical expertise by providing OT services to young children. She has written articles and presented on early childhood topics at many national, state and local conferences.  Dr. Isbell co-authored the following books: Sensory Integration: A Guide for Preschool Teachers (2007), The Inclusive Learning Center Book for Young Children with Special Needs (2005) and The Complete Learning Spaces Book for Infants and Toddlers (2003). Her latest book which is tentatively titled Mighty Fine Motor Fun: A Fine Motor Activity Book for Preschoolers will be published by Gryphon House in 2010.

Dr. Isbell is responsible for teaching courses on the foundations of occupational therapy, child development, human development and pediatric occupations.

Research Interests: Fine Motor Development, Sensory Processing Disorder in Young Children, Play and education of caregivers.

John-Paul Abner, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology and Occupational Therapy

Dr. John-Paul Abner graduated with a bachelor’s of science degree from Middle Tennessee State University in 1987 and graduated from the University of Florida with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (Child and Adolescent emphasis) in August of 1996.   Following three years of teaching at East Tennessee State University, he joined the faculty of Milligan College in 1999.  He is now an associate professor in psychology and research coordinator for the occupational therapy graduate program.   In addition to his roles at Milligan College, he is currently a licensed psychologist in the state of Tennessee and operates a small private practice conducting psychological assessments and providing psychotherapy for children and adolescents.  His areas of interests and expertise include learning disabilities, ADHD, anxiety disorders, and Parent Child Interaction Therapy with oppositional defiant children.   He is also currently working with the ETSU Center of Excellence for Children in state custody to help disseminate Parent Child Interaction Therapy to therapists in the community to improve services for children who have been maltreated.  He was lucky enough to talk his wife Pam into marrying him and he has three tall children, John-Phillip 9, Brynn 6, and Matt 4. 

In the occupational therapy program, Dr. Abner teaches the research curriculum, psychopathology, and Christ and Calling in Health Care.

Dr. Fellers received her A.S. from Walters State Community College . She holds a B.S. with a major in Biological Sciences and a M.S. in Occupational Therapy from Milligan College . She received her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences with a concentration in adult neurological dysfunction.  She has worked for 7 years as an acute care OT in a Level I Trauma Center where she specializes in the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with neurological illness or injury as she holds a clinical specialty certification in Neurodevelopmental Treatment.  Dr. Fellers also works in several local skilled nursing facilities. Fellers came to the profession of Occupational Therapy with a background in neuromuscular massage (NMT). She worked as a licensed NMT for 7 years before returning to school for her B.S. and M.S. As an NMT, Christy specialized in the treatment of acute and chronic injuries of the back and neck. She also worked under the supervision of a Psychiatrist assisting patients with biofeedback training for pain management. She maintains her OT clinical expertise by continuing to work on an as needed basis in an acute care setting and in geriatric skilled care units.

Dr. Fellers is responsible for teaching the physical dysfunction portion of diagnostic considerations and the adult neurological dysfunction coursework. She also assists in the activities of daily living class and supervises all fieldwork related instruction.  Additionally, Christy is the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator responsible for the successful placement and supervision of MSOT students during their fieldwork experiences.

Dr. Fellers is licensed to practice occupational therapy in the state of Tennessee. She maintains active membership status for the American Occupational Therapy Association, Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association and the Neurodevelopmental Treatment Association. Dr. Fellers lives locally with her husband Greg and their daughter Morgan.

Dr. Kelly graduated from Milligan College with a B.S. and from the University of California-Los Angeles with her Ph.D. in anatomy and cell biology. Before coming to work for Milligan, Kelly taught at Santa Monica College, West Los Angeles Community College, California State University Long Beach, and the University of Southern California School of Dentistry. Her research has been published in several scientific journals. She is a member of the American Association of Anatomists, the American Society for Microbiology, the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, and the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society for which she serves on the Cadaver Use Committee.

Research and Other Professional Interests: Biology; Anatomical Education

Karyn Garland
Occupational Therapy Office Manager and Admission Coordinator

Karyn graduated from Milligan in December 2003, with a B.S in Communications. She appreciates the Arts, and traveling with her husband Mark. She also enjoys leading worship at her church, and working with her event planning business, Little Black Dress Events.

Travis has been an occupational therapist for 13 years. He holds a B.S. in Occupational Therapy from The University of Tennessee, Memphis and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration from East Tennessee State University. Travis considers himself a generalist with his background primarily in adults with physical and developmental dysfunctions. His work experience has included treatment in the acute, post acute, rehabilitation, and outpatient settings. Currently, he practices in home health. Travis holds a certification in Neurodevelopmental Treatment. He has routinely supervised level I and II fieldwork students and guest lectured on various topics related to occupational therapy in the academic and community settings. Travis is married to Celeste and has two children, Christian and Brady.

Dr. Sheppard holds a B.S. in Occupational Therapy from East Carolina University and post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy from the University of St. Augustine. He has 20 years of clinical experience and has served in diverse roles within the profession. As a practicing clinician, with Gentiva Health Services, Dr. Sheppard applies his diverse expertise in the areas of Adult Physical Neurorehabilitation, Geriatrics, and Pediatrics with neurological disorders. Ron has been instrumental in the development and directing of three different Occupational Therapy Outpatient departments over the years, and brings considerable professional experience to his role as adjunct instructor. He is a Board Certified Disability Analyst (Fellow) and holds a certification in NDT (neurodevelopmental treatment) specializing in adult CVA and head injury. Dr. Sheppard maintains active membership status for the AOTA, NDTA, NDTO, ABDA and maintains licensure as an occupational therapist in Tennessee and Virginia. Dr. Sheppard has facilitated many NDT labs in the local area to both Physical and Occupational Therapy clinicians/students. Dr. Sheppard has been an adjunct instructor in the MSOT Program at Milligan for the past 5 years and designed and developed the Geriatrics class that he teaches for the second year students. Dr. Sheppard has been a Fieldwork educator for over 18 years, intervening in the beginning days of his students’ development of their new identities as young OT practitioners.  Dr. Sheppard’s wife Andrea is a full time Minister of Music and Children and his son Chad is a freshman at Carson-Newman College.

Don Lewis , OTD, OTR/L
Adjunct Instructor of
Occupational Therapy

Dr. Lewis received his B.S. in Political Science with a concentration in legal studies from East Tennessee State University. He holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Milligan College and a post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy from the University of St. Augustine with an emphasis in upper extremity orthopedics and health administration/leadership. Dr. Lewis has worked in outpatient neurological and orthopedic settings since entering clinical practice. He is currently the OT Services Manager for a large physician owned medical practice in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia and is licensed to practice in both states. Dr. Lewis maintains active membership status for the American Occupational Therapy Association, Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association, American Society of Hand Therapists, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Northeast Tennessee Regional Hand Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. In addition to active membership, he is the Northeast District Chair and an Executive Board Member for the Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association. Dr. Lewis is married to Connie and has two children, Kamren and McKenzie.

Dr. Lewis is responsible for teaching the kinesiology lab and the adult orthopedic physical dysfunction lab for the first and second year students respectively. He developed the Clinical Fieldwork Supervision course that is offered through the OT Department's online continuing education program. He additionally serves as a fieldwork educator for both Fieldwork Level I and Level II students.

Donna Greenlee, OTR/L, MA, CAPS
Adjunct Faculty

Donna Greenlee has been an Occupational Therapist for 13 years and has worked within health care management for 6 of those years. She graduated with a bachelor's of science degree in Occupational Therapy from The University of Tennessee, Memphis in 1995. She graduated with a master's of arts in Organizational Management from Tusculum College in 2002. In 2007, she became a Certified Aging in Place Specialist through the National Association of Home Builders. She is an active volunteer with the Arthritis Foundation.

Ms. Greenlee is the Director of Occupational Therapy at Greene Valley Developmental Center in Greeneville Tennessee. In the Milligan Occupational Therapy Program, Ms. Greenlee teaches an elective on Occupational Therapy and Adults with Developmental Disabilities.

Jill Smith, OTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor of
Occupational Therapy

Jill has been an occupational therapist for 12 years and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Central Michigan University, a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University and an Occupational Therapy Doctorate from the University of St. Augustine.  Prior to teaching at Milligan she was a private practice therapist working primarily with adults with intellectual disabilities. She has also worked as a staff occupational therapist at the Greene Valley Developmental Center in Tennessee.  Before becoming an occupational therapist Jill held a variety of positions addressing mental health concerns including counselor, social worker and case manager.  She also provides trainings and workshops on creativity and creative thinking.   Jill is responsible for the fun classes in the Milligan occupational therapy program including: Play and Leisure, Psychosocial Occupational Therapy, Expressive Arts, Group Process and Professional Development. 

Research and Other Professional Interests: Creativity and Creative Thinking, Community-Based Intervention, Developmental Disabilities, Wellness