Madeline Morgan, DPT student in the Class of 2025, Dr. Mieke Corbitt, PT, DPT, OCS, and Dr. Charlotte Yates, PT, PhD, PCS, have published an article in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy Vol. 20, Issue 7, 2025. The article is entitled “Rehabilitation of a Professional Ballerina Post-Traumatic Fourth Toe Fracture: A Case Report.” Madeline will graduate with her class on August 8, 2025.
Anatomy Tours
Dr. Lara Davis has been awarded a Walmart Spark Good grant for $1,000 to support the Anatomy Outreach Program for the academic year 2025-2026. Walmart Spark Good brings together all our community giving programs under one brand and empowers local organizations to engage with customers and associates to support causes they care about.
The Anatomy Outreach program is created to expose central Arkansas high school students to the healthcare professions and opportunities for study at UCA. Congratulations Dr. Davis.
The Anatomy Outreach Program at UCA provides an interactive experience for high school and undergraduate students to learn about the physical therapy profession and anatomy education in a human cadaver lab. Visitors participate in various hands-on activities led by Doctor of Physical Therapy students. These activities include skills DPT students are currently learning at the Physical Therapy Center as well as safe and ethical handling of human anatomical specimens in the Gross Anatomy Lab.
Please fill out the UCA Anatomy Tours (google form) if you have any interest in this program.
Tours are scheduled for specific dates on Fridays during the Fall and Spring semesters. Tours are approximately 1.5 hours long and include the PT Center and the Gross Anatomy Lab. Transportation is not provided.
After you fill out the google form, the Anatomy Outreach team will send more information regarding your tour.
If you have any questions about this Program contact: AnatomyOutreachUCAPT@gmail.com
If you would like to schedule a campus tour, please contact the Admissions office at (501-450-3128) or Campus Tours.
Dr. Fernando Castillo, UCA PhD Graduate and DPT Class of 2020 alumnus has published an article in the International Journal of Sports Medicine with Dr. Charlotte Yates, PT, PhD, PCS, and Dr. Leah Lowe, PT, PhD, PCS in the April 1, 2025, issue.
Castillo F, Yates C, Escola K, Williams DK, Lowe L. Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait when performing a Visuospatial Cognitive task. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. 2025. 20(4): 45-52.
Dr. Fernando Castillo, PT, DPT, PhD is Assistant Professor, PT Programs at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in Irving Texas. He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy and Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Therapy with an emphasis on neurological rehabilitation from the University of Central Arkansas.
Dr. Victor Prati is a 2025 PhD in Physical Therapy graduate completing his program recently this Spring. Dr. Prati was hooded at the UCA Spring Commencement Ceremony held on May 1, 2025. Dr. Prati is also an alumnus of the UCA DPT Class of 2012. He is clinical active at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.
Congratulations to Dr. Prati and team for their article published in the May issue of the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy (IJSPT).
Prati VV, Spray BJ, Walker CW, et al. Social Determinants of Health and Quadriceps Strength Recovery in Children and Adolescents following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction. IJSPT. 2025;20(5):676-686. doi:10.26603/001c.133918
Dr. Lara Davis, PT, PhD, NCS, Associate Professor, and DPT Class of 2025 students Ciana Diaz, Kyler Hulsey, Kaylee Miller, and Jaqueline Mondragon recently had an article published for their work with the Anatomy Tours in the Department of Physical Therapy. Their article entitled, “Combining physical therapy and anatomy education in a high school anatomy outreach program in central Arkansas.” was published in the March 2025 issue of Anatomical Sciences Education. Diaz, Hulsey, Miller and Mondragon will graduate with their Doctor of Physical Therapy degree on August 8, 2025. Congratulations.
Davis, L., Diaz, C., Hulsey, K., Miller, K., & Mondragon, J. (2025). Combining physical therapy and anatomy education in a high school anatomy outreach program in central Arkansas. Anatomical Sciences Education, 00,1–9.
The Department of Physical Therapy will host an Open House on Saturday, April 12, 2025, for prospective students to visit the Physical Therapy Center and learn more about the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at UCA. Guests will tour the PT Center, visit with DPT students and faculty as well as the Program Advisor. This event is drop-in (come and go) between 10 AM and 12 PM at the PT Center on campus. We will be happy to talk with you about your interest in applying to the DPT Program or choosing UCA for your undergraduate degree.
The PT Center is located on Bruce Street near Farris Rd, East of the Estes Football stadium.
Dr. Victor Prati presented a Platform Presentation of his research at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting on February 14, 2025, in Houston. Victor Prati, PT, DPT, is a student in the UCA PhD in Physical Therapy program. Dr. Prati is an alumnus of the DPT Class of 2008 at UCA and currently practices at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. His PhD mentors are Dr. Kevin Garrison and Dr. Bill Bandy.
Exploration of Knee Extension Torque Steadiness in Adolescent Athletes Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Victor Valentin Prati, PT, DPT, Kevin Garrison, PT, PhD, Jacqueline Rainey, BSE, MS, Dr.P.H., MCHES, Brant Sachleben and William D. Bandy, PT, PhD, FAPTA. Platform Presentation, Friday, February 14, 2025, River Oaks (Level Three, Marriott Marquis).
The UCA Department of Physical Therapy is seeking nominations for the Joe Finnell Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes graduates who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their professional careers. The honoree(s) will be recognized in August at the DPT Convocation Ceremony. The 2025 DPT Convocation will be held on Friday, August 8, 2025, in Reynolds Performance Hall at UCA.
Past Recipients: Susan Appling, Kim Dunleavy, Nat Grubbs, Mary Anne Hart, James A. Hoyme, Cecile W. Kimmer, Barbara J. Lovett, Twala Maresh, William S. Quillen, Nancy Reese, Chris Throneberry, Lisa VanHoose, Mala H. Waller, Glenda Winborn.
Criteria for Selection: The award is open to any alumna or alumnus of the UCA Physical Therapy program who graduated 10 or more years ago. This individual is or was a licensed physical therapist (PT) or physical therapist assistant (PTA) and has earned a PTA or PT degree from UCA (i.e. AS, BS, MS, DPT, or PhD degree).
Recipients of the award will have made exceptional contributions and impact to the profession or community. Award recipients will be determined based their contributions and achievements in one or more of the following:
Nomination Process and Deadline:
Nominations are made by sending an e-mail to pt@uca.edu with the subject line: Alumni Award Nomination. The email should include the name and contact information of the nominator and the following attachments:
Deadline for submission is April 30, 2025.
Congratulations to faculty and students presenting research at the 2025 American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting to be held in Houston, Texas on February 13-14, 2025. UCA Department of Physical Therapy faculty and DPT students conducted six research projects that have been accepted for poster presentations at the national meeting in the sections of acute care, education, clinical electrophysiology & wound management, research, and geriatrics.
UCA Physical Therapy faculty will present two educational sessions at the 2025 American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting to be held in Houston, Texas on February 13-15, 2025. Both presentations will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at 8:00 AM.
Dr. Leah Lowe, Dr. Mieke Corbitt and Dr. Charlotte Yates will present an educational session entitled: “Strategies for Integration of Health Informatics Instruction in DPT Education”.
Dr. Melissa Allen and team will present an educational session entitled: “Assimilation of ANPT Essential Competencies for Neurologic Entry-Level Education: Early Experiences of Faculty”. Presenters: Melissa Allen, Michael Furtado, Elissa Bradford-Held, Sue Perry.
