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.
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 16th 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.
The Joe Finnell Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes and honors University of Central Arkansas Physical Therapy program alumni for outstanding contributions and impact to the profession or community. This year, we have the distinct honor of recognizing 2 distinguished alumni, Lisa VanHoose and Nathaniel Grubbs.
Lisa earned a BS in Health Science from UCA in 1995 and a MS in PT from UCA in 1996. She went on to receive a Masters in Public Health and a PhD in Rehab Science from UK Medical Center. She is ABPTS certified in Oncologic Physical Therapy and has numerous clinical certifications and credentials. She is currently a clinical professor of physical therapy at Baylor University in Waco, TX. Among her previously held faculty positions was 4 years a faculty member in UCA’s DPT and PhD programs, where she has continued to have an adjunct role. She has been a contributing author to 25 peer-reviewed publications, received numerous external grant awards, and given many national-level scientific, continuing education and professional presentations, including the 2022 Lynda D Woodruff Lecture on Diversity, Equity, and inclusion in Physical Therapy. Lisa is a former president of the Academy of Oncologic Physical Therapy, and she served as a charter member of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy Leadership Academy. Lisa was honored as a Fellow of the American Academy of Physical Therapy in 2021, and was honored as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association in 2022. Lisa’s passion is community engagement and service through advocacy and research. In 2018, she founded the Ujima Institute, an organization dedicated “to facilitating collaborative efforts to address health and wellness disparities within Black communities” and has more recently established the Ujima Center in Monroe, LA, which we encourage you to personally learn more about online. In 2021 Lisa was honored with the Societal Impact Award from the APTA. Those who nominated Lisa for our distinguished alumni award say this about her… “Lisa’s purpose is always to find ways to empower others and to increase inclusion of all in the profession of physical therapy.” “She embodies both the APTA’s vision of physical therapy as a force that transforms society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience, and the UCA Department of Physical Therapy vision of moving individuals and communities toward optimal health.” Lisa’s contributions to the PT profession nationally and to UCA will ripple for generations. She has made us all better in some way, and for this we are grateful.”
Lisa was presented the award on April 29, 2023 by Dr. Brian Odom, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and member of the Joe Finnell Distinguished Alumni Committee at the UCA Physical Therapy 50th Celebration Banquet. The award was part of the 50th Anniversary celebration in honor of the first graduating class of physical therapists in 1972 from the University of Central Arkansas.
The Joe Finnell Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes and honors University of Central Arkansas Physical Therapy program alumni for outstanding contributions and impact to the profession or community. This year, we have the distinct honor of recognizing 2 distinguished alumni, Nathaniel Grubbs and Lisa VanHoose.
Nat earned a BS in Physical Therapy from UCA in 1987. He went on to receive a Master of Health Science in Physical Therapy from Univ of Indianapolis in 1992. Nat became ABPTS certified in Orthopedic Physical Therapy in 1994 and recertified in 2004 and 2014. Since 1998, Nat has been the founder, owner, and full-time clinician at South Arkansas Rehabilitation in Monticello, AR. Among his previously held positions was a full time faculty appointment in the UCA PT program from 1989 to 1995, and he has continued as an adjunct instructor and clinical partner for over 25 years. His focus on baseline neurocognitive testing for student-athletes in several communities in SE AR along with subsequent optimal concussion management has resulted in numerous scholarly platform presentations at the annual Optimize state physical therapy conference over the last 6 years. Nat’s reputation is a true professional & lifelong learner, a talented-engaging communicator & educator, and a dedicated servant to things bigger than himself that benefit the community. Nat was honored by the Arkansas chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association with the Outstanding Physical Therapist award in 2015 for outstanding clinical practice knowledge and skills and promotion of ongoing professional development, and was recognized again in 2021 with the Outstanding Clinical Instructor award for outstanding teaching/mentoring and promotion of professionalism in the clinical setting. Nat’s dedication to support the mission and goals of the UCA physical therapy program is outstanding. His ongoing contributions include teaching & instruction in multiple courses in the UCA DPT program, clinical training & mentorship for numerous UCA PT students at South Arkansas Rehab, participating in DPT admissions interviews each year at UCA, and establishing the Madeline Ann Grubbs memorial scholarship which is awarded annually to UCA DPT students. Suffice it to say – – by some way, shape, or form, Nat Grubbs has had a positive impact on practically every physical therapy graduate student at UCA for over 30 years. Those who nominated Nat for our distinguished alumni award say this about him. “Nat is that rare individual who others want to associate with, learn from, and know. He is a man of great faith and the grace with which he has faced personal losses has endeared him to our community. He is involved in almost every aspect of the energy that happens in southeast Arkansas. He is an encouragement to people of ages, the support behind many local non-profits, and the person who everyone knows and treasures as a friend. We take for granted his mission to teach life and health lessons to every person he meets.”
Nat was presented the award on April 29, 2023 by Dr. Brian Odom, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and member of the Joe Finnell Distinguished Alumni Committee at the UCA Physical Therapy 50th Celebration Banquet. The award was part of the 50th Anniversary celebration in honor of the first graduating class of physical therapists in 1972 from the University of Central Arkansas.
UCA PT recently hosted a special weekend of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first PT Class of 1972. Dr. Susan Appling, UCA alumnus and current Vice President of the American Physical Therapy Association gave an APTA update to students, faculty and guests during our Open House held at the PT Center on April 28th and discussed current APTA projects, issues on the horizon and the many resources for students, clinicians, and educators that the APTA provides. She is a member of the UCA PT Class of 1986 and is currently a PT faculty member at The Ohio State University. We are pleased that our students could hear from the leadership of the APTA at this special event. We had many special guests at open house including Dr. Venita Lovelace-Chandler, Dr. Nancy Reese, and Dr. Neil Hattlestad, former Dean of the College. More to follow about our special weekend celebrating The50th!
The Department of Physical Therapy is continuing our celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the PT Program at the University of Central Arkansas. Please join us as we welcome the community, students and guests to the Physical Therapy Center on Friday, April 28th from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM for a drop-in Open House. We have a special guest scheduled to visit campus on Friday. Dr. Susan Appling, ’87 graduate and current Vice President of the American Physical Therapy Association will be available to meet and greet and will give brief comments at 5:30. Guests will be able to receive tours of the PT Center as well as the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences newly opened Integrated Health Sciences building, home to the Interprofessional Teaching Center.
The Department of Physical Therapy will host an Open House on Saturday, April 15th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM for prospective students interested in the DPT Program. The event will be held in person at the PT Center in a drop-in, come and go format. Guests will tour the PT Center and visit with current students, PT faculty and the DPT Program Advisor.
