Melissa is currently employed in the Military environment in Annapolis, Maryland. She received her BS degree in Athletic Training from Eastern Kentucky University in 1994 followed by duel Master degrees in Education 1997 from Old Dominion University and MEd in Physical Therapy degree in 2002 from University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. She commissioned as a Navy Physical Therapist in 2002 serving at various commands as well as deployed on the USS Eisenhower as Battle Group Physical Therapist and continues to serve today in US Navy Reserves. She is a board-certified Clinic Specialist in Orthopedic since 2005 and initially certified in Dry Needling by Myopain Seminars in 2008 and then by ODNS in 2018. In 2012 she completed her IAOM certification for Spine and received her ScD in Physical Therapy from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 2013. Melissa is involved as a faculty instructor for IAOM-US and Mentor/Instructor in the Orthopedic Residency program. She continues further educational endeavors to include assistant teaching of dry needling with ODNS as well as performing her own Fellowship training/education with the IAOM-US.