Chair of ACAPT's Research-Intensive Programs in PT (RIPPT) consortium is:

Deborah L. Givens, PT, DPT, PhD
Professor and Director
Division of Physical Therapy
University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill

Individual members working for ACAPT member institutions can join consortia - for free! 

How did you first get involved with RIPPT and what drew you to it?

I was involved soon after it was founded. As a program director at a research-intensive program it was a place to network and receive mentorship in how to address the challenges and opportunities that I was dealing with in my institution.

Why did you join RIPPT and what is the top priority for your consortia?

Programs that have PhD and DPT programs are often fulfilling unique roles in advancing the education and scholarship in the profession. We are a minority in ACAPT and want to provide a space to come together to advance academic excellence by strengthening the community of research-intensive programs in physical therapy.

What are the top 1-3 ways your consortium members' work has been affected by COVID-19 – and how are you adapting?

Human clinical research was initially halted with COVID-19. It has gradually resumed. Our members are coming together to share strategies for restarting research safely. It is clear some researchers are able to adapt to the new environment, but others, such as those in sports injury research have very much been impacted, since sports are largely on hold in this country.