ACAPT's FHEL grant winners, Robert Phillips and Susannah Steele, navigate and lead through complex change in physical therapy education
Congrats to recent award recipients:
Robert S. Phillips, PT, DPT, PhD, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy
Associate Professor
Franklin Pierce University
Read an excerpt from Dr. Phillips' career path goals and challenges:
"My planned career path in academia is to continue growing as a faculty leader and transition into a program director role within the next three years. My long-term goal is to advance physical therapy education through evidence-based curriculum design, outcomes-driven assessment, and mentorship of emerging academic leaders. I view leadership in physical therapy education not merely as administrative oversight, but as stewardship of the profession’s values, preparing compassionate, capable clinicians who are equipped to meet the evolving health needs of society. I aim to balance innovation with tradition, blending active learning and technological integration while preserving the field’s essential humanistic principles. A significant challenge in my academic career occurred during our program’s transition from a traditional in-person format to a hybrid model. Within the first year, it became clear that the existing course sequence and credit structure were not effectively supporting student learning. Navigating this required balancing faculty perspectives, maintaining accreditation standards, and supporting students through change. This experience strengthened my ability to lead through uncertainty using transparency, evidence-based decision-making, and collaboration."
Susannah L. Steele, PT, PhD, DPT, PCS
Program Director
Concordia University Ann Arbor
Read an excerpt from Dr. Steele's volunteer goals:
"Service to the profession is both a responsibility and an opportunity to advance the field. My prior involvement with the Clinical Reasoning Tool Kit Task Force allowed me to contribute in an area aligned with my scholarly work. Following completion of the FHEL program, I intend to deepen my engagement with ACAPT by aligning my enhanced leadership skills with initiatives that support leadership development, program innovation, and faculty advancement among others. I am particularly interested in contributing to efforts that mentor emerging leaders to strengthen the academic community."