News

Dr. Susan Appling

Susan Appling, PT, DPT, PhD is a graduate of the UCA PT Class of 1987 and was recently elected as Vice President of the American Physical Therapy Association during the 2021 APTA House of Delegates. She has served on the board of directors of the APTA for the past 6 years.  The Department of Physical Therapy at UCA honored Dr. Appling with the Physical Therapy Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2006.

Dr. Appling is a clinical board-certified specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy, a certified manual therapist, and is an associate professor at The Ohio State University in Columbia, Ohio in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

The APTA is an individual membership professional organization representing 100,000 member physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy. In 2021, APTA is celebrating 100 years as a member association.  https://www.apta.org/

UCA DPT students enjoy a state of the art Gross Anatomy and Neuroscience Lab.  This Fall semester the Department of Physical Therapy welcomes Dr. Lara Davis, PT, DPT, NCS, PhD(c). Dr. Davis is teaching in the Gross Anatomy course as well as helping out some of the first year labs to get to know the students.

Dr. Tipton, Dr. Forbush, Dr. Garrison – Arkansas

Drs. Tipton and Garrison at new ATPA Headquarters

UCA faculty and alumni recently served nationally.  The APTA House of Delegates was held on September 10-13 in Washington, D.C. during the APTA 100 Year Gala celebration.   Dr. Steve Forbush, Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Chief Delegate for Arkansas, Dr. Kevin Garrison, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Physical Therapy and Delegate for Arkansas as well as Dr. Park Tipton, Alumnus of UCA’s DPT Class of 2011, clinician for South Arkansas Rehabilitation in Monticello, Arkansas and Delegate for Arkansas.  The trio were able to attend the in-person House of Delegates.  We appreciate their service the profession of physical therapy on special occasions such as this as well as each and every day!   #APTA100   #UCABEARS

Three UCA Physical Therapy faculty members will be recognized during the 2021 APTA Honors and Awards Ceremony on September 12th in Washington, D.C.  Dr. William Bandy is a 2020 recipient of the Catherine Worthingham Fellow Award.  Dr. Bandy is a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy.  Dr. Charlotte Yates is the 2021 recipient of the Dorthy E. Baethke-Eleanor J. Carlin Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching Award.  Dr. Yates is a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy.  And, Dr. Leah Lowe is the 2020 Recipient of the Margaret L. Moore Award for Outstanding New Academic Faculty Member.   Dr. Lowe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy. The Honor and Awards Ceremony is being held during the ATPA Centennial Celebration on September 10-14, 2021.  The Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Central Arkansas is honored to have each of these exceptional individuals on faculty.

UCA Pediatric Physical Therapy has been recognized as a national program of excellence in pediatric physical therapy education.

J G Moore, PT, PhD, M C Birkmeier, PT, DPT, H Lundeen, PT, DPT, L Dannemiller, PT, DSc, D K Anderson, PT, EdD, J A Furze, PT, DPT, National Study of Excellence in Pediatric Physical Therapy Education: Design, Methods, and Results, Physical Therapy, 2021;, pzab169, https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzab169. Abstract ahead of print.

The purposes of this study were to identify and describe the attributes of excellence and innovation in professional pediatric physical therapy education and develop a conceptual framework identifying dimensions of excellence. A conceptual framework was developed based on four key dimensions: Culture of Excellence, Exemplary Pediatric Faculty, Pedagogy, and Child and Family as Teacher (CFT), and 16 related elements. Results of this study are important to professional physical therapist education administrators, pediatric academic faculty, and clinical educators as they represent our understanding of the attributes of excellence. The model can serve as a guide for best practice in pediatric physical therapy education.

https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzab169

DPT Applications due October 1, 2021

UCA Doctor of Physical Therapy Program applications close on October 1, 2021.  Candidates can apply at www.PTCAS.org.  The requirement for clinical observation is lifted for this application cycle due to the continuing pandemic.  Be sure to have your GRE score sent to us by October 1 as well.  The Department will hold interviews on December 3, 2021 with the format to be determined.

Nancy Bond

After thirteen years of wonderful service, Nancy Bond is departing UCA Physical Therapy.  Ms. Bond joined the Department as Assistant to the Chairperson, then Dr. Nancy Reese, in 2008.  She has worked with nearly 800 graduates of the department regarding many aspects from their course enrollment to graduation and licensure.   She was the recipient of the UCA Employee of the Year Award in 2020.  Her talents and character will definitely be missed and we thank her for all she has done as a member of the Department staff.  We wish her well in her new endeavors!

UCA Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2021-2024

The UCA Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2021-2024 began on August 18 with New Student Orientation.  Students were greeted and weldcomed by each member of the UCA Administration including Dr. Davis, President of UCA, Dr. Poulter, Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Barlow, Dean of the Graduate School and Dr. Reese, Dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences.  Dr. Kevin Garrison, Chairperson of the Department of Physical Therapy echoed the congratulations and challenge to the new students who have arrived to begin an arduous and rewarding journey over the next three years.  Students have already logged in many hours of lecture and lab during the first Fall semester of the three year graduate program.

On this day in history…The first PT students in Arkansas began their professional education on June 7, 1971 at the State College of Arkansas (now UCA) and Arkansas Baptist Medical Center.  Pictured below is the 16 member graduating class of 1972, faculty and found Chair, Mr. Joe Finnell.  UCA will celebrate the 50th Anniversary in 2022.

State College of Arkansas

Dr. Charlotte Yates is the recipient of the 2021 Eleanor J. Carlin Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching.

Dr. Charlotte Yates.

This national award is bestowed by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Honors and Awards Program.  Dr. Yates holds the rank of Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and is a tenured faculty member who began teaching in the DPT program at UCA in 2003 as a clinical instructor and then as an Assistant Professor in 2007.  She is also clinically active at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.  Dr. Yates is a board-certified clinical specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.  In the Department of Physical Therapy she is active in neuroscience, pediatric neurology, and wound care. She is also teaches and mentors students in the PhD in Physical Therapy Program as well as the Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program.  Qualified nominees for this award have been teaching for at least five years and have:  exceptional teaching effectiveness in the academic setting; a distinct expertise in at least 1 subject area to which the academic teaching has been directed; and excellence as a role model for academic teaching for students, faculty, and clinicians.  Dr. Yates will be recognized at the APTA Honors & Awards Ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC as part of the APTA Centennial Gala Weekend, September 10-14, 2021. Congratulations for this well-deserved honor.