Contact Information

Kimberly Cleary joined the faculty of EWU in the fall of 2006, after teaching at another DPT program in the Northwest for several years. She earned her bachelor of arts in cultural anthropology magna cum laude at the University of California at Santa Barbara, master of physical therapy at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., and doctorate in social and administrative sciences at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho.

She teaches the clinical anatomy course series, screening for medical referral, and the clinical research courses. She has practiced in several clinical areas, with particular interests in wellness, prevention and health promotion. She has published and presented her research findings on topics like quality of life, especially in older adults with and without disease, fall risk in community-dwelling elderly and factors influencing patients’ participation in exercise.

Elena Crooks joined the faculty of EWU in the fall of 2017. She received her bachelor’s in exercise science and her doctorate in physical therapy from Eastern Washington University, and a doctorate in Neuroscience from Washington State University. Elena is also a physical therapist at Sacred Heart Medical Center and has previously held research positions at Washington State University and Eastern Washington University.

Mark obtained his bachelor of business administration with an emphasis in human resources and a master of business administration from Eastern Washington University. He previously worked at Spokane Transit Authority as the customer service and plaza operations manager for 13 years. When not at work, he enjoys gardening, exercising, reading, music, movies and attending art events throughout the region.

Dr. Jordan received a BS in Biology from Washington State University and a Doctor   of Physical Therapy from Eastern Washington University in 2012.  She is a board certified cardiovascular and pulmonary specialist through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.  She serves as Washington’s Chief Delegate for the American Physical Therapy Association governance at the annual House of Delegates and was awarded the 2020 Physical Therapy Association of Washington Physical Therapist of the Year.  Dr. Jordan works part-time at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center as an acute-care physical therapist.  She teaches Medically Complex Patients and Cardiopulmonary, and assists in Patient Management, Applied Exercise Physiology, and Neuromuscular labs

Tanya L. Kinney LaPier has been serving as a distinguished professor at Eastern Washington University since 2003. She has been working in physical therapy since 1993, when she was an assistant/associate professor at Idaho State University. When she wasn’t teaching, she served as a cardiac rehabilitation physical therapist at both Buffalo General Hospital and Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. She also coordinated the cardiac rehabilitation program at Bannock Regional Medical Center. She has received numerous awards, including the Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Section Best Poster Presentation from the American Physical Therapy Association.

Fahed Mehyar joined the faculty of EWU in the fall of 2017. He received his bachelor’s in physical therapy from Hashemite University-Jordan and a doctorate in rehabilitation science from the University of Kansas Medical Center. Before teaching at Eastern, Fahed held a position as a traveler physical therapist at Execu-Search Group, New York.

Merlo received her bachelor of science in physical education from the University of Puget Sound, a master of science in exercise science and health promotion from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and both her doctoral degrees from the University of South Carolina. Merlo joined Eastern Washington University in 2018 after teaching at the Northern Arizona University Phoenix Biomedical Campus in the area of neurological rehabilitation. Her interests include intervention strategies for chronic neurologic conditions, health and wellness promotion, as well as the qualitative exploration of therapeutic interventions.

Dr. Robinson received a BS in physical therapy from Ithaca College, an MS in Adult Neurologic Rehabilitation from Long Island University, and a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Washington.  Dr. Robinson is a credentialed trainer for the APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program Levels 1 and 2.  She came to Eastern Washington University in 2021 from the School of Medicine, University of Washington where she served as the Director of Clinical Education and taught courses in functional mobility training, acute care and wound care.  Her clinical experience is mostly in acute care, including intensive care and burn rehabilitation.

Dr. Sattgast completed his undergraduate training at Concordia University, Nebraska and obtained his Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He is a board certified orthopedics specialist (OCS) through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.  Prior to joining Eastern Washington University, he practiced clinically in Northwest Washington.  He subsequently joined DPT programs in Michigan and North Carolina, teaching courses in musculoskeletal, exercise prescription, clinical reasoning, and pain science.  He has advanced training in areas of orthopedics, sports and performance, and injury management in the elite, endurance athlete.  His research interests pertain to running, performance coaching, and communication.  Dr. Sattgast teaches Musculoskeletal 1 and 2, and Clinical Research.