PhD ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT
Meet physical therapist and notable alumnus of our PhD in PT program Staffan Elgelid. Staffan currently resides in Rochester, New York, and is a full-time tenured professor of physical therapy at Nazareth University. He continues to see clients as a Feldenkrais practitioner and teaches yoga therapy programs. Since his time at UCA, Staffan has co-written four books on yoga therapy, has created four DVDs on strengthening and yoga, and has presented at workshops across the world. He has also worked at the track and field world championships.
While earning his PhD in PT at UCA, Staffan was also an instructor in the UCA DPT program. He says he loved teaching the students and has fond memories of working with other faculty members and learning from them. Staffan also enjoys visiting UCA whenever he is traveling in the area, which was most recently in spring 2023.
When it comes to advice for current and future DPT students, Staffan says health and wellness field is wide open to PTs because we can practice without referral, so he encourages PTs to seize that opportunity. “If you decide to stay meek and not let people know how great you are, we will not move forward as a profession.”
