Amanda Dorsten

 Dr. Amanda Higgins joined the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences in Fall 2021 and currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Practice and Coordinator of Clinical Education for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Studies with a specialization in Educational Leadership and Higher Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2020. Her doctoral research examined the expectations and experiences of athletic training preceptors during the transition of athletic training programs from undergraduate to graduate curricula.

In her role, Dr. Higgins teaches Orthopedic Evaluation of the Lower and Upper Extremities as well as Introduction to Athletic Training. She also oversees the planning, organization, and management of the clinical education component of the MSAT program.

Dr. Higgins brings extensive clinical experience to her teaching and leadership. From 2019 to 2021, she served as a Certified Athletic Trainer with the University of Nebraska softball team. She also held positions as a graduate assistant athletic trainer with the Husker track and field program (2012–2014; 2016–2018) and as an athletic trainer for the Texas Tech University track and field team (2014–2016).

She is a graduate of The Ohio State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training (2012), and she completed her Master of Education in Educational Administration at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2014.

Dr. Higgins is actively engaged in professional service as a member of the Nebraska State Athletic Trainers’ Association, the Mid-America Athletic Trainers’ Association, and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. She also maintains Graston M1 certification and is a certified Red Cross instructor.

Originally from Beavercreek, Ohio, Dr. Higgins resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, with her husband, Sam, and their son, Warren.