Department of Physical Therapy News Archive

Class of 2009 DPT Commencement Awards

Awards for achievement and special recognition were awarded at the Graduation Ball and Commencement for the DPT Class of 2009.  Congratulations to the following award recipients!
Peter Edgelow Award for Outstanding Clinical Performance: Ellen Newell McCullough 
Martha Jewell Award for Academic Excellence: Justine Rae Larsen
Distinguished Service Award: Jennifer Snell Welter
Outstanding Case Report: Michael Branzel & Sandra Bettencourt-Mitchell
Outstanding PT Student: Sandra Bettencourt-Mitchell

Faculty News

Dr. Nicole Christensen was recognized for her chapter "Dimensions of Clinical Reasoning Capability" in the text she also co-edited, Clinical Reasoning in the Health Professions.  She was awarded the Physical Therapist Non-Research Publication Award-Faculty at the 2009 CPTA Annual Conference.

Dr. Richard Souza was awarded the Physical Therapist Research Publication Award-Student at the 2009 CPTA Annual Conference for his paper "Differences in Hip Kinematics, Muscle Strength, and Muscle Activation Between Subjects with and without Patellofemoral Pain."  He was also listed as a co-author in two other papers winning awards for faculty and student research.

Dr. Sharon Gorman presented a poster, based on her doctoral dissertation work, at the 2009 CPTA Annual Conference titled, "Development and Validity of the Function In Sitting Test (FIST) in Adults with Acute Stroke."  

Student/Alumni News

CPTA Annual Conference Awards were given to the following alumni:

• Cynthia Walton, PT, DPT won a Rising Star Award for her work in the San Jose District CPTA.
• Erin Vestal, PT, DPT, NCS won the Physical Therapist Non-Research Publication Award-Student for her case report publication in the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, "Vestibular Rehabilitation Decreases Fall Risk and Improves Gaze Stability for an Older Individual with Unilateral Vestibular Hypofunction."

In 2009, eight DPT students received eleven internal SMU scholarships totalling $35,533. This included funding from the annual SMU employee campaign, the Evans scholarship fund, the Choksi family fund, the PT scholarship fund, and the Breslin scholarship fund. This represents a substantial increase from prior years and reflects the accomplishments of our DPT students. Thank you to all who have contributed to these funds over the years, and congratulations DPT scholarship awardees.