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Associate Professor
Clinical Audiologist
Academic Office: 919-445-6744Email: patricia_johnson@med.unc.eduDr. Johnson practices as a clinical audiologist at the UNC Hearing and Communication Center (UNC-HCC), a faculty clinic in Chapel Hill. She provides adult diagnostic, tinnitus and aural rehabilitative services, with specialization in hearing and assistive technology. With the UNC-HCC serving as the formative training site for UNC’s doctoral students, Dr. Johnson provides daily clinical education via one-on-one student supervision. Using her expertise in hearing technology. Dr. Johnson teaches the Au.D. hearing aid courses for first and second year students and a third year course on Occupational Audiology. With a commitment to community service, Dr. Johnson can often be found providing interprofessional education on age-related hearing, cognition and audiology treatment.
Dr. Johnson is certified by the American Board of Audiology (ABA) and holds their Certificate for Tinnitus Management (CH-TM). Dr. Johnson is also active in state-level leadership with the North Carolina Audiology Association.
Associate Professor
Physical Therapy & Medicaid Consultant for NC DPI
Work Mobile: 919-636-1827Email: laurie_ray@med.unc.eduThe majority of my work is to serve as a resource for anyone with questions or concerns about their practice, school-based physical therapy, ethical concerns, appropriate funding, and evidence-based practices. I work for and with many stakeholders: school-based and other physical therapist practitioners, NC board of physical therapy examiners, Exceptional Children program directors, parents and family members of students, case workers, school nurses, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, special education teachers, adapted physical education specialists, general physical education teachers, policy makers, finance and compliance staff and other DPI staff, among others. The focus of all these collaborations are to ensure students with disabilities are well served in NC public schools.
I hope my work supports public schools in all parts of NC and beyond, to provide every student with a disability receives excellent services and education. We must facilitate their learning and participation so each student leaves school prepared to work, continue their education and/or participate in their communities.
Instructor
Research Specialist
Project Director
Academic Office: 919-962-4752Email: Edmund_Fernandez@med.unc.edu
Assistant Professor
Academic Office: 919-962-4957Email: Sara_Taylor@med.unc.eduIn the undergraduate Clinical Laboratory Science program at UNC-CH, I teach Biochemistry, integrated molecular and basic skills laboratory, and I am the course director for the clinical rotation in transplantation medicine. In our graduate program in the CLS division, I teach a survey course in Molecular Diagnostics, a genetics course, and a course in molecular diagnostics techniques.
In my faculty role I also advise some of our graduate students which includes advising them about progression through the program and mentoring them through their Capstone project.
Assistant Professor
Program Coordinator - Clinical Mental Health Counseling program
Academic Office: 919-966-5980Email: judy_schmidt@med.unc.eduWhen I began teaching at UNC, I brought more than 26 years of experience as a rehabilitation counselor, administrator, advocate, and educator. My work in psychiatric rehabilitation has allowed me to explore an unusually wide range of research and clinical practice topics within mental health care, vocational rehabilitation, and education, which I use in my teaching and clinical training with students.
Since 2015, I have been involved with establishing Interprofessional Education and Practice (IPEP) opportunities for our students and faculty at UNC. The Department of Health Sciences has dedicated time and resources to build and sustain our IPEP activities within the department as well as being a founding member of the UNC CH Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice. As the Director of IPEP for our department, I work with the Office of IPEP to build partnerships across campus that offer interdisciplinary training to our CRMH students as well as all students in the department.
Associate Professor
Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
Academic Office: 919-966-7618Email: kathryn_sorensen@med.unc.eduWhile a still a student at USC, I embarked on an international fieldwork experience to Ghana, Africa that opened my eyes and heart to serving people with disabilities in developing countries. As an occupational therapist and a person with a disability, I find that I have a unique perspective and skill set that allows me to connect with and serve people with disabilities around the world. Over the course of my career, I have travelled on over 10 different trips to provide therapy for people with disabilities in Ghana, Thailand, Peru, Mexico, and China. As an occupational scientist, I have developed a particular interest in the role occupational therapy can play in increasing the quality of life for people with disabilities in developing counties. Specifically, I am highly interested in learning and understanding more about how using occupational therapy to engage people with disabilities in meaningful activities can have a positive impact on global health issues.
I love being an Academic Fieldwork Coordinator in the OT master’s program at UNC because it allows me to support students as they grow into compassionate, skilled occupational therapists. Collaborating with dedicated fieldwork educators across diverse settings inspires me daily and reinforces the impact of real-world learning. It’s incredibly rewarding to help bridge classroom knowledge with clinical practice in a way that transforms both students and the communities they serve.
While I was a student at Carolina I was a member of the women’s varsity rowing team (Row Heels!). My personal interests include: cooking, traveling, playing and watching sports, watching my Carolina Tar Heels beat Duke and win national championships, rooting for the USC football team (Fight On!), and engaging in a competitive game of skee-ball.
Assistant Professor
Director of the Otago Exercise Program
University Physical Therapy Hillsborough: 919-732-6600Email: rachel_donnelly@med.unc.eduAs a dedicated physical therapist and educator, my work focuses on enhancing care for individuals with a variety of neurologic conditions and advancing fall prevention strategies for older adults. I find deep fulfillment in clinical practice and in mentoring students across a variety of settings—from the clinic to the classroom and through hands-on community engagement.
I lead an interdisciplinary service-learning trip to Tyrrell County each Spring Break, where students work with underserved populations and gain a deeper understanding of how social determinants of health impact patient care.
Assistant Professor
Clinical Audiologist
Academic Office: 919-966-8153Email: devon_weist@med.unc.eduAs an audiology professional and educator, I engage in both teaching and clinical practice, guiding students both in the classroom and in hands-on clinical settings. My work encompasses comprehensive audiologic diagnostics, including the assessment and intervention of hearing and balance disorders. Central to my approach is the philosophy of patient-centered care, which I both practice and teach—focusing on empowering individuals to live well with hearing and balance-related challenges. By integrating clinical expertise with compassionate education, I strive to prepare future clinicians to deliver holistic, empathetic care that truly supports patients’ quality of life.
Assistant Professor
Email: louise_thoma@med.unc.eduI strive to help adults with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases stay active and engaged in the activities that matter most to them. Towards this goal, my vision is to ensure that everyone who needs high-quality rehabilitation can access it. Through our research, we aim to create and implement care models that make it easier for clinicians to identify patients who need rehabilitation, connect them to the right resources, and deliver effective rehabilitation care.
