OHLS 2023
Dr. Deb Miller
One Health Institute Director
Dr. Debra Miller is Professor and Director of the Center for Wildlife Health in the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. She has a split appointment between the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries. She received her BS in wildlife from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, her MS (wildlife), DVM and PhD (wildlife and veterinary science) from Mississippi State University, and completed a postdoc in comparative pathology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. She spent 10 years at the University of Georgia before making the University of Tennessee her home. Dr. Miller teaches in the wildlife health program and is currently the president of the Wildlife Disease Association and co-chairs or is a member of various regional, national and international committees and task teams focused on herpetofaunal diseases.
Dr. Lisa Yamagata-Lynch
Professor & Ombudsperson
In 2019, Lisa was appointed as the sole full-time Ombuds for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) and in 2021 was promoted to Director of the Office of Ombuds Services. Lisa is a Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioner® (CO-OP) and a certified trainer in Crucial Conversations and Crucial Accountability. Additionally, she is a Tennessee Rule 31 General Civil and Family Mediator. Prior to her role as Ombuds, Lisa served as UT faculty from 2011-2019 and currently holds the rank of Professor in the Educational Psychology and Counseling Department, where she served as a program coordinator, associate department head, and director of graduate studies. Prior to joining UT, Lisa was a faculty at Northern Illinois University from 2004 to 2011 as an Assistant and Associate Professor and at the University of Utah from 2001 to 2004 as an Assistant Professor. Lisa received her doctoral degree in Educational Psychology as well as Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University, Bloomington.
Dr. Nancy Scott
Director of Leadership Development Programs, Haslam College of Business
Dr. Nancy Scott is the Leadership Development Programs director for the Haslam College of Business Executive Degree Programs. At UT, Nancy designs and heads the executive education programs’ leadership development assessments and development activities that occur for over 150 leaders in the programs per year. She also teaches a variety of courses in the area of leadership in several of the college’s executive education, MBA, non-degree, and undergraduate programs. Her teaching focuses on leadership as a relational influence process. She covers topics that include power and influence, motivation, performance management, high performing teams, design thinking and innovation, emotional intelligence, and change leadership.
Dr. Allyson Neal
Clinical Associate Professor & Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs, College of Nursing
Dr. Neal earned a DNP as a PMHNP from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, MSN as a PNP from Emory University, BSN from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, and an ADN from East Tennessee State University. She teaches mental health content in graduate-level courses, DNP courses, and serves as advisor and faculty chair for student DNP Projects and undergraduate Honors students. Dr. Neal’s scholarly activities are in the area neuroplasticity as it relates to resiliency with an emphasis on wellness skills taught in unconventional settings. She is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau, American Nurses Association, and Tennessee Nurses Association. Additionally, she is a member of the APRN Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (LACE) Network and the National Task Force for the review and revision of the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs.
Dr. ShaRonda Cooper
Assistant Dean for Students, College of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. ShaRonda Cooper is a native of Athens, GA. She joined the University of Tennessee of College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021 as the Assistant Dean for Students. Dr. Cooper is a licensed professional counselor and trained Health Coach. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education from Ohio University.
Miranda Smith
Data Visualization Coordinator at Tennessee Department of Health
Miranda Smith earned her MPH in Global Communicable Diseases from the University of South Florida. She started at the Tennessee Department of Health as an Epidemiologist in 2016. Then, like most everyone in public health, was called upon to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic managing the state’s Clinician Hotline and leading the Data Visualization team. After transitioning from response related activities, Miranda joined the Surveillance Systems and Informatics program as the data visualization expert. During this time, she has also been a fellow in the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists’ Leading Epidemiology, Advancing Data (LEAD) program. Her major project’s aim is to strengthen One Health efforts in Tennessee through the Tennessee One Health Committee and other partners in Tennessee.
Dr. Jennifer Weisent
Clinical Assistant Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Jennifer Weisent is an Epidemiologist with expertise in high volume spay/neuter, shelter medicine, and special interest in spatial and temporal disease modeling. She offers students nuanced techniques in surgery while infusing animal welfare and public health into the learning environment. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science from Cornell University and served two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Ecuadorian rainforest. After completing her DVM she worked in shelter medicine, small animal practice, and several high volume, high quality spay-neuter clinics. Her interest in preventive medicine and public health brought her to Knoxville, where she completed a PhD in Epidemiology. She is passionate about research and teaching that interfaces with human, animal, and environmental health and welfare.
Dr. Chika Okafor
Associate Professor & Director of the Veterinary Public Health Program
Dr. Chika Okafor is a Pre-harvest Food Safety Epidemiologist. As director of Veterinary Public Health Program, he oversees the veterinary concentration of the UTK’s MPH degree program. His long-term research goal is to improve stewardship of antimicrobial use in food animals and veterinary medicine. He has utilized his expertise in epidemiological methods as well as statistical analysis of large datasets to understand/prevent animal diseases (e.g., bovine anaplasmosis) and pre-harvest food safety issues (colibacillosis, salmonellosis) associated antibiotic usage. He has published extensively in his field and has an excellent record of obtaining extramural funding. Before joining UT, Dr. Okafor received his DVM degree from the University of Nigeria, MS in Food Safety and PhD in Epidemiology from Michigan State University, and a post-doctoral fellowship in Nutritional Epidemiology at the University of Guelph, Canada. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and specialty board certified in Epidemiology.
Dr. Ashley Morgan
Veterinarian
Dr. Ashley Morgan is a veterinarian and alumnus of the University of Tennessee's College of Veterinary Medicine. She received her Master's in Public Health at UT and is currently working toward her PhD in Integrative Biology at Florida Atlantic University. Her research involves working collaboratively with aquaculture facilities, fish veterinarians, toxicologists, and pathologists to address the health of aquatic animals reared and harvested for food. She also has special interests in wildlife conservation, environmental toxicology, and practical applications of the One Health approach in solving life's everyday problems.
Alexis Niceley
CAIT Program Director
Alexis Niceley is the program director for the Companion Animal Initiative of Tennessee (CAIT) at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. She has more than 15 years of experience in non-profit fundraising and volunteer management, as well as animal rescuing and fostering. Alexis enjoys engaging with the community and is passionate about helping companion animals find loving, forever homes. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology and an M.S. in Human Performance from the University of Tennessee.
Dr. Kori Myers
Academic Engagement Coordinator, Office of Sustainability
Dr. Kathryn Myers earned her doctorate in 20th and 21st Century French and Spanish Literatures. She joined Americorps in order to become more engaged in the fight against climate change. She works at the Office of Sustainability at UTK as the Academic Engagement Coordinator. Her main projects are working with student interns who want to make an impact on sustainability efforts at UTK, and educating and encouraging students to become involved in environmental efforts at UTK.
