Axe ’Em, Jacks!
SFA's inaugural Allied Health Professionals Conference will be a high-impact, interdisciplinary event that will bring together health care professionals and aspiring students across occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, dietetics and other allied health fields.
This dynamic conference will feature expert-led workshops focused on cutting-edge, team-based approaches to patient care, with a strong emphasis on hands-on learning and real-world collaboration. Students will engage with leading professionals, gain valuable insights and build meaningful cross-disciplinary connections that will guide their careers for years to come.
Conference Info
Allied Health Professionals Conference
Friday, Feb. 6, 2026
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Conference Agenda
- 8:30 to 9 a.m.: Registration and sign-in, light refreshments
- 9 to 10:30 a.m.: Opening session (interdisciplinary panel)
- 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.: Breakout sessions - topics TBD
- 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Lunch, expo and poster session
- 1 to 2 p.m.: Breakout sessions (topics TBD)
- 2 to 3:30pm: Closing session (interdisciplinary panel)
Conference Presenters
Sarah Bullard, MS, RD, LD
Sarah Bullard is a registered dietitian specializing in pediatric nutrition, family-based behavioral treatment and practical strategies for improving the home food environment. She currently supports telehealth-delivered obesity interventions through Children’s Mercy Hospital and operates UNstuck Nutrition, a virtual practice focused on anti-inflammatory and realistic meal planning content. Sarah brings over 15 years of clinical, research, and teaching experience, translating evidence into simple, sustainable habits for families, including twelve years dedicated specifically to pediatric nutrition, such as early intervention, pediatric feeding disorders, weight management and failure to thrive.
Hillary Cooper
Hillary Cooper is an advocate, educator, researcher and self-proclaimed dysphagia geek. She owns North Louisiana Swallow Solutions, providing mobile FEES across North Louisiana and South Arkansas. She co-founded Dysphagia Outreach Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to provide meaningful assistance to people financially impacted by dysphagia by running the only food/supply pantry in the US for people with feeding and swallowing disorders. She is the 2024-2025 Council of State Association Presidents, or CSAP, treasurer and is a past president of the Louisiana Speech-Language Hearing Association, or LSHA.
Hillary is currently pursuing an EdD in Learning and Organizational Change at Baylor University. Her research currently focuses on (1) identifying barriers and facilitators to the use of shared decision-making for diet texture modifications in long-term care settings and (2) identifying novel ways to maximize the charitable distribution of dysphagia supplies through organizations such as Dysphagia Outreach Project.
Amy Gorin, MS, RD, LD
Amy Gorin is an award-winning plant-based media dietitian and the founder of Master the Media and Plant Based with Amy.
Gorin has shared her expert commentary with respected outlets including TODAY, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CBS, NBC, People, HuffPost, Food Network, Prevention, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Well+Good and other outlets. She’s a former editor for Prevention, Health, Parents, American Baby, and Weight Watchers magazine—and is one of the most-quoted dietitians in America, having completed and written more than 2,000 media interviews and bylined articles. Her media reach exceeds 3 billion.
Gorin shares her media knowledge with health professionals and entrepreneurs through the media training and certification program Master the Media. Through this community, her guidance allows professionals to become experts with influence by ethically partnering with media and brands. She also hosts the Master the Media podcast.
A thought leader in the nutrition space, Gorin is a member of the U.S. News & World Report Best Diets expert panel. She is also a member of the Meta Boost Leaders Network, through which she was recently hand-picked as one of two Connecticut-based businesses to meet with Senator Richard Blumenthal’s office and one of six U.S. businesses to meet with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Director of Policy to highlight the importance of digital tools for small businesses across the country.
Gorin has ethically partnered with many brands she loves, including Amy’s Kitchen, Breville, and Panda Express—which she worked with to implement the Panda Promise® that positively impacted the health of millions of Americans by focusing on making the restaurants’ core menu items healthier.
Gorin obtained a Bachelor of Science in journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in visual art studies from the University of Florida, as well as a Master of Science in journalism from Northwestern University. She completed her Didactic Program in Dietetics at New York University and her Dietetic Internship at Utah State University.
Social media links:
Dr. Celina Hawthorne, OTR, OTD, OTA
Dr. Celina Hawthorne is the owner and director of Grace in Motion Rehab, an outpatient clinic in Nacogdoches, Texas that provides occupational, physical, and speech therapy services across the lifespan. With twenty five years of experience in occupational therapy, she is devoted to providing exceptional, holistic care to the clients she is privileged to serve. Dr. Hawthorne earned her Doctor of Occupational Therapy from Baylor University and currently also serves as adjunct faculty in Baylor’s OTD program, where she educates and supports both entry level and post professional occupational therapy students.
Dr. Katia Sloan
Dr. Katia Sloan is a professor of nutrition, clinical dietitian and the director of research at the Texas Institute for Kidney and Endocrine Disorders in Lufkin, TX. She also serves as associate editor for the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Spectrum and she is a visiting professor at the University of Marilia Medical School in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Dr. Sloan graduated in nutrition from the Methodist University of Piracicaba, Brazil; has a MSc in human nutrition from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; PhD in sciences from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; and postdoc in public health and nutrition from the State University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
She was visiting professor at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, MA and at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston, TX.
She was a full-time assistant professor of public health nutrition at Sao Paulo State University, Brazil, with experience in developing and implementing lifestyle changing programs. She was also adjunct professor at SFA. She has published over 80 peer review articles and book chapters, and she has served as a research coordinator for several dozen trials. Her main research interests include the role of lifestyle and dietary intake in obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and metabolic syndrome in adults.
Dr. Lance Sloan, MD
- President,
Department of Clinical Metabolism
Texas Institute for Kidney and Endocrine Disorders
Lufkin, TX - Clinical Assistant Professor,
Department of Internal Medicine
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, TX - Clinical Assistant Professor,
College of Osteopathic Medicine
Sam Houston State University
Conroe, TX
Dr. Sloan received his MD from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, which is also where he completed a residency in internal medicine. He completed clinical fellowships in endocrinology, diabetes, metabolism and in nephrology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is board certified in internal medicine; endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism; and nephrology.
He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, or FACP, the American Society of Nephrology, or FASN, Endocrine Alliance Academy, or FEAA, the American College of Endocrinology, or FACE, and the America Society of Preventive Cardiology, or FASPC.
He is also a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, or AACE, the American Diabetes Association, or ADA, Endocrine Society, the Cardio Renal Society, National Kidney Foundation, or NKF, American Society of Nephrology, or ASN and the Renal Physicians Association, or RPA, to name a few. He serves and has served on several committees for RPA, AACE, Texas Diabetes Council and Texas Medical Association. He has served for multiple years in the past as president of the Texas Endocrine Association and Angelina County Medical Society.
His research interests include diabetes, visceral insulin resistance adiposity syndrome, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, obesity, atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, inflammation and lipid metabolism. He has served as the principal investigator for several dozen trials and his work has been published in various relevant journals. He is a member of the editorial board of Endocrine Practice, Clinical Diabetes, and Nephrology News & Issues and is a reviewer for several other journals.
Dr. Robyn Whitehead
Dr. Whitehead earned her Doctor of Psychology in exercise and sport psychology from the University of the Rockies (2016) and holds a Master’s in Sports Administration (2003) and a Bachelor’s in Exercise Physiology (2002), both from University of Southern Mississippi. She has been an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist, or EP, since 2001 and became a Certified Women’s Coaching Specialist, or CWCS, in June 2025. With over 25 years of professional experience across exercise physiology, sport psychology and allied health, Dr. Whitehead brings a deep interdisciplinary approach to preparing future health and performance professionals.
Sponsorship Opportunities
SFA's Department of Allied Health Studies invites you to support the inaugural Allied Health Professionals Conference. This event will bring together students and professionals in occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, dietetics and more to help students connect with leaders in the field, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, explore cutting-edge technology and strengthen our regional health care workforce.
Make a difference today by supporting our educators and the Allied Health Professionals Conference through our various sponsorship levels that provide donors with a range of options to fit their budget. Your sponsorship directly supports student education and helps ensure East Texas has the skilled health care professionals it needs
Contact
To learn more about the Allied Health Professionals Conference, contact Sarah Drake, clinical instructor in SFA’s dietetics and nutritional sciences program, at (936) 468-5560 or drakes@sfasu.edu.