MGH Institute of Health Professions
CEREMONY May 8, 2026
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION CEREMONY
WELCOME
Yael Arbel, PhD, CCC-SLP
OPENING REMARKS
Jarrad Van Stan, PhD, CCC-SLP
PHD ALUMNI SPEAKER
Stephen (Stork) Grist, PT, DPT, PhD Class of 2025
RESEARCH MENTOR REMARKS
Kathryn Taylor, ScD
PROGRAM AWARDS
The Dr. David Krebs Doctoral Research Fund Award
The Gregory L. Lof Dissertation Support Fund
The Research Mentorship Award
The Best Research Poster/Presentation Award
The Distinguished Doctoral Research Award
CLOSING REMARKS
Yael Arbel, PhD, CCC-SLP
2026 DEGREE CANDIDATE
Meredith Anne Young, PT, DPT, OCS
Research Mentor
Benjamin Adams, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, CSCS & Kathryn Taylor, ScD
Dissertation: Musculoskeletal Injury Risk in a Multi-Stressor Environment: Evaluation of Physical and Psychosocial Determinants of Health in U. S. Military Candidates
I would like to thank and acknowledge my committee members, colleagues and mentors for their unwavering support throughout this journey. It has surely been a journey. This PhD experience has been gratifying thanks to the stimulating culture at the MGH IHP, with special acknowledgement to the current and past program directors as well as my PhD cohort.
I would like to thank Stephen Grist and Katie Golden for keeping me sane and providing me with all the PhD hot takes and words of wisdom that made this experience meaningful (dare I say- fun- at times?).
I would like to thank my family, Tim and Emma, for their unconditional support, love and patience that has allowed me to pursue this endeavor. Thank you for keeping me grounded and providing perspective throughout this process. You are my ‘why’.
PROGRAM AWARDS
The Dr. David Krebs Doctoral Research Fund
The Dr. David Krebs Doctoral Research Fund was established by family and friends of Dr. Krebs to honor his passion for the rehabilitation sciences. He was first and foremost a physical therapist who was also a biomechanist and who loved to do anything with tools and engineering. In addition, Dr. Krebs was a prolific contributor to research literature with over 200 publications and the recipient of many awards for his important contributions to professional education and research. During his time at the MGH Institute of Health Professions, Dr. Krebs was a staunch advocate for a PhD Program. The MGH Institute established a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences in 2012. The Dr. David Krebs Doctoral Research Fund provides an annual award to a PhD student to support their scholarly activities and dissemination of research in areas related to motor function.
The Gregory L. Lof Dissertation Support Fund
In his 20 years at the Institute, Dr. Lof has maintained an unwavering focus on the wellbeing of his students and has strived to ensure they have the resources required to be successful. He understands the importance of financial support as students work toward achieving their aspirations. It is with this devotion to student success that Dr. Lof helped to establish the Gregory L. Lof Dissertation Support Fund as his legacy at the Institute. The fund distributes one award per year to any PhD candidate to support their research dissertation expenses not covered by other sources of funding.
The Research Mentorship Award
The Research Mentorship Award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates outstanding mentorship of PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences students. This award honors faculty who provides guidance, support, and encouragement that foster the intellectual growth, independence, and scholarly development of trainees. Nominations may be submitted by current or former students, as well as PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences faculty members, and are reviewed by program leadership with input from supporting letters. Recipients exemplify excellence in research mentorship, making a lasting impact on the training and success of PhD RS students.
The Best Research Poster/Presentation Award
The Best Research Posted/Presentation Award recognizes outstanding early research dissemination by a PhD trainee. All current PhD students who participate in the annual PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences Research Presentation Day are eligible. This award honors students who demonstrate excellence in communicating their research, combining scientific rigor with clarity, creativity, and insight. Awardees are selected based on the quality of their visual and verbal presentation and how effectively they convey the significance, methodology, and impact of their work. A winning presentation reflects strong scholarly understanding and the skill to engage and inform an audience. This award highlights research that is innovative, clinically or theoretically impactful, and clearly communicated.
The Distinguished Doctoral Research Award
The Distinguished Doctoral Research Award honors a student in the final stage of doctoral training who demonstrates outstanding research excellence. All students who have successfully defended their dissertation plan (prospectus) and are actively conducting dissertation research are eligible. Recipients are selected through a competitive nomination process, with nominations reviewed by program leadership and supported by letters from mentors. This award recognizes research that is innovative, methodologically rigorous, and impactful, representing the highest standard of scholarly achievement in the program.
