Dr. Melissa Snyder joined the School of Health Sciences as an Athletic Training faculty member in 2014. She spent one year as clinical coordinator before coming the Program Director in 2017. The undergraduate program and her turn as Director ended in 2022. She became Clinical Education Coordinator in 2023. Prior to coming to WCU, she worked as an associate professor and Clinical Education Coordinator of the Athletic Training Program at Ashland University in Ashland, OH. Dr. Snyder has clinical experience with college athletics (DI, DII, DIII, and USCAA), youth sports (soccer, lacrosse, field hockey), adult club sports (rugby, soccer), Carolina Dynamo Soccer Team (USL League Two), US Soccer, Olympic Development Program (ODP) Soccer, and bull riding.
Dr. Snyder's area of expertise are performance enhancement, exercise physiology, spine evaluation & treatment, and evidence based practice. Additionally, she teaches the public health, neuroanatomy, and diagnostic testing courses.
Dr. Snyder’s research focuses on athletic training education, including peer assisted learning, interprofessional education, and DEIA.