First-year DPT students have elected class officers.  Congratulations to these students and we applaud their interest in leadership and service for their peers.  Class President: Rob Hogue, Vice President: Jayson Allen, Historians: Emily Blanchard, Collette Lavoi, and Austin Fortinberry, and APTA student liaison: Elysian Majeske.  These students will lead their class over the three-year program.  We wish them the best as they move through the program and look forward to working with them alongside their classmates.

DPT 2025 Class Officers

Special thanks to the third year, DPT Class of 2023, Teaching Assistants in Gross Anatomy this semester.  These students were able to come back from clinic to assist in the final weeks of Gross Anatomy for DPT2025 students ending the Fall 2022 semester.  The Department would like to thank them for the awesome job and nice work while also navigating a very busy third year of DPT school.  Thank you to Haden Bunderson, Dylan Alexander, Destinee Marvel, Caressa Wilson, Tyler Futrell, and Colton Wise.  Dr. Davis and Dr. Garrison appreciate your mentorship to first year students.

3rd Year Teaching Assistants in Anatomy

Pictured from left, Shelby Ramsey, Anne Moellers, Cross Reames, Mack Pharr, Erin Woodward, Haley Dingler, Haden Bunderson, Kevin French, and Dr. Garrison.

UCA Legacy of Success was the theme of the recent UCA Foundation Scholarship Reception held on September 29th at UCA. DPT students receiving UCA Foundation scholarships in 2022 and Dr. Kevin Garrison, Chairperson of the PT Department, attended the evening event held at the Farris Center.  Ten physical therapy student scholarships were awarded this year to eight DPT students including: third year students Erin Woodward and Mack Pharr recipients of the Madeline Ann Grubbs Scholarship; third year students Haley Dingler, Mack Pharr and Daniel Symons, and second year student Cross Reames recipients of the Joe Finnell PT Scholarship; third year student Haden Bunderson and second-year student Kevin French recipients of the Thomas M. Meadows Memorial Scholarship; first-year students Anne Moellers and Shelby Ramsey recipients of the Charlotte Mills Fant Memorial Scholarship.

During the event, UCA President Houston Davis led a panel discussion attesting to the positive impact scholarships have for students. Panelists included current donors and recipients of UCA Foundation Scholarships.  The event allowed for donors and scholarship recipients to connect and network.  The UCA Department of Physical Therapy is thankful for the continuing generosity from alumni of the UCA Physical Therapy program for making these scholarships a reality!  See article at UCA News – UCA Foundation celebrates donors, students at scholarship reception.

Information about UCA Foundation Scholarships can be found at Foundation Scholarships (uca.edu).  Applications open on November 1, 2022.  UCA Foundation scholarship application deadline to apply is January 23, 2023.

Special Lecture November 3rd.  Pain Science Education:  How science is changing our approach to pain.

The Department of Physical Therapy is hosting a special lecture on pain science that is open to the campus and community in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the first graduating class of physical therapists from UCA in 1972. The lecture entitled, Pain Science Education: How science is changing our approach to pain, is planned for Thursday, November 3rd during X-Period (1:40 PM to 2:30 PM) in Ida Waldron Auditorium. This lecture will be free to the public and suggested for all healthcare and basic science faculty as well as students. Incorporating pain science in undergraduate and graduate education will be the focus. This lecture will be presented by an international speaker, Dr. Adriaan Louw, a physical therapist and Vice President at Evidence in Motion. With degrees from the University of Stellenbosch in Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. Louw has taught throughout the US and internationally for 20 years. He completed his PhD on pain neuroscience education, is a Certified Spinal Manual Therapist, Certified Pain Specialist and has authored and co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles related to spinal disorders and pain science.

Sarah Malakoff, SPT

Sarah Malakoff, SPT, will be working on a national level for the American Physical Therapy Association.  Sarah, a second-year DPT in the UCA DPT Class of 2024, has been selected to serve as a member of the APTA Geriatrics Awards Committee for the Fall 2022 through Spring 2023 semesters.  This committee is responsible for reviewing and scoring the nominees for the various APTA Geriatrics annual awards including the Clinical Impact award, Education Impact Award, Joan M. Mills award, and Carole Lewis Lecture award.  Dr. Melissa Allen, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, noted, “While students are encouraged to apply to serve on many of the APTA Geriatrics committees, they aren’t often selected. Very excited for Sarah to have this opportunity to serve and represent UCA at the national level!”

As a student member of the APTA as well as the Section on Geriatrics, Sarah has an interest in doing more. Sarah stated, “I applied to be on the APTA Geriatric Awards Committee to simply get involved with the APTA. I wanted to learn more about this organization and I’m also interested in working with Geriatric population in my future practice. I thought this would be a great way to get my foot in the door and meet other students and PTs from across the country. I can’t wait to get started and help honor those who are making an impact in our profession!”

Sarah is also serving as a graduate assistant in the Department of Physical Therapy as well as serving her class as President of PT Club.   Congratulations to Sarah!

University of Central Arkansas     |      DPT Class of 2025    |     New Student Orientation     |     August 24, 2022

Welcome DPT Class of 2025 to UCA Physical Therapy

Sixty-two students attended New Student Orientation hosted by the Physical Therapy Club on Wednesday, August 24th before classes began on Thursday.  After an early start getting their name tags and photos made, the class was first greeted and welcomed by UCA President Dr. Houston Davis, Provost Dr. Patricia Poulter, Graduate Dean Dr. Angela Barlow, Dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences Dr. Nancy Reese, and Associate Dean Dr. Darshon Reed.   We wish these new students the very best as they begin this important chapter in their life and move a step closer to their future careers as physical therapists!

Dr. Gary Merriweather, Jr.

Congratulations to Dr. Gary Merriweather, Jr. of the the Doctor of Physical Therapy class of 2022.  Dr. Merriweather was named the UCA 2022 Outstanding DPT Student of the Year. Dr.  David Taylor, Coordinator of the DPT program,  announced the recipient and presented the award on August 12th  during the DPT Convocation Ceremony to honor the graduates of the University of Central Arkansas DPT Class of 2022.  Gary was also the Student Speaker and gave his remarks during the ceremony.

This year, the Department of Physical Therapy at UCA is celebrating the 50th graduating class of physical therapy students. In 2003, UCA celebrated the first class of students receiving the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Since then, each graduating class has had the opportunity to select one of its members to receive the Outstanding Doctor of Physical Therapy Student Award to honor a member of the class who, according to class members, has had the most positive influence within the class.

We wish Gary and the DPT Class of 2022 all the best as they take their next steps.

UCA Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2022

The University of Central Arkansas Department of Physical Therapy is pleased to host the Doctor of Physical Therapy Convocation Ceremony to celebrate the DPT graduating class Class of 2022 on Friday, August 12th at 1:00 in the afternoon in Reynolds Performance Hall.  An Open House is planned immediately following at the Physical Therapy Center.  University Commencement ceremonies will be held at 6:00 in the evening in Reynolds Performance Hall.  Congratulations to our graduates!

UCA DPT 2022 Convocation Program

The PT Department has an open position for an Administrative Assistant to the Chair.  Details are at https://jobs.uca.edu/postings/11035.  The position is open as of 8/1/22 and will remain open until filled.

The Department of Physical Therapy is pleased to announce the arrival of two new faculty members who will join the faculty in full-time positions beginning in the Fall of 2022, Dr. Meike Corbitt and Dr. Brian Odom.

Meike Corbitt, PT, DPT, OCS

Dr. Corbitt is a physical therapist and a Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and a 2008 graduate of the UCA Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.  She will be an instructor in the Department teaching in the musculoskeletal course series.  Her clinical interests include sports rehabilitation with return to play and components of outpatient rehab and she continues to be clinically active in central Arkansas.  Her clinical focus for the past 14 years has been orthopedics within the private practice and hospital-based sectors, and has additional experience in the acute care setting. She has numerous continuing education certifications, including dry needling and blood flow restriction, and is currently pursuing her manual therapy certification.  Dr. Corbitt previously served as an adjunct lab instructor in the musculoskeletal tract at UCA during the Spring and Summer semesters of 2022. She has been an avid member of the American Physical Therapy Association and has previously served on the board of the Arkansas Physical Therapy Association chapter.

Brian Odom, PT, PhD, CWS

Dr. Odom is a physical therapist and a Certified Wound Specialist (CWS) by the American Board of Wound Management.  He received his PhD in Physical Therapy in 2018 from the University of Central Arkansas.  He is a 1999 graduate of the MS in Physical Therapy program at UCA.  Dr. Odom will be an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy teaching in the areas of teaching in the areas of kinesiology, foundational skills, cardiopulmonary, complex medical patients, and Integumentary. Dr. Odom began teaching in the UCA Department of Physical Therapy in 2005 as an adjunct instructor in the area of integumentary.  He is clinically active at Arkansas Children’s Hospital since 2002. He currently serves as Vice President of APTA Arkansas. He was selected by the Specialization Academy of Content Experts (SACE) as an item writer for the APTA- Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology & Wound Management; a new specialty exam in wound management that began in 2022.