University of Mary Physical Therapy Newsletter (2023)

DPT Program Chair Update

Greetings to our University of Mary friends!

I’m grateful we have the opportunity to reach out to many of you through the annual newsletter. For the past few years, the faculty and administrators have been working diligently to prepare for our 10-year accreditation self-study and site visit. The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) is an accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. CAPTE grants accreditation status to qualified DPT programs. CAPTE ensures the program meets the standards for quality set by the profession, is taught by qualified faculty, has the resources it needs to support the curriculum, meets its mission, has acceptable student outcomes, and provides accurate information to the public. Graduation from a CAPTEaccredited program is required for eligibility to sit for the licensing exam.

The University of Mary DPT program could not be successful without the support of our alumni, clinical partners, clinical and associated faculty experts, and those who serve our students through their time and efforts. Sunday afternoon, July 23rd there will multiple hour-long listening sessions where our CAPTE site reviewers have asked to meet with our clinical

partners, clinical faculty, employers of our alumni, and graduates. Reviewers will be meeting with these stakeholders in person and also virtually during these 1-hour sessions. If you are available that afternoon and would like to serve our program by sharing about your experience related to any of these roles, please let us know (jleckert@umary.edu). We would be grateful for your perspectives and feedback as our accreditation team seeks to learn more about the University of Mary DPT program.

Attending one of these CAPTE sessions is one way in which you can share your gift of time with the program. I’ve had the blessing of devoting a good portion of my time to working here at the University of Mary since 2007. I truly feel that my path to the University of Mary was the result of answered prayers early in my career when I sought to best understand God’s call to my vocation. Here at University of Mary, I am called to serve our profession and students alongside many others (faculty, administrators, etc.) who are devoted to the mission and vision of the University of Mary.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” – James 1:17, NIV

I’ve also had many opportunities to watch our students grow and start to identify their unique talents and God-given gifts as they seek to

serve in their chosen vocation. It’s apparent that some students and physical therapists have an innate ability to connect to patients and ensure people feel comfortable and cared for. Other students and clinicians are excellent at problemsolving and applying evidence in their work. Our faculty team recently participated in an activity where we identified those talents and strengths that we admired in each other then discussed ways in which those gifts each of us have could serve the goals of the program and needs of our students. I feel energized daily by my coworkers and students as I see this service in action. I hope each of us can continue to find ways to apply our gifts to the call of helping others and improving the world around us. Thank you for sharing your time and talents through your service to the University of Mary DPT program.

Dr. Jody Eckert, PT, DPT, EdD

University of Mary Physical Therapy Program Overview

Check out the newly updated University of Mary Physical Therapy webpage www.umary.edu/PT. Faculty, students, and community partners had a fun Friday afternoon this spring updating our PT Program pictures. See many of these fun photos on the website. Visit our website for more information about the University of Mary DPT Mission, Vision, Program Goals, Curriculum, and Graduate Outcomes. Also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UMaryPT and Instagram www.instagram.com/umarydpt for Program updates and Highlights.

CAPTE Accreditation

Once every 10 years, our physical therapy program undergoes an intense accreditation process through the Commission on Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). We were last evaluated in 2012; our next on-site visit will be this July (2023), one year late due to the pandemic. Preceding the on-site visit, the faculty is charged with writing a comprehensive self-study that covers eight standards:

1. Graduate Achievement of our Program Outcomes

2. Assessment and Planning

3. Integrity of our Operations

4. Program Faculty

5. Admissions

6. Curriculum Plan

7. Curriculum

8. Resources

The writing of this self-study document is complete. We are grateful to our faculty team for the collaborative effort that went into the completion of the self-study. We are also thankful for the consultative role former PT program director and SGSHS Dean, Jodi Roller has served for us. This labor of love has proved to be an invaluable process for assessing our program quality; as well, as an opportunity to take pride in the Excellent Professional Physical Therapist Program that the University of Mary offers our students from this region and beyond. We have begun and will continue contacting students, alumni, adjunct faculty, employers, advisory committeemembers, and any other constituents we may need to share views of our program with our onsite visitors during their visit, July 23-26, 2023.

Admissions for the Physical Therapy Class of 2026

We have had a successful year with admissions. We had a total of 169 applicants and interviewed 131 of them. On-campus interview days were held on November 11, 2022, and February 17, 2023. For students who were unable to participate on these days, there were virtual interviews held with the faculty. We would like to thank all clinicians, students, staff, and faculty who helped make our interview days a success.

Our upcoming class will have 50 students. Currently, 49 applicants have accepted our offer to join our

program this fall. Of the applicants who have accepted our offer, 12 started at the University of Mary as Early Assurance applicants, one applicant deferred from last year, and 36 applied through PTCAS (ptcas.org). We have one outstanding offer and will continue working through our waitlist if needed. While most of our incoming students are from North Dakota, there are also students from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming. These students will start the program in September 2023 and will graduate in April 2026.

We have been proactive in recruitment and retention of applicants with online and in-person open houses, scheduling of future class meet-and-greet over zoom, completing a drip campaign to our current applicants throughout the cycle, completing a Top 10 Reasons for our marketing materials, and increased social media activity. We completed a photoshoot on 3/24 to update photos on social media sites, our website, and other marketing materials.

Our next admissions cycle for the class of 2027 will start this summer. Applicants who are not in the Early Assurance program apply through PTCAS. We anticipate holding two on-campus interview days in the fall and the spring. If you know students who are interested in physical therapy, or if they are observing in your clinic, please let them know about the University of Mary and how our program has impacted you.

Research at the University of Mary PT

The University of Mary hosted the annual Michael G. Parker Research Colloquium on Friday, April 28, 2023. This continuing education opportunity was attended by SGSHS students, faculty and local clinicians. Below are the titles of current projects and the graduating physical therapy students who presented.

• Physical Therapy Interventions for a 79-Year-Old Female Diagnosed with Rhabdomyolysis: A Case Report

Kimiko Masuoka

• Deadlifting to Decrease Falls in the Older Adult: A Case Report

Kali Carlson

• The Successful Utilization of Hippotherapy for a Child with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy: A Case Report

Brittney Fried

• Advocacy and Physical Therapy Intervention for a Patient with Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy: A Case Report

Byron Thulborn

• Managing a Female Cyclist Athlete with Left Low Back Pain and SI Dysfunction with Postural Restoration: A Case Report

Madison Barnes

• Physical Therapy Interventions that Promote Safe Mobility for Individuals with Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body/Vascular Dementia: A Case Report

Alicia Westrick

• Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: An Attempt to Stay in the Home

Baylee Jo Pletan

• Convergent Validity of Dual Task Timed Up and Go (TUG) Performance and Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale

Marye Carlson, Ryan Moran, Alanis Rupprecht, Kylee Voigt

• Validating Submaximal Exercise Testing Utilizing a Total Body Recumbent Stepper Compared to the 6-Minute Walk Test to Predict Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Health Adults 65 years and Older

Damian Loucks, Jacklyn Geiger, Jeffrey Geiger, Brenna Stone, Marissa Veach, Shea Heidlebaugh

• The Effects of Lumbar Manipulation Over Sham on Pain Pressure Threshold for Asymptomatic Individuals

Kaylee Flaagan, Courtney Jarvis, Haley Hill, Brooke Nicholson

• The Effect of Postural Restoration Institute Upper Extremity Exercises on Scapular Muscle Activation Ratios During Overhead Reaching Activity

Tyson Carney, Grace Crook, Malikah Fernandez

Faculty Awards

University of Mary Clinical Educator of the Year

Throughout the last 6 months, the clinical education team has been soliciting nominations for Clinical Educator of the Year. We are so proud to award our alumni, Kristy Elgin, as Clinical Educator of the Year for 2023! Thank you, Kristy, for your generous service to our program—we are so grateful for you! Kristy was nominated by Mary Clark, Class of 2024.

Other Nominees included:

Hunter Stemmer, Class of 2016, nominated by Keaton Boehm, Class of 2024

Steve Churchill, nominated by Morgan Ketterling, Class of 2023

Chris Garcia, nominated by Kylee Voigt, Class of 2023

Seth Hosking, Class of 2018, nominated by Ethan Albrecht, Class of 2023

As part of her award, we asked Kristy to answer a few questions related to her educational background, extracurricular activities, her career as a physical therapist and some of her values related to clinical education of students.

What is your educational background?

I did my undergraduate program at Black Hills State University majoring biology, then graduated in 2013 from the amazing UMary physical therapy program, of course! I became a level 1 credentialed clinical instructor in 2016 and an Orthopedic Certified Specialist in 2017. I became certified in the Hesch method for the sacroiliac joint in 2023. I am currently working toward becoming an IAOM complete clinician with Certification in Orthopedic Manual Therapy. My continuing education courses have included geriatrics, sports knee, shoulder rehab, IASTM, updated clinical practice, lumbopelvic rehab, and the cervical spine. I am part of the Mike Reinold inner circle program and have attended the NEXT conference.

What interests do you pursue outside of the classroom?

My family means the world to me! I love spending time with my husband and two boys. I enjoy working on our ranch, walking/hiking, doing yoga, and playing basketball. I love reading, both for fun and for self improvement. I enjoy being involved in our small community, and serve on the school board and health advisory board. I like to support our local small business and community programs.

What is your philosophy for clinical education and your clinical teaching style.

My philosophy is let’s make the most of your time and jump right in! Before you know it, you will be out practicing, so I want to ensure you feel comfortable learning and asking questions while you have a built in mentor. I want to get my students’ hands on right away, even if it is just palpating landmarks or performing MMT to begin with. I not only want my students to develop critical thinking, but also patient and community relationships. I hope to inspire them to have passion for

physical therapy, and truly be the best physical therapist they can be! If I get some students recruited into rural healthcare along the way, even better! Lastly, I like to be open and available for my students not only during their rotation, but also as a mentor for life-should they want me for one!

What do you enjoy most about your work as a PT and what is most rewarding to you as a clinical instructor?

As a PT, like the majority of PTs, I take a huge amount of joy in seeing my patients succeed. Whether it’s a small step or a big leap in quality of life, it is so rewarding! I also love creating relationships so that I can adapt my treatment plan to better meet their individual needs. I love owning my own practice, providing rural services to a wide variety of patients, and advocating for my rural patients that have a paucity of healthcare services.

As a CI, I love to help create moments that let my students experience these same things! It is so great when my patients ask about my students when they are gone, because they had such a great relationship with them. I especially enjoy challenging my students by asking them questions. What are you palpating? What test are you performing? What does it tell you? What’s next? Why? How will you relay that to your pt? How does that affect their treatment plan? What options are available? And then seeing the student put it all together and have that “aha” moment is a pretty awesome feeling

What is the greatest success you have had in teaching DPT students?

That’s a tough one! I truly hope they have all felt that their rotation was successful, even in a small way. I think with all of them, the greatest success has been with guiding them into the transition from just going through the motions of performing a technique they learned academically to understanding why they are doing it for a particular patient clinically.

What is the most difficult aspect of teaching DPT students today?

Ha, well, there is beginning to be an age gap :) This just puts me in a different season of my life than most of my students, especially with my expanding business and family. However, there are so many positives to this! I hope that they can learn

Clinical Education Announcements

In accordance with the APTA national mail-out date for solicitation of clinical experiences, the Director of Clinical Education sent requests for experiences in 2024 out via our clinical education platform, EXXAT, on March 1, 2023. If you did not receive a request and/or you are interested in educating a student in 2024, please contact Dr. Lauren Emmel at laemmel@umary.edu.

We are need of additional inpatient/acute clinical experiences and experiences in neurologic settings (Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, Outpatient Neurologic Settings, and Skilled Nursing Facilities). If you are interested in having a student in one of these areas or would like to set up an affiliation agreement for University of Mary DPT students, please contact Dr. Lauren Emmel at laemmel@umary.edu or Dr. Missy Taylor at mmtaylor@umary.edu

The University of Mary Physical Therapy Program would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to Eric Lieux, CPO (certified orthotist and prosthetist) for his service to our program. Eric will retiring this year and relocating from the Bismarck area. Eric has provided guest lectures to our first and second year students on the topics of orthotics and prosthetics since the program began. His passion for his patients, knowledge of the field of O&P, and advocacy for collaborative work between PTs and prosthetists has been a gift for our students. Eric’s enthusiasm, patient stories, and excellent educational pedagogy will be missed dearly. We wish Eric the best in his retirement.

SPTA Update

Racetrack Heroes is an event in its 3rd year, after being adapted from the previous event, Homerun Heroes. This year marks the 15th annual adaptive sports event hosted by the UMary Physical Therapy program. The event is for children who are unable to participate in regular sporting events for various reasons. The decision to change the event from Homerun Heroes to Racetrack Heroes was to give kids the opportunity to showcase their talents and participate in a variety of different sports and activities. Sensory zones are available as well, to allow for inclusivity and an area for kids to calm down if they’re feeling overwhelmed. This event also provides the PT with students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in their coursework and help build skills in many different areas of the child’s development. Another benefit of Racetrack Heroes is allowing the students to demonstrate the Benedictine Values of service, hospitality, and community. This event has been very successful over the past 3 years, averaging 25-30 participants every year!

“What a wonderful event you hosted. We will definitely be back next year. Thank you so much for making our kiddo’s day. She wouldn’t take off her medal!”

— Parent of a new participant

By Dylan Burger, Class of 2023 and Alex Crain, Class of 2024

Class of 2023 President

Patricia Martin, SPT Class of 2023 President

A final hello from the class of 2023! We’ve completed three out of our four clinicals and are heading out again in February to complete our final rotations. We are starting our last semester at the University of Mary and are eager for graduation. It’s wild to think that two-and-a-half years ago we were starting our first day of classes, separated into two rooms with little knowledge of what we were about to accomplish. Now we’re less than three months away from walking across the stage at the Civic Center with our Doctorates in Physical Therapy. The years have flown by—even with all the exams, practica, and hours spent studying. I’ve been so lucky to be a part of a class with so much passion for and dedication to the field. I’m so excited to see the impact we’ll all have!

We completed our second clinical this past spring/summer and were back on our Front Street campus one last time to start our electives, finish up core coursework, and complete our service projects. We had a group of students travel to Guatemala for two weeks in August to provide PT services, build homes, and immerse themselves in the culture. Many students also ministered to the Bismarck-Mandan area through serving at adaptive golf events and engaging in community outreach. We were also busy training for the Bismarck Marathon as we had about 15 students running that weekend! For many, this was their first (and maybe their last!) marathon, but we still had a great turnout!

We started our fall semester back up on the hill, which was a first for many of us! Though we enjoyed our exclusive spot on Front Street, it’s been wonderful being out on campus and enjoying our new space. The fall was busy with the annual golf tournament, an inaugural sand volleyball tournament, and the student conclave in Fargo. Electives continued throughout the fall semester, and we started our pro-bono clinic back up in our new space. Some students took advantage of professional development opportunities and became LSVT Big certified, dry needling certified, and stage one Pelvic Floor certified through the APTA. Then we left for our 10-week clinical, where we continued to learn, grow, and practice our skills in a variety of settings and locations.

When we returned this spring, we jumped right into pro-bono hours, case studies, research projects, and the PEAT. We’ve been enjoying our free time as third-years with cross country skiing, bowling, trivia nights, basketball, and volleyball. Next up is our fourth and final clinical, which will put a capstone on all the work we’ve put in the past three years.

Outside of classes and clinicals, we’ve had lots of engagements and weddings, and we welcomed one adorable baby into our extended PT family. For some, Bismarck will remain home, while others plan to move across the country. For everyone, Bismarck will always be place filled with great memories. We have a great variety of practitioners ready to stay put for a while; others are ready to continue to travel for work. We are excited for graduation and our next chapter in life, but we’re also really enjoying where we are now.

Class of 2024 President

Colton Swanson, SPT Class of 2024 President

Hello again from the class of 2024! At this point we have all completed our first 6-week clinical rotation and have started 2nd year with some new clinical experience under our belts. I think after returning from our rotations, the class as a whole had a new appreciation for clinical reasoning and hands on skills as we had our first taste at being a “real PT”. This newfound confidence in patient care significantly helped us throughout this 2nd year as the curriculum shifts from foundational knowledge to clinical application.

With the shift to clinical application, our class has been participating in multiple lab activities with real patients presenting with the conditions we have been learning about. Some of these labs include interactions with pediatric patients with autism, down syndrome, and CP to integumentary labs with patients with amputations and prosthetics. One of the most rewarding aspects of these lab activities is when we also get to incorporate an aspect of community service work into the learning experience. For example, in our Geriatrics class, we all participate in a community project to improve the wellness of residents in some of the local assisted living facilities. In Health Promotion & Wellness, class we have a community project to educate students in some of the local elementary schools on general safety, wellness, and physical activity. Finally, in our SOLE (Service Oriented Leadership Experience) class, we are currently planning our service projects, that include a group going to Guatemala this coming summer for a 2-week service trip, and multiple other local service projects to help individuals in need. These outreach projects are a great way to give back to our community while still learning valuable skills to help us become great physical therapists.

Besides the regular school activities, our class has also been very active with extracurricular activities. We started off the year with a PT volleyball tournament, set up by a few of our 3rd year students, that incorporated both faculty and students in the program. This was a great activity to interact with the new first year class as well as our current faculty in a fun environment that allowed for some friendly competition. We also had 5 students from our class volunteer at CSM in San Diego this February. All of the students came back from CSM with great stories of new technologies they were able to try out firsthand and interesting speakers and lectures they were able to attend. Finally, multiple students in our cohort have been very active in planning our program’s SPTA activities. These activities include the Designer Gene’s Walk for Down Syndrome, the Freezin’ for a Reason Clothing Drive, as well as our annual Racetrack Heroes adaptive sports day for local children with disabilities. Students love to help organize these events and report they always leave the events with a wonderful feeling after giving back to those in need.

Many of us are beginning to narrow down our specific areas of interest as we complete the bulk of our course work. Thoughts of our potential post-graduation plans are beginning to arise as this 2nd year has almost already flown by. All in all, the cohort of 2024 is very excited to be finishing up our final, full “in class” semester and head off to our next 8-week clinical rotation in May!

Class of 2025 President

Mariah

Lund,

SPT Class of 2025 President

Hello from the class of 2025! We have come a long way as a class in a short amount of time, with great progress in academics and personal growth. With many different types of students, it’s like pieces of a puzzle, helping each other connect and learn to put the big picture of physical therapy together.

Fall semester consisted of challenging classes, countless group projects, and many days snowed in, but through it all we found time for class competitions and shoveling. In all seriousness, we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the professors and forming community within our class. Now, as we progress through the Spring semester it is great to be able to apply the knowledge obtained thus far. Our ICE experiences and the start of Pro Bono Clinic have really tested our fundamental knowledge in an exciting way. We look forward to our first clinical rotation later this summer!

One of the Benedictine values of high importance at University of Mary is service. Our class has grown with this value through time spent in the community, and through our volunteering experiences via Racetrack Hero’s, the Day of Service, and PT interview days. Acts of service can also be seen through the ability of class members to take time out of their own day to help others in our class with studying, car troubles, and any life struggles thrown our way.

We also wanted to give thanks to some of those who have helped us come this far. Thank you to the professors, 2nd year mentors, and the family members by our sides. We are grateful for all your help and support.

Living the Mission of the University of Mary in Guatemala

Faithfully Christian, joyfully Catholic, and gratefully Benedictine. The University of Mary’s identity and mission is to form servant leaders with moral courage, global understanding, and commitment to the common good. In August 2022, I was blessed to have the opportunity to take part in the annual PT Medical Mission Trip to Guatemala with a small group of my third-year peers and two PT alumni. During this time, we were able to practice fulfilling the mission of the University of Mary through service, joy, and community.

In Guatemala, we partnered with San Lucas Mission, Big Stone Therapy, and The God’s Child Project. We spent three days collaborating with healthcare professionals from Big Stone to offer physical therapy services to rural towns surrounding San Lucas Tolimán, providing care to about 77 patients total. We then spent five days in Antigua: one morning distributing food to the Mothers and Fathers Club, three days building houses for two needy families, and one day providing physical therapy services to pediatric patients and their families.

Looking back on this experience, it is impossible to fully share how healing and humbling it was to fully immerse ourselves in the Guatemalan culture and meet people where they were physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally to provide the best services we possibly could – whatever that entailed. In addition to physical therapy services, this included learning the basics of a foreign language, having the once-in-a-lifetime honor of hearing our patients’ stories, and building our soccer chops with some talented players! This opportunity allowed us to practice adaptability, flexibility, and patience and opened our eyes to a new understanding of humility, gratitude, growth, and service. We came to serve—it was a blessing and honor to be trusted, welcomed, and served by them.

By Angeline Nguyen, Class of 2023

Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences Dean Update

how we might improve based on current best evidence. Part of the improvement plan should include strategies to hone and develop our professional skills – clinical, professional, and personal.

And now the real work begins….

Contrary to what many like to believe, professional athletes are constantly tweaking and adjusting their technique. For example, Rory McIlroy, one of my favorite golfers, has been known to adjust various swing elements in order to vary his flight path, speed, and distance –even though he arguably possesses one of the best swings on the planet. For pros and their coaches, the goal isn’t to avoid change, but rather, to make the right changes based on foundational skills, new knowledge, and developments in the sport. Similarly in healthcare, we have a responsibility to continuously assess our patient outcomes, reflect on how/why those outcomes occurred, and determine

The University of Mary’s Saint Gianna School of Health Sciences (SGSHS) houses exceptional education programs. Our nursing program, one of the legacy programs since the University’s inception in 1959, has been ranked #1 in the nation for several years. Our clinical exercise physiology program is one of the only accredited hybrid programs in the country, and our newly developed speech language pathology program was recently granted full accreditation. Certainly, our physical therapy program, which will be undergoing a reaccreditation visit this summer, has a stellar reputation throughout the country and our graduates are highly sought after. While it would be easy to rest on our current reputation and resist change, we understand and accept the responsibility to continuously innovate and evolve to meet the needs of the people of the region, our students, clients, and the various professions.

With that spirit, faculty and staff in the SGSHS updated their Strategic Plan in 2022 which provides guidance and direction for our school over the next 5 years. The plan, which encompasses the University’s Vision 2030 initiatives, includes 4 foundational pillars and 9 objectives:

1. SGSHS will be a thriving hub of interprofessional service to meet the needs of the community and beyond

2. Foster resilient healthcare leaders who inspire compassionate, ethical and joyful practice

3. Cultivate and support mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders

4. Develop exceptional healthcare providers through innovate interprofessional learning

This past October 4, 2022, we had the opportunity to lay the groundwork to advance several of the objectives when we boldly commended our School of Health Sciences to the patronage of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, on what would have been her 100th

Dr. Mary Dockter, PT, PhD

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

— Charles Darwin

birthday. She was a skilled Italian physician, a woman of courageous faith, a caregiver admired by her patients and a mother who ultimately gave her life for her own unborn child – the daughter, Dr. Gianna Emanuela, gave permission and support for UMary to carry on that legacy and was present for the ribbon cutting and dedication. It is tremendously important to us that students in the health professions receive specialized education at UMary – not only to become exceptional and skilled providers in their chosen fields, but also exemplars of moral courage, defenders of the sanctity of life and dignity of the human person. The dedication and ribbon cutting occurred in conjunction with the first annual Catholic Medical Professionals Conference. The conference was a tremendous success with students, faculty, and guests having the opportunity to learn, reflect, and grow personally, spiritually, and professionally. Plans are underway and we look forward to inviting all of you to the 2nd annual conference scheduled for early December 2023.

“The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day.”

Saint Gianna Beretta Molla

The dedication and physical renovation of space also allowed the majority of our health

sciences programs to now reside under one roof. We have already noted several initiatives related to interprofessional learning begin and/or advance for both students and faculty. I love walking through the hallways on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons to observe the busyness of the pro bono clinic which includes physical and occupational therapy, athletic training, speech language pathology, exercise science, and new this semester, tobacco cessation counseling with respiratory therapy. Students, faculty, and most importantly, the clients and families, have appreciated the breadth and depth of services.

Finally, I am most appreciative of the pillar related to relationships with stakeholders. Our clinical sites, employers, and alumni are paramount to our success. It was wonderful seeing so many of you last October for either the conference/ribbon cutting and/or Homecoming. I have also enjoyed being on the road and visiting many of our private practice partners – I plan to continue this initiative and see many more of you. Please do not be a stranger –we love giving tours and updates, receiving ideas and feedback, and hearing about the many great things you are all doing – you make us proud!

Physical Therapy