Drs. Lowe and Fletcher were invited to speak at the Arkansas State Orthotic and Prosthetic Association Meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas. On August 18th, 2023, they presented the educational session, “From Muscle Strength to Muscle Length: Assessment and Documentation of Underlying Impairments.” The focus of the educational session was accurate assessment and documentation of impairments at the body structure and function level with clear connection to movement and mobility at the activity and participation level from a professional and interprofessional perspective.

Volunteers Make it Work!

Second year DPT students worked through simulations for their Complex Patient Management in Physical Therapy course this summer.  Dr. McGee and Dr. Davis provided simulation experiences in the Integrated Health Sciences building with volunteers to serve as patients during the course.  And, for the final lab practical exam held in the PT Center, Drs. McGee and Davis got a little help from third year students, now graduates, and faculty who volunteered their time to portray patients.  We appreciate the volunteers providing an enriched experience for the students!

Dr. Bill Bandy has been appointed to the Onsite Review Team for the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). The teams are part of the accreditation process that focuses on assuring programs deliver, and participants complete, quality programs to support continuous improvement that enhances patient care and advances the profession. Dr. Bandy brings nearly 40 years of academic experience to this role and we are excited about this opportunity for him to engage and represent UCA on a national level. Dr. Bandy joins Dr. Charlotte Yates as an Onsite Reviewer for ABPTRFE. Dr. Bandy is a Board-Certified Sports Clinical Specialist, a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA and a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at UCA.

He has published three books and over 45 manuscripts, primarily on the topic of reliable and valid physical therapy performance tests used frequently in musculoskeletal physical therapy. Additionally, Dr. Bandy volunteered on the Sports Medicine Team for the U.S. Olympic Team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He is also a former two-term president of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and in 2006, Dr. Bandy was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the APTA. In 2010 Dr. Bandy was awarded the APTA Lucy Blair Service Award and was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the APTA.

In 2020, he was named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow by the APTA, and became only the second recipient from Arkansas to receive this prestigious award.

Dr. Haley Downey

Dr. Becca Mize

Becca Mize and Haley Downey, graduates of the UCA Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2023, are the recipients of the Service Excellence Award.  The awards were announced during the UCA DPT Class of 2023 Convocation ceremonies held on August 11th at Reynolds Performance Hall. The recipients are selected each year from student and faculty nominations to honor those going above and beyond in the area of service to their class, community and the profession. Becca was also selected by her class as the Class Speaker for Convocation.  Dr. Mize attended UCA for her undergraduate degree, served as a Graduate Assistant for Dr. Margaret McGee and had a leadership role for Go Baby Go!  Dr. Downey is from Bartlesville, Oklahoma and attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence for her undergraduate degree.  She worked as a Graduate Assistant for Bandy regarding DPT Admissions as well as for Dean Reese.

Dr. Garrison and Dr. Okolo

Congratulations to Peter Okolo, graduate of the 2023 DPT Program and the UCA Outstanding Doctor of Physical Therapy Student of the Year. Since 2003, that’s 20 years, each class has selected a member who has had the most positive impact on the class to honor with this award.  The award was announced during the DPT Class of 2023 Convocation Ceremony held on August 11th at Reynolds Performance Hall.   Finalists for the award included MaryClaire Guanzon and Becca Mize who were also recognized during convocation ceremonies.

Peter is also the 2023 recipient of the Leadership Excellence Award.  This award is selected based on nominations by faculty and classmates to honor a member of the class for their leadership.  Peter also served the DPT Class of 2023 as the Class President and gave his remarks during the DPT Convocation ceremony on August 11th.  He is pictured here on August 12th with Dr. Garrison, Chairperson of the Department of Physical Therapy, following the UCA Commencement ceremony held on August 12th.

Highlights from 2023 DPT Graduation. Congratulations to the Clinical Excellence Award winners: Hannah Aviles, MaryClaire Guanzon, Jarrod Rogers and Erin Woodward! Recipients were selected based on nominations by their clinical instructors. Awards were announced during the 2023 DPT Convocation Ceremony on August 11th.

The Department of Physical Therapy will host Convocation Ceremonies for the DPT Class of 2023 on Friday, August 11th at 2:00 PM.   The ceremony for the graduates and their families will be held in Reynolds Performance Hall at UCA.  An open house at the Physical Therapy Center will be held immediately following until 5:00 PM.

The UCA Graduate School Commencement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 12th at noon, also in Reynolds Performance Hall.  Information Commencement can be found at http://uca.edu/commencement.

Dr. Meliss Allen, Assistant Professor

The Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy recently published “Essential Competencies in Entry-Level Neurologic Physical Therapist Education”. Dr. Melissa Allen was part of a 10-member task force charged with developing these curricular competencies for entry-level neurologic PT education to facilitate the delivery of current and consistent content across DPT programs nationwide. In addition, Dr. Allen continued work with this group to develop resources (including sample objectives, assignments, and assessments), to help DPT educators assimilate the competencies into their own curriculum structure. These resources are available to PT educators via the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy website and the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy.

https://neuropt.org/education/physical-therapy-educators/anpt-essential-competencies-for-neurologic-physical-therapist-education

Dr. Dominguez

We are happy to introduce Maritza Dominguez, PhD, MPT, CBIST as our newest Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy.  She will officially join us on August 16^th and will have an active role this Fall in DPT1 and 2 courses including Kinesiology I and Therapeutic Exercise.

Dr. Dominguez earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies degree from the University of Texas in May 2001 and a Master of Physical Therapy from the University of Texas at El Paso in May 2009. She completed a PhD in Physical Therapy from the University of Central Arkansas in August 2020. She has been a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer since August 2013.

Dr. Dominguez has 14 years of experience as a physical therapist. She has provided physical therapy for patients with numerous conditions, including pain management, stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, strains, sprains, impingements, amputations, and post-operative care. Dr. Dominguez also has experience with adaptive devices, orthotics, and prosthetics. Her clinical research interests include the benefit of working in teams in healthcare through interprofessional education and collaboration.

We are excited about Dr. Dominguez joining the faculty and look forward to the new perspectives and expertise she will bring to UCA.