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Leslie G. Portney, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA is professor and Dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She holds a PhD in Gerontology from Boston University’s University Professors Program, a master’s degree in Physical Therapy from the Medical College of Virginia, a Certificate in Physical Therapy from the University of Pennsylvania, and a baccalaureate degree in sociology from Queens College in New York. She was awarded a postprofessional DPT from the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

She has been engaged in physical therapist education for more than 40 years. Dr. Portney joined the MGH Institute in 1990, having served in academic and research positions at Boston University, New England Medical Center, and New York University, including chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at the MGH Institute from 2002-2014. She was responsible for development of the entry-level program at the MGH Institute in 1995, five years later converting to one of the earliest DPT programs. She has been an advocate for innovative clinical education, and was instrumental in establishing the first year-long internship as a terminal clinical experience for her students.

With more than 45 years of experience and more than 100 publications and professional presentations, she is recognized as a national leader in physical therapy education and research. She is the first author of a widely used textbook on research design and statistics, Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice, soon to be in its 4th edition. Her research focuses on educational outcomes, measurement, and falls in the elderly.

Dr. Portney is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), participating in many committees and taskforces. In 2002 she was elected a Catherine Worthingham Fellow. She has served as the inaugural President of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy, Chair of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), Chair of the Academic Administrators Special Interest Group, and Chair of the Council of Worthingham Fellows. She also serves as an educational consultant to many physical therapy education programs as well as professional organizations, recognized for her leadership in clinical and interprofessional education.

Dr. Portney is the recipient of the Massachusetts Chapter APTA Outstanding Researcher Award, Doctoral Awards from the Foundation for Physical Therapy and the Geriatrics Section of the APTA, the Louis Lowy Certificate in Gerontology from Boston University, the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award from the VCU Physical Therapy Department, and was named the 2014 Cerasoli Lecturer by the APTA Education Section.

Dr. Coggeshall is a Professor in the Physical Therapy Department at Simmons College. George received a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Sacred Heart University, an entry-level Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Boston University’s Sargent College, and a Baccalaureate Degree in Biology from the University of Rhode Island.

George has 40 years of physical therapy practice with experience in a variety of settings. George’s primary teaching responsibilities at Simmons College include Cardiovascular and Pulmonary PT and Physical Therapy Management. His background includes; Director of Rehabilitation Services at Massachusetts Respiratory Hospital, Director of the Bay State College’s PTA Program, Faculty member in the PT Program at Northeastern University and he has owned and managed a private practice. He is also a faculty member in the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Residency Program at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is an adjunct faculty member in the DPT Program at Boston University.

Dr. Coggeshall is a Board Certified Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Clinical Specialist and he continues to actively practice physical therapy at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. George’s extensive professional service includes President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the APTA and he continues to serve as a national delegate to the APTA House of Delegates. George frequently lectures on topics such as state and federal advocacy, the PT/PTA relationship, and history of the APTA. Dr. Coggeshall is a long-time member of the Acute Care Academy, Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Section, Education Section and the Health, Policy and Administration Section.

Dr. Coggeshall is the recipient of the APTA of Massachusetts Mary MacDonald Distinguished Service award and the APTA National Lucy Blair Service Award. He served as a member on the Organizing Committee for ACAPT because of his background in both PT and PTA education. He remains most proud of work on this committee and working with the incredible people that worked so well together for the common goals of being the voice of PT education in our profession and to strive for excellence in physical therapy education.

Barbara Sanders has served for over 30 years in the Department of Physical Therapy at Texas State University. Dr. Sanders has led the transition from the entry-level bachelor’s degree to the masters’ degree and finally to the DPT, the only professional doctoral degree on campus. She was instrumental in the development of the on-site Student Clinic, a hallmark of the Texas State academic program and a critical component of health care in San Marcos. Throughout her career, she has brought a dedication to the profession, coupled with enthusiasm and passion that has inspired students and colleagues to understand the role of physical therapy in academics and in health care. Dr. Sanders has been a long time participant in the CAPTE review process, serves as a consultant to professional education programs, and participates in leadership activities in the profession.

During her 30 years leading physical therapy at Texas State, Dr. Sanders has:

• supported new initiatives and resulted in continual growth of
• Created a culture of innovation and change that served as a foundation for productivity and ensured retention of faculty and staff;
• Effectively advocated for physical therapy and built opportunity and visibility for the discipline at all levels;
• Recruited and successfully mentored an extraordinary faculty, whose members deliver unique and effective clinical care and are excellent educators;

Sander’s career focus has been to support excellence in physical therapy education. She holds a baccalaureate degree in physical therapy from the University of Kentucky, and a master’s degree in education from the University of Kentucky and a PhD in higher education from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Sanders has received numerous awards for leadership and professional excellence that recognize her leadership in the profession and education, from Texas State University, the University of Kentucky, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as well as the Sports Physical Therapy Section. She continues to be passionate about excellence in education in a collaborative and cooperative environment within the profession and with other professions.

Diane is professor and associate chair of the Physical Therapy Department at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She holds a doctoral degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Boston University’s School of Public Health, a master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Boston University’s Sargent College, and a baccalaureate degree and certificate in Physical Therapy from Simmons College in Boston.

She has been associated with physical therapist education for the past 40 years, over 20 in administrative roles, including serving as chair of the physical therapy departments at Simmons College (1992-2006) and University of Vermont (2006-2014). She shares her insights from her experiences in higher education by serving as a mentor for fellows in the Education Leadership Institute. She has also served as a consultant on various educational issues for numerous physical therapist education programs around the country.

In her role as a researcher, her main objective has been to explore and elucidate the relationships among care processes and outcomes in the delivery of rehabilitation services, and their interactions with patients' performance and participation in daily life activities. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers, most of them the result of collaborations with colleagues and students.

Dr. Jette is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA and has served in numerous elected and appointed positions in the APTA, including 2 terms as Education Section president and chair of the former Academic Administrators Special Interest Group of the section.She was a founding member of ACAPT and served on its inaugural board of directors. She has been honored with the Dorothy Briggs Memorial Scientific Inquiry Award, the Annual Research Award from the Cardiovascular Pulmonary Section, the Rose Excellence in Research Award from the Orthopaedics Section, the Fellowship Award from the Acute Care Section and the Chattanooga Research Award. She was the 2014 recipient of the Jules Rothstein Golden Pen Award for Scientific Writing, given by PTJ, and most recently delivered the Cerasoli Lecture for the APTA Education Section. She is currently a deputy editor of PTJ.

Laurita M. Hack, DPT, MBA, PhD, FAPTA 

Professor Emeritus, Department of Physical Therapy, Temple University

Dr. Hack received her BA from Wilmington College (Ohio) with a major in Biology and a minor in Religion, an MS degree as the first professional degree in Physical Therapy from Case Western Reserve University, an MBA in health care administration from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, a Ph.D. from the School of Education in higher education administration from Penn, and her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

She has extensive clinical experience in outpatient, nursing home, and homecare practice, especially in geriatrics.

Dr. Hack has taught in the areas of practice management, geriatrics, clinical decision-making, critical inquiry, evidence based practice, ethics, communications, and health care systems.

Dr. Hack's research interests include development of clinical expertise, supply and demand of physical therapy personnel, and the impact of changes in the health care system on the practice of physical therapy. She is a coauthor of Expertise in Physical Therapy Practice, 2nd edition, and several related articles, supplying the original research on development of expertise in geriatric practice for this body of work. She has recently completed Evidence into Practice with Dr. Jan Gwyer. It is a text on the integration of clinical decision making, respect for patient values and evidence from the literature into practice. She has authored over 45 professional papers and book chapters and provided nearly 200 professional presentations. She is currently a co-investigator in the grant, Physical Therapist Education for the Twenty First Century (PTE-21): Innovation and Excellence in Physical Therapist Academic and Clinical Education. PTE-21 has gathered data from outstanding academic and clinical sites on the factors that contribute to excellence in physical therapist education.

She has served the APTA as President of the Community/Home Health Section, the Health Policy Section and the Education Section. She has also served as Vice Speaker and Secretary of the APTA. She is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA and has received APTA’s Lucy Blair Service Award and Baethke-Carlin Award for Teaching Excellence.

Jim received his undergraduate degree in Physical Therapy and his PhD in Physical Education/Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota.  He received sabbatical training in transcranial magnetic stimulation at the Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation located at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.

He has held faculty positions in Physical Therapy at the University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, WA), College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, MN) and Mayo School of Health-Related Sciences (Rochester, MN).  Currently, he is a Professor and Interim Director in the Division of Physical Therapy at the University of Minnesota, where he teaches anatomy and principles of neuroplasticity.  Previously, he held the Director position for 17 years at the University of Minnesota and 5 years at Mayo.  His research, initially funded by the National Institutes of Health, explores noninvasive brain stimulation to optimize neuroplasticity of the brain in people with stroke to promote higher recovery of neuromuscular function.

PhD, Higher Education, Saint Louis University, 2004
MSPT, University of Indianapolis, 1988
MS, Biology, The Ohio State University, 1979
BSEd, Biology & Chemistry, Missouri State University, 1977

Mark Reinking, PT, PhD, SCS, ATC joined the Regis University in August 2015 as a professor and dean of the School of Physical Therapy. Prior to coming to Regis, Dr. Reinking was the chairman of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training and director of the Program in Physical Therapy at Saint Louis University from 2006-2015, and was full time faculty at Saint Louis University from 1999-2015. He received his PhD from Saint Louis University in 2004 and his dissertation research was on risk factors for exercise-related leg pain in female collegiate athletes. He is a licensed physical therapist and a certified athletic trainer, and was certified in 1996 as a clinical specialist in sports physical therapy, recertifying in 2009 and 2016. Dr. Reinking’s primary teaching is musculoskeletal examination and rehabilitation and sports physical therapy.

Dr, Reinking’s primary area of research is on risk factors for overuse injuries in athletes. He has over twenty peer-reviewed publications and has been invited to present at numerous national and international on lower extremity overuse injuries. Currently, he has published an invited systematic review on medial tibial stress syndrome with colleagues at Saint Louis University and also is working with a research team on the calcaneal bone mineral density as a predictor of lower extremity bone stress injury.

Dr. Reinking has always been a teacher at heart. His first career out of college was as a high school biology and chemistry teacher. Through those years, he developed a passion for teaching, and that passion continues today. Dr. Reinking is committed to teaching at the entry level and post-professional level, and he continues to seek to better engage students in the classroom. He is the recipient of several teaching awards, including the 2012 APTA Baethke-Carlin Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching and the 2014 Lifetime Excellence in Education Award from the Sports Section of the APTA.

Dr. Reinking has an extensive record of service to the physical therapy and athletic training profession. He served on the Sports Specialty Council and the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS), and was appointed chair of ABPTS from 2005-2006. He has served on the executive board for the knee special interest group for the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Sports Section and the awards committee for the APTA Education Section. In 2015, Dr. Reinking was elected as vice-president of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy, the organization which represents the physical therapist education programs in the United States. He has served as a manuscript reviewer for several journals, and is on the editorial board for the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. Dr. Reinking has volunteered as an athletic trainer for national and international events, including the World Gymnastics Championships, the Pan-Am Games, the VISA Gymnastic Championships, the NCAA Regional Basketball Tournament, and multiple marathons and triathlons. While at Saint Louis University, he was the rehabilitation coordinator for the SLU Billikens, and he continues to practice weekly with the intercollegiate athletes at Regis University.

Dr. Reinking has been a guitarist for many years, playing in multiple bands. Over the past ten years, he has been a member of a worship band at his church. He is an avid cyclist, recreational runner, hiker, and enjoys winter sports. He loves spending time in the outdoors with family and friends.

Dr. Lynda D. Woodruff, a native of Lynchburg, Virginia, earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio) in 1969 and 1971 respectively. In 1984 she received her PhD in Educational Leadership from Georgia State University (Atlanta, Georgia). For more than forty five years she has distinguished herself as a leader in Physical Therapy education, research, and practice. She began her career in physical therapy in 1971 upon graduation from the prestigious Graduate Physical Therapy Curriculum at CWRU. She accepted an appointment to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1974. From the outset of her academic and clinical career Dr. Woodruff embarked on a journey to advance and expand the mission of physical therapy education and practice in novel settings and to underserved populations. She is best known in education for her extraordinary commitment to post baccalaureate education as the first professional degree in physical therapy and to the concept of problem based learning as the curriculum of choice to transform novice clinical scholars into critically thinking, culturally competent independent practitioners.

During her forty-five years, her achievements include:

• Charter member and officer of the Section on Clinical Electrophysiology
• Founding member of the Foundation For Physical Therapy
• Board member for the original APTA Minority Affairs Task Force
• Accreditation on site Visitor and CAPTE Board Member
• Founder and Charter member of the American Academy of Physical Therapy
• Founder and charter member of the American Congress of Electrophysiology
• Charter member of the North American Association of LASER Therapy
• Co-Founder of the Physical Therapy Learning Institute, Inc
• Charter member of The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy

Dr. Woodruff has held numerous elected and appointed positions, nationally and internationally. She has assumed a variety of leadership roles to initiate and expand the mission of our profession. The recipient of numerous awards recognizing her leadership, service, and professional contributions, she continues to endeavor to advance the field. Since 1980, she has consistently served as a consultant to more than twenty successful developing programs.
One of her passions throughout her career has been to eliminate disparities and injustices throughout the health care industry with respect to education and service for underserved populations. Much of her research and many publications have identified innovative and sustainable strategies for successful career development and the benefits of effective mentorship programs toward creating workforce diversity within physical therapy to address this critical need. She has consistently been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally for her unique achievements.

James Gordon, PT, EdD, FAPTA, is professor as well as associate dean and chair of the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California. He received his BS in Physical Therapy from the State University of New York – Downstate Medical Center. He then worked for 6 years as a physical therapist in acute care, rehabilitation, and home care settings before entering graduate school with the goal of becoming a researcher in the science underlying neurologic rehabilitation. In 1985, he was awarded an EdD in Movement Science at Teachers College, Columbia University.

After graduation, Dr. Gordon worked as a researcher with a focus on the neural control of movement, especially the roles of proprioceptive information in control of reaching movements. He has held full-time faculty positions in the physical therapy departments at Columbia University, New York Medical College, and University of Southern California. As a researcher and educator, he is recognized for his lectures and writings on applying research in motor control and motor learning to neurological rehabilitation. He has also taught courses in professional practice and co-authored a text on documentation in physical therapy.

Long active in APTA, Dr. Gordon is a member of the Education Section, Neurology Section, and Section on Research. Among many other accomplishments, he co-directed PTClinResNet, a groundbreaking Foundation of Physical Therapy‒funded clinical research network. He has been an advocate for excellence in academic physical therapy, and most recently he played a leading role in the formation of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy. Dr. Gordon became a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of APTA in 2005. He was chosen to deliver the Education Section’s Pauline Cerasoli Lecture in 2011 and the APTA’s Mary McMillan Lecture in 2014.

Patti Evans graduated in the third Physical Therapy class at Indiana University.  From the beginning her role model was Frances Ekstam, PT, the director of the IU PT program—a master clinician, consummate educator, and the epitome of a professional and a visionary.  Upon graduation she directed the Physical Therapy Department at Porter Memorial Hospital in Valparaiso, IN.  Four years later she joined the United States Navy Medical Service Corps and served in several naval facilities.

Patti’s interest and commitment to physical therapy education flourished when she was assigned to the Naval Medical School in Bethesda, MD, where she coordinated the Physical Therapy Technician program.  The American University was her choice for her Master of Education Administration degree.  During her graduate study she left the Naval Service and joined the staff of the American Physical Therapy Association as the Assistant Director and later Director of the Department of Educational Affairs.

As Director of Educational Affairs for APTA, Patti was responsible for negotiating with the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association as the APTA sought to elevate the standards for physical therapy education.  When APTA made the decision to become the sole accrediting agency for physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education—a decision that was key to achievement of professional status in the United States--Patti’s role was to work with the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation, the Department (now U.S. Office) of Education and multiple components and leaders of the APTA to secure recognition of APTA as the accrediting agency for physical therapy education.

In the late 1970s Patti joined the faculty at the University of Southern California.  Subsequently, she became Chair, Department of Physical Therapy at Mount St. Mary’s College in LA.  In the early 1990s she chose to join the faculty of the developing physical therapist education program at Samuel Merritt College (now University) and to pursue her doctorate.  Patti later became the Chair of the Health & Human Sciences Department at Samuel Merritt University. She received a Master of Arts in Organizational Development from the Fielding Graduate Institute and a Doctor of Philosophy in Human and Organizational Systems from the Fielding Graduate University.  She concluded her physical therapy career as the Chief Staff Officer of the California Physical Therapy Association.  In 2012 she came out of retirement to work with four other licensed professionals to develop a web-based service for licensees in twelve disciplines that are subject to mandatory continuing education for re-licensure.  Currently, Patti is the President & Chief Executive Officer of Continuing Education Records & Resources, Inc.

Sharon L. Dunn, PT, PhD, OCS was born and raised in Shreveport, LA, and graduated in 1987 with a BS in Physical Therapy from LSUHSC in Shreveport. She completed a Masters of Health Sciences degree in 1996 and in 2006 she earned a PhD in Cellular Biology and Anatomy. Sharon obtained ABPTS Certification in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy in 1996, was recertified in 2006 and again in 2016. She utilizes this content expertise in her teaching, research and clinical practice.

Sharon has been on faculty at LSUHSC since 1990, currently serving as Associate Professor in the DPT program and Chair of the Rehabilitation Sciences Department. In addition, Sharon developed a post-professional residency program for Orthopaedic Physical Therapy at LSUHSC in 2008, which has since produced 20 graduates.

Sharon’s service to her professional organization began when she was a student and has continued to evolve throughout her career. She has served as the State Government Affairs Chair, Louisiana Chapter President and Vice President, and Chapter Delegate. She most recently was elected as President of the APTA after having served as the Vice President and on the Board of Directors. Her passions are advocacy, member engagement, and our profession’s potential to add great value to a disrupted health delivery system.

In her spare time she enjoys a good debate, playing Canasta, boating, college football, and anything outdoors.

R. Scott Ward is currently professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has held the position of Chair of this Department since 1997 and has served on faculty at the University of Utah for over 30 years. Scott has led and participated in the transformation of the program in physical therapy from a well-respected teaching program to a nationally ranked hub for the education and mentoring of DPT and PhD students. He steered degree and curriculum transitions of physical therapy education and supported the establishment of a thriving PhD program for the enhancement of the science of care delivery. A goal of placing the department on the University’s and a national educational and research map, was achieved through tactical hiring and strategic planning, which resulted in the Department consistently being recognized as a leader in educational innovation, research productivity and collaboration, and academic clinical activity.

Highlights of leadership accomplishments at the University of Utah include: national recognition for the achievements of the program and its strong set of faculty and clinicians; strengthening the Department’s research core through targeted recruitment and mentoring; transition to the DPT; establishment of a cross-disciplinary PhD degree in Rehabilitation Sciences; development of a faculty practice plan that included establishment of a variety of practices and wellness programs focused on populations with chronic disease; realization of a student run pro-bono community clinic serving underserved populations; relocation of the program to its current site in the Health Professions Education Building; and, increased community involvement with the program.

Dr. Ward has a prominent record of professional service. He served as a member of the Board of Directors/Trustees of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Utah Physical Therapy Association (UPTA), American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT), Physical Therapy PAC, and the American Burn Association. He also served both the UPTA and the APTA as two-term Presidents.

Highlights of the outcomes of his time as APTA President include: focus on membership growth and attraction leading to over a 30% increase in association membership; Board and staff development and clarification of work roles and responsibilities; development of a strategic planning calendar and recurrent strategic plan review process; revamping of budget management and enhancement resulting in a direct connection of budget items to strategic objectives and a budget nearly doubled over 6 years; and, encouraging new creativity in working with internal partners (i.e., Sections and Chapters) and external partners – a pertinent example of this is fostering the creation of ACAPT.

Dr. Nancy Reese is Professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). She received a B.S. in Physical Therapy from the University of Central Arkansas in 1981, a master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Arkansas Little Rock in 1987, and a PhD in Anatomy from the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in 1994. Prior to her career in academia, Dr. Reese worked for six years providing physical therapy services in adult and pediatric neurological rehabilitation and outpatient settings. She has been active in physical therapy education for over 30 years and has served as both Director of Clinical Education (5 years) and Department Chair (in her 13th year) at the University of Central Arkansas.

During her doctoral work, Dr. Reese was trained as a neurophysiologist. Her research has centered around brain stem and spinal control of locomotion with a particular focus on modulation of hyperreflexia following spinal cord injury and has resulted in more than 70 publications and presentations. She is author of two textbooks published by Elsevier: Muscle and Sensory Testing, and Joint Range of Motion and Muscle Length Testing (co-authored by W. Bandy). She teaches neuroscience and leadership content in the DPT program at UCA.

Dr. Reese has been an active member of APTA since 1979 and has served in numerous elected positions, including Treasurer, Chief Delegate, and President of the Arkansas Physical Therapy Association and Treasurer of the Education Section. She has served on the APTA Finance Committee, as a PT-PAC Trustee, and as a consultant for many physical therapy programs in the U.S. Dr. Reese was a member of the organizing committee for ACAPT and is currently its Treasurer.

Richard (Rick) Segal, PT, PhD, FAPTA is Professor and Chair, Department of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). He was elected as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA in 2009. He has been a member of the APTA since 1974 receiving his BS in Allied Health (Physical Therapy) from The Ohio State University in 1976. After being a full-time, practicing Physical Therapist in Washington, D.C. from 1976 through 1979 he then went to the University of Virginia in 1979 ultimately receiving his PhD in Anatomy and Neuroscience in 1984. He was on faculty at Emory University (1983-2005) achieving the rank of Associate Professor and was Associate Director of Emory’s program from 1998 until his departure in 2005. During his time at Emory he also practiced in Home Health privately and with the Visiting Nurse Association. He was Professor and Director of the Division of Physical Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2005-2013. Dr. Segal was part of the second Organizing Committee worked to create the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT), helped develop ACAPT’s election process, served on the Nominating Committee and on the Board of Directors.

Dr. Segal has over 30 years of experience carrying out rehabilitation oriented Neuroscience research on motor control and spinal circuits. He has mentored many professional students, pre-doctoral students, post-doctoral students and junior faculty members during his career including many in rehabilitation sciences. He served as a mentor for the past 14 years for the intensive grant writing workshops (first ERRIS and now TIGRR) with numerous mentees successfully attaining extramural funding following the workshop. He is presently Principal Investigator of the TIGRR grant writing workshop. He was responsible for promoting Rehabilitation Engineering research and training in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina through his role as co-Interim Director of the UNC-NCSU Rehabilitation Engineering Center and is now continuing promoting rehabilitation research at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) as Chair of the Department of Health Professions and Education Director for the NIH funded National Center of Neuromodulation for Rehabilitation (NM4R).

Susan S. Deusinger PT, PhD, FAPTA built her career in physical therapy on a foundation of integrity and excellence in clinical practice and academia. A hallmark of her work has been to continually shape and implement progressive new visions of education that drive the changes in clinical care needed to ensure best outcomes for patients. These new visions demand that physical therapists embrace the movement system as the core foundation of the profession, and deliver care that integrates the role of movement in both prevention and rehabilitation. Achieving this vision creates a new identity for physical therapy, an identity that is coupled with new obligations and exciting opportunities for scholarship and service. During her tenure at Washington University in St. Louis, Dr. Deusinger employed creative and bold strategic planning focused on physical therapy being a full partner in that progressive academic environment. She led with persistence and passion, and empowered others to emerge as outstanding and influential leaders. Now retired from her position at Washington University, she serves as a consultant to professional education programs and associations seeking the deliberate and dynamic changes that can inspire new norms for health and health care.

Susan Deusinger’s mission is to continually challenge the traditions of physical therapy education and practice, and build opportunity for the profession to shape new aspirations of excellence. Dr. Deusinger’s vision is to see a vibrant culture of innovation emerge and permeate the very fabric of the physical therapy profession so that future generations of physical therapists will serve with distinction. Now is the time to accept, shape and promote our unique identity as the experts in the movement system. Reaching this goal requires that physical therapists link inextricably their distinctive expertise in both the movement system and application of movement to health, while simultaneously engaging patients’ full understanding of that link. Susan Deusinger’s ability to empower others to lead change in this direction is critical for the physical therapy profession to cement its unique identity as the expert in movement for health and a full partner in health care that yields optimal outcomes.

Dr. Deusinger brings a profound dedication to the profession of physical therapy, extraordinary enthusiasm and energy, and an ability to inspire others to understand their power to effect change. Central to her philosophy as a consultant is to use those talents to build:

• Leadership in academia that moves the profession toward its aspiration to transform health through movement, and thus reach its own visions of excellence in scholarship and service;
• Visibility in the culture of universities and colleges hosting physical therapy education that invites full participation in governance and advocacy within higher education; and
• Educational models that clearly link movement and the movement system to health and rehabilitation, and obligate physical therapy to develop new models of practice that meet contemporary needs for health promotion.

Together, we can move physical therapy!

Barbara Sanders has served for over 30 years in the Department of Physical Therapy at Texas State University. Dr. Sanders has led the transition from the entry-level bachelor’s degree to the masters’ degree and finally to the DPT, the only professional doctoral degree on campus. She was instrumental in the development of the on-site Student Clinic, a hallmark of the Texas State academic program and a critical component of health care in San Marcos. Throughout her career, she has brought a dedication to the profession, coupled with enthusiasm and passion that has inspired students and colleagues to understand the role of physical therapy in academics and in health care. Dr. Sanders has been a long time participant in the CAPTE review process, serves as a consultant to professional education programs, and participates in leadership activities in the profession.

During her 30 years leading physical therapy at Texas State, Dr. Sanders has:

• supported new initiatives and resulted in continual growth of
• Created a culture of innovation and change that served as a foundation for productivity and ensured retention of faculty and staff;
• Effectively advocated for physical therapy and built opportunity and visibility for the discipline at all levels;
• Recruited and successfully mentored an extraordinary faculty, whose members deliver unique and effective clinical care and are excellent educators;

Sander’s career focus has been to support excellence in physical therapy education. She holds a baccalaureate degree in physical therapy from the University of Kentucky, and a master’s degree in education from the University of Kentucky and a PhD in higher education from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Sanders has received numerous awards for leadership and professional excellence that recognize her leadership in the profession and education, from Texas State University, the University of Kentucky, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as well as the Sports Physical Therapy Section. She continues to be passionate about excellence in education in a collaborative and cooperative environment within the profession and with other professions.

Terry Nordstrom, PT, EdD, FAPTA is the Vice-President of Enrollment and Student Services at Samuel Merritt University and an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1975 and received his master’s degree in physical therapy from Stanford University in 1977. In 2008, he completed his EdD from the University of San Francisco. His dissertation investigated ethical reasoning among physical therapist students during clinical experiences.

Dr. Nordstrom joined the Samuel Merritt University in 1992, the second year of the program’s existence and worked as an adjunct faculty member until 1999 when we became the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education. He was Chair of the Department from 2003 through 2012. In his current role, Dr. Nordstrom works with faculty and staff across the university on interprofessional education, the integration of co-curricular learning with learning in each students’ health professional program, initiatives to increase the diversity of students enrolled in all of the university’s academic programs, improving financial aid resources for students, and improving student and graduate success. Dr. Nordstrom teaches in the area of ethics and professions in physical therapy. He is a member of the research team that conducted the national study, Physical Therapy Education for the 21st Century.

During his career, Dr. Nordstrom worked in many clinical environments, including pediatrics, home health, and outpatient orthopedics. He was the Director of Rehabilitation Services at Stanford University Hospital, a partner in a private physical therapy clinic and co-owner of a rehabilitation services company providing clinical services in sub-acute care. He also worked with students as a clinical instructor nearly all of these years.

Dr. Nordstrom is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association and been involved in governance at the district, chapter and national levels. He has served as a Delegate to the House of Delegates for 15 years, on the California Chapter Ethics Committee for nine years with six years as chair, the APTA Ethics and Judicial Committee, including one year as chair. He served on the task force that resulted in creation of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy, serving as its first vice-president and then President. He was elected as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow in 2015 and received the Charles Magistro service award from the California Chapter in 2004.

Leslie G. Portney, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA is professor and Dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She holds a PhD in Gerontology from Boston University’s University Professors Program, a master’s degree in Physical Therapy from the Medical College of Virginia, a Certificate in Physical Therapy from the University of Pennsylvania, and a baccalaureate degree in sociology from Queens College in New York. She was awarded a postprofessional DPT from the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

She has been engaged in physical therapist education for more than 40 years. Dr. Portney joined the MGH Institute in 1990, having served in academic and research positions at Boston University, New England Medical Center, and New York University, including chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at the MGH Institute from 2002-2014. She was responsible for development of the entry-level program at the MGH Institute in 1995, five years later converting to one of the earliest DPT programs. She has been an advocate for innovative clinical education, and was instrumental in establishing the first year-long internship as a terminal clinical experience for her students.

With more than 45 years of experience and more than 100 publications and professional presentations, she is recognized as a national leader in physical therapy education and research. She is the first author of a widely used textbook on research design and statistics, Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice, soon to be in its 4th edition. Her research focuses on educational outcomes, measurement, and falls in the elderly.

Dr. Portney is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), participating in many committees and taskforces. In 2002 she was elected a Catherine Worthingham Fellow. She has served as the inaugural President of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy, Chair of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), Chair of the Academic Administrators Special Interest Group, and Chair of the Council of Worthingham Fellows. She also serves as an educational consultant to many physical therapy education programs as well as professional organizations, recognized for her leadership in clinical and interprofessional education.

Dr. Portney is the recipient of the Massachusetts Chapter APTA Outstanding Researcher Award, Doctoral Awards from the Foundation for Physical Therapy and the Geriatrics Section of the APTA, the Louis Lowy Certificate in Gerontology from Boston University, the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award from the VCU Physical Therapy Department, and was named the 2014 Cerasoli Lecturer by the APTA Education Section.

Mary Jane Harris, PT, MS, DSc (Hon) is an independent educational consultant specializing in accreditation and physical therapy education.

She retired in 2015 from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) after more than 22 years of service in the Accreditation Department, 16 of which were as the Director. In this capacity she was responsible for the work of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), the only recognized accrediting agency for physical therapy education. During her tenure in this position, Ms Harris oversaw the successful recognition of CAPTE by the US Education Department three times and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) twice. In addition to several other positions, Ms. Harris has served as President of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors. She has also served on the CHEA Specialized/National Advisory Committee and is currently serving on the CHEA Committee on Recognition. Additionally, she has served on numerous task forces for the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.

Prior to joining the staff at APTA, she was the Acting Chair of the School of Allied Health Professions and Director of the professional physical therapy education program at Northern Illinois University, where she was on the faculty for 15 years, during which time she served as a member of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education and as an on-site reviewer for the agency. Prior to her tenure as a faculty member, she practiced physical therapy for 10 years in Pittsburgh PA.

Ms Harris received a BS in Physical Therapy from Ithaca College and an MS in Allied Health Professions from the University of Pittsburgh. Her honorary DSc was conferred by Rocky Mountain University of Health Sciences in 2013.

Stuart A. Binder-Macleod, PT, PhD, FAPTA, is the Edward L. Ratledge Professor of Physical Therapy and Associate Vice President for Clinical and Translation Research at the University of Delaware. He also served as the Chair of UD’s Department of Physical Therapy for 16 years. Dr. Binder-Macleod earned his B.S. in physical therapy from the State University of New York at Buffalo, his M.M.Sc. in physical therapy from Emory University, and his Ph.D. in physiology from the Medical College of Virginia.

Dr. Binder-Macleod’s laboratory enjoyed over 20 years of continuous NIH research funding, including major funding for projects involving the development and testing of treatment interventions for individuals demonstrating post-stroke hemiparesis. Prior studies have focused on the identification of stimulation patterns that maximize force and minimize fatigue during the use of functional electrical stimulation. In addition, he is currently the PI for the NIH funded DE-CTR ACCEL program and the former PI for three five-year cycles of the UD PT/PhD Predoctoral Training Program.

A long-time active member of the APTA, Dr. Binder-Macleod has served as the treasurer for the Section on Research, on the editorial board of Physical Therapy, and as a member of the Association’s research advisory committee. Dr. Binder-Macleod has received the APTA’s Eugene Michels New Investigator Award, the Marion Williams Award, the Golden Pen Award, and the Chattanooga Award for the best clinical research paper published in Physical Therapy. The Section on Research's has given him the John H.P. Maley Award and the Medical College of Virginia Alumni Association named him the Outstanding Alumnus for 2003. In 2003 he also became a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA.

In addition to serving on the task force that help to create ACAPT, Dr. Binder-Macleod helped to form the first consortium within ACAPT, the RIPPT (research intensive programs in physical therapy) and served as its founding president. Dr. Binder-Macleod currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Physical Therapy.

Dr. Shawne Soper is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy for Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She serves in the role of Assistant Director of Clinical Education and as the coordinator of the VCU residency programs. She received her Bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from East Carolina University, her Master’s in Business Administration from Averett University, and her doctorate in physical therapy from Simmon’s College. Prior to joining the faculty at VCU, she worked for Sheltering Arms Rehab Hospital in Richmond VA for 28 years, serving in numerous clinical and administrative roles. Dr. Soper has been professionally active in the APTA throughout her career. She is a past Speaker of the House of Delegates and member of the APTA Board of Directors. She is currently serving as Chief delegate for the Virginia Chapter and is coordinating the work of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) post-summit strategic initiative panels.

Throughout her career, Dr. Thiele has been especially interested in education serving as a Clinical Instructor (CI), Center Coordinator of Clinical Education, Assistant Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE), APTA Basic and Advanced Credentialed Clinical Instructor and Clinical Instructor Trainer, ACCE and Associate Professor.

In 1991 she graduated with a BS in Physical Therapy, initially practicing in a hospital setting in Dubuque, Iowa, where she served as CI. Subsequently, Dr. Thiele pursued and has continued practice in sports medicine, maintaining certification as an athletic trainer. Dr. Thiele is CCCE and an active provider of patient care in an outpatient sports medicine clinic. In 1997, she entered into higher education as an Assistant ACCE and since 1999 she has been in her current position as the ACCE and Associate Professor at Clarke University in Dubuque, IA. Dr. Thiele has her Masters of Science in Education (2001) and a post professional Doctorate of Physical Therapy (2006). Her grant and research interests are in the areas of professional behaviors, physical therapy core values across the generations, clinical education models, educational technology and interprofessional education. In collaboration with colleagues, Dr. Thiele has received grants, published and presented on professional behaviors, generational influences, clinical education, integrated clinical education, interdisciplinary medicine, technology and her experiences with Post Intensive Care Syndrome. Dr. Thiele has published and disseminated these works in the Journal of Physical Therapy Education and other peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Thiele also has been awarded the Meneve Dunham Award for Excellence Teaching at Clarke University.

Dr. Thiele has been actively involved in the APTA and has been privileged to meet many other academic and clinical educators. Her ongoing service record includes: Education Section Treasurer 2015-present, Education Section Federal Affairs Liaison 2015-present, Education Section Delegate/Alternate Delegate 2014-present, Education Section Secretary, Education Section Awards Committee, Education Section ACCE/DCE Co-Chair, Clinical Education SIG, Recording Secretary for the Education Section, Clinical Education SIG, CSM Education Section Programming Committee Member , CSM Education Section Clinical Education SIG Programming Chair, and APTA Annual Conference Subcommittee for Screening Proposals. Additionally, Dr Thiele served on the organizing committee representing clinical education during the formation of the America Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT). In the course of those experiences as well as her own experiences as a clinician, faculty member, CCCE, and ACCE, she has worked with, learned from, and listened as others have expressed the education opportunities in our profession. Alecia has been practicing physical therapy for the past 25 years and athletic training for the past 21 years.

Terry Nordstrom, PT, EdD, FAPTA is the Vice-President of Enrollment and Student Services at Samuel Merritt University and an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1975 and received his master’s degree in physical therapy from Stanford University in 1977. In 2008, he completed his EdD from the University of San Francisco. His dissertation investigated ethical reasoning among physical therapist students during clinical experiences.

Dr. Nordstrom joined the Samuel Merritt University in 1992, the second year of the program’s existence and worked as an adjunct faculty member until 1999 when we became the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education. He was Chair of the Department from 2003 through 2012. In his current role, Dr. Nordstrom works with faculty and staff across the university on interprofessional education, the integration of co-curricular learning with learning in each students’ health professional program, initiatives to increase the diversity of students enrolled in all of the university’s academic programs, improving financial aid resources for students, and improving student and graduate success. Dr. Nordstrom teaches in the area of ethics and professions in physical therapy. He is a member of the research team that conducted the national study, Physical Therapy Education for the 21st Century.

During his career, Dr. Nordstrom worked in many clinical environments, including pediatrics, home health, and outpatient orthopedics. He was the Director of Rehabilitation Services at Stanford University Hospital, a partner in a private physical therapy clinic and co-owner of a rehabilitation services company providing clinical services in sub-acute care. He also worked with students as a clinical instructor nearly all of these years.

Dr. Nordstrom is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association and been involved in governance at the district, chapter and national levels. He has served as a Delegate to the House of Delegates for 15 years, on the California Chapter Ethics Committee for nine years with six years as chair, the APTA Ethics and Judicial Committee, including one year as chair. He served on the task force that resulted in creation of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy, serving as its first vice-president and then President. He was elected as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow in 2015 and received the Charles Magistro service award from the California Chapter in 2004.

Peggy Blake Gleeson, PT, PhD, has served the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) in a variety of roles at the national and component levels, and has demonstrated professionalism, leadership abilities, organizational skills, and ethical and moral standards in her work to promote the physical therapy profession.

Currently Associate Director of the School of Physical Therapy at Texas Woman’s University in Houston, Texas, Gleeson also serves as a tenured professor and Director of Clinical Education.  She received her PhD and MS, both in physical therapy, from Texas Woman’s University, and BS in physical therapy from St Louis University.

Gleeson was instrumental in the significant strides made in the Education Section during her tenure in leadership positions. She participated on the task force that created the instrument educational programs use for students to evaluate clinical sites and instructors. In addition, she participated in efforts to expand the New Faculty Development Workshop, implement an annual meeting of the academic administrators and clinical educators, and form the Partners in Physical Therapy Education. She instituted the Education Section’s President’s Award, tripled the funding for the Adopt a Doc awards, and improved communication by supporting live webcasts of the PTA Educator Special Interest Group business meetings and strategic planning sessions. She volunteers for numerous assignments at the national and local levels, and engages others to join her in serving, actively supporting and encouraging others’ willingness to be slated for leadership positions. Most recently Gleeson was a member of the Excellence in Physical Therapy task force of the APTA. She is also a manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Physical Therapy Education and Physiotherapy Theory and Practice: An International Journal of Physical Therapy.

Throughout Gleeson’s 40-year career, she has led and served the association as President and Vice President of the Education Section, Education Section delegate, academic co-chair of the Education Section’s Clinical Education Special Interest Group, and Programming Chair for the Educational Leadership Conference. In addition, she has served on 2 APTA education task forces. She has participated as an item writer for the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.

Gleeson has served as a member and past Chair of the Texas Consortium for Physical Therapy Clinical Education, during which she spear-headed various activities related to clinical instructor training and student performance.  She has also served the Texas Physical Therapy in several roles including the Nomination Committeeand chapter delegate to the APTA House of Delegates.

Gleeson serves as a site evaluator and is currently serving as a Commissioner for the Commission for Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).  She also serves on the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) as the Chair of the International Physical Therapy Professional Standards Committee.

She has received the Lucy Blair Service award from the APTA, the William Gould Outsanding Physical Therapy Faculty Award from the Texas Physical Therapy Association and the Reb Bud Faculty Mentor award from Texas Woman’s University.

Dr. Gleeson’s primary commitment is physical therapy clinical education.  She is proud of her leadership roles within the Education Section and is grateful for the opportunity to experience and participate in the development of ACAPT. She is a strong believer in mindful and thoughtful communication and looks forward to the continuing dialogue among all the stakeholders that affect the education of our colleagues and students.

Thomas P. Mayhew graduated from the University of Buffalo in 1979 with a BS in Occupational Therapy, from Washington University in St. Louis in 1983 with a BS in Physical Therapy and 1984 with a Masters in Health Science, and from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1991 with a PhD in Anatomy. He has been a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University for 28 years. During that time, he served as program director and department chair for over 11 years.

Dr. Mayhew was department chair while the physical therapy program transitioned from a master’s degree to the DPT, developed a transitional DPT degree option, and established a Rehabilitation and Movement Science (REMS) PhD program. He has always considered professional service to be very important and has served at the state level as Chapter treasurer and delegate for many years. He was also one of the inaugural directors of the Academic Council of the American Physical Therapy Association after serving on the organizing committee for several years. Dr. Mayhew was asked to serve as a mentor in the Educational Leadership Institute of the APTA in 2013 and continues in that role. He received the Lucy Blair Service Award from the APTA in 2014 in recognition of his service to the association.