UC Denver faculty recognized by Colorado APTA

Two UCD PT Program faculty were honored with awards from the Colorado Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, at the Fall Symposium held in Colorado Springs, on November 14th. Linda Hannen, PT, MHS received the 2009 Bob Doctor Service Award, for exceptional service to the Chapter, and in so doing brings recognition and credit to the entire physical therapy profession. Tami Struessel, PT, DPT, OCS, MTC received the 2009 Physical Therapist of the Year Award, recognizing significant contributions to the profession, the community, and the Chapter.

Stanley Paris, PT, PhD, FAPTA - Saturday April 3rd Marquette Challenge Benefit Event

"Save the date" Details about this event coming soon!

CBS4 News Reports on Knee Research

Dr. Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley was recently interviewed about her research on enhancing rehabilitation following total knee replacement surgery, by CBS4 Medical Editor, Dr. Dave Hnida. Click here to view the story.

Congratulations to our Graduates!

The PT Program held it's 61st Convocation Ceremony on May 22, 2009 at the Anschutz Medical Campus, in honor of the 46 graduates of the Class of 2009. The program also honors the 5 graduates who earned Transitional DPT degrees. Jason Regier, Gold Medalist of the 2008 USA Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby Team, delivered the convocation address to our graduates, their families and friends.

View the 2009 Commencement Photos (to download any of these photos, double-click on the image to bring up the large size. Then right-click on the photo, and Save Picture As...)
You may also wish to order hooding / diploma photos from Gradtrak.

Students Raise $14,450 for PT Research, Placing 2nd in National Challenge

Our school was 2nd of 68 schools nationwide, participating in the 21st Annual Georgia State-Marquette Challenge, a grassroots fundraising effort coordinated and executed by PT students. Our team invited several leaders in the profession to speak to the community, generating record-setting donations to the Foundation for Physical Therapy, which provides research grants to physical therapists.

Graduate Student Mike Bade Recognized with 3 Awards

Mike Bade, PT is the recipient of 3 distinct awards. Each year the UC Denver Clinical Science PhD Program recognizes academic achievement, and in consideration of Mike's 4.0 average, he received their Outstanding Doctoral Degree Program Student Award. Mike and his mentor, Dr. Stevens-Lapsley were also awarded the American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation / Abbott Health Professional Graduate Student Research Preceptorship, for their research on progressive rehabilitation following total knee replacement. Lastly, Mike was one of 6 awardees nationally, to receive the Florence P Kendall Doctoral Scholarship, in recognition of his research activities and academic excellence.

Bahar Shahidi: DPT Graduate & World-Class Wrestler

Class of 2009 graduate Bahar Shahidi was featured in the March edition of the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle, highlighting her achievements as one of the top female submission wrestlers in the world.

PT Students & Faculty visit from Japan

In the last week of September, we hosted a group of 3 faculty and 13 senior students from Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Sciences. This visit was part of an ongoing relationship between our physical therapy programs. The group participated in Neuro and Therapeutic Intervention labs, visited the CAPE and the Center for Gait and Movement Analysis (pictured) and attended various presentations. Faculty from both universities shared posters at the 9th Annual USA/Japan Research Congress.

Students travel to Nicaragua for Service Elective

Each January, CU faculty and senior DPT students travel to Central America to provide instruction (in Spanish) on current physical therapy techniques and methods for fostering critical thinking skills, to faculty at the only PT Program in Nicaragua, located at the University of Managua (UNAN). The courses combine classroom instruction with hands-on laboratory sessions. Students also have other educational opportunities through site visits to various PT settings in local hospitals and clinics in the surrounding area.

Bob Doctor Memorial Research Awards

Two research projects were awarded funding by the Colorado Chapter of the APTA. CU PM&R faculty Paul Mintken, Tami Struessel & Venu Akuthota, along with Regis faculty Amy Hammerich & Julie Whitman, were awarded funding for their research project: “Epidural Steroid Injection vs. Epidural Steroid Injection, Manual Physical Therapy and Exercise in the Management of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis; a Randomized Clinical Trial” and CU Physical Therapy Program faculty Cory Christiansen and Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley were awarded funding for their  research project:  “Limb Loading Asymmetry with Total Knee Arthroplasty”.

Drs. Schenkman and Rapport Receive Prestigious APTA Awards

Margaret Schenkman, PT, PhD, FAPTA, Director of the Physical Therapy Program and Assistant Dean for Allied Health at the University of Colorado Denver, was named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).  In 1980, the APTA established the Catherine Worthingham Fellows of the Association "to recognize those persons whose work, like the distinguished woman honored in this action, has resulted in lasting and significant advances in the science, education, and practice of the profession of physical therapy."  

Mary Jane Rapport, PT, PhD, and Assistant Director of the PT Program, was named a recipient of the Lucy Blair Service Award from the American Physical Therapy Association.  This award acknowledges physical therapist members of the APTA who have made contributions of exceptional value at multiple levels of the Association. 

Both Drs. Schenkman and Rapport were recognized for their achievements in a ceremony and reception at the 2008 APTA Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX.

In Memoriam:
Dorothy Hoag, CU PT Program Director from 1950-72

Dorothy Hoag was a mentor and teacher to many in Colorado, and will be fondly remembered. She passed away at age 94 on February 7th, 2008. She was a member of APTA since 1943 and served her country as a physical therapist for returning WWII veterans at the Fitzsimons Army Hospital in Aurora. She was technical advisor for the US Army film, "Toward Independence", which was produced to help veterans learn to adjust to their disabilities. The movie won an Oscar in 1948 for best short subject documentary. Memorials may be sent to:

Dorothy Hoag Physical Therapy Scholarship Endowment
University of Colorado Denver, Physical Therapy Program, C244
13121 E. 17th Place
Aurora, CO 80045

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