APTA 2007 Award Recipients
Catherine Worthingham Fellows of APTA
Mark W Rogers, PT, PhD, FAPTA, is associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University in Chicago. He received a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Connecticut, a master’s degree specializing in exercise science from the University of Massachusetts, and PhD in Neuromuscular Therapeutics from the University of Iowa. He also was a pre- and post-doctoral research fellow in the areas of physiology and rehabilitation at McGill University. After graduation, Dr Rogers worked in hospital-based and extended-care practices before redirecting his career toward research that would benefit both patients and the profession. During the past 2 decades, he has made frequent and sustained contributions to the understanding of movement through patient-focused research. Dr Rogers has been particularly involved in studying mechanisms and predictors of falls among aging individuals and patients with stroke and Parkinson disease, clearly advancing the profession through his influential research in these areas.
Dr Rogers’ work has been recognized both nationally and internationally. He has held consistent grant funding since 1987, including grants from the Foundation for Physical Therapy, the National Institute on Aging, National Aeronautical and Space Administration, National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Over a 24-year period, he has been the first author on 17 articles published in refereed journals, senior author on 12 other articles, and an author on 15 additional peer-reviewed articles.
Dr Rogers has served as an external examiner for four international universities and has held visiting and honorary appointments at three national and international universities and research institutes in addition to Northwestern University. He has been appointed to many APTA groups, and has been elected to various leadership positions within the Research and Neurology sections. For his contributions, Dr Rogers has received the Excellence in Research Awards from the Neurology and Geriatrics sections; from APTA, he was recognized with the Marian Williams Award for Research in Physical Therapy.
Susan L Whitney, PT, PhD, NCS, ATC, FAPTA, is an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh. She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Temple University, and her master’s degree in Health Related Professions and PhD in Education, both from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr Whitney has been a physical therapy educator for more than 2 decades; in this role, she has inspired entry-level students, advised many master’s- and doctoral-level students, and mentored junior colleagues. In addition to her appointment in the Physical Therapy department at the University of Pittsburgh, she is a clinical consultant to the Raymond E Jordan Balance Lab at the Eye and Ear Institute and the Centers for Rehab Services.
Dr Whitney’s research has focused on practice-related topics that bridge research and clinical practice. Through her research, Dr Whitney has established herself as an internationally known expert in the area of balance disorders and, in particular, vestibular rehabilitation. Dr Whitney has investigated the clinical utility of objective measures such as the Activities of Balance Confidence Scale, Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Dynamic Gait Index, Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up & Go, and the Functional Gait Assessment. Her work has elucidated how physical therapists are able to help many patients with diagnoses not traditionally referred for physical therapy treatment.
Dr Whitney is a highly sought-after lecturer in her area of expertise. She has been a visiting professor at five physical therapist educational programs in addition to presenting lectures at many APTA national and chapter meetings. She has presented at conferences for the National Athletic Trainers Association, Brain Injury Association, Otology Nursing, Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Nursing, Association for Research in Otolaryngology, National Stroke Association, and the Society of Otorhinolaryngology. Internationally, she has presented lectures in Canada, Belgium, England, and Italy.
Through a variety of leadership roles, Dr Whitney has influenced practice, policy, and legislation. She first served in APTA’s House of Delegates just two years after graduation from physical therapy school. She has since been elected to serve in the House 13 times as delegate and as chief delegate for the Pennsylvania Chapter. She also served as the vice president and president of the Section on Neurology. Dr Whitney’s enthusiasm for the profession and commitment to excellence has been evident throughout her career. For her many contributions, she has been recognized with appointments, honors, and awards, including APTA’s Mary McMillan Scholarship Award – Doctoral Level, Lucy Blair Service Award, and the Neurology Section’s Outstanding Service Award.
Dorothy Briggs Memorial Scientific Inquiry Award
The Dorothy Briggs Memorial Scientific Inquiry Award was established in 1969 to recognize student members who have demonstrated the ability to develop a well-conceived, suitably designed, and clearly expressed experimental investigation published in Physical Therapy.
The award is named in honor of Dorothy Briggs (deceased 1967), who was an outstanding educator and active investigator at the University of Wisconsin, where she received her doctoral degree in physiology. Dr Briggs was chair of the Editorial Board of Physical Therapy, a charter member of the Committee on Research, and a diligent member of the Section on Research. Her professional dedication was unstintingly directed toward the improvement of physical therapy. Through her efforts, a significant number of physical therapists learned the methods of scientific inquiry, and thus it is fitting to bestow this prestigious award upon physical therapists who have been authors of outstanding reports on research in physical therapy undertaken when they were students.
Recipient: Nancy C Landgraff
Nancy C Landgraff, PT, PhD, is recognized for the article titled “Use of Physical Performance Test to Assess Preclinical Disability in Subjects with Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Disease,” which appeared in the April 2006 issue of Physical Therapy. Dr Landgraff is associate professor and department chairperson at Youngstown State University in Ohio.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether subjects with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and occlusion demonstrate deficits in physical performance when measured against a comparison group. Physical performance was assessed with the 9-item and 7-item versions of the Physical Performance Test (PPT). Individual tasks also were timed for the subjects with disease. The authors found that the asymptomatic subjects exhibited unfavorable changes in function, as indicated by their performance on the PPT relative to that of a comparison group. These deficits may indicate that a person is demonstrating preclinical disability, and may affect the medical and surgical options that can be considered when rendering care.
Landgraff NC, Whitney SL, Rubenstein, EN, Yonas H, Use of the Physical Performance Test to Assess Preclinical Disability in Subjects With Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Disease, Phys. Ther. 2006;86:541-548.
Jack Walker Award
In 1978, the Jack Walker Award was established by the Chattanooga Group Inc of Chattanooga, Tennessee, to honor Jack Walker (deceased 1987), the corporation’s former president, for his many outstanding contributions to physical therapy. The award recognizes the best article on clinical practice published in Physical Therapy that makes a significant contribution to patient care.
Recipients: Margaret Schenkman
Margaret Schenkman, PT, PhD, Judith E Deutsch, PT, PhD, Kathleen M Gill-Body, PT, DPT, MS, NCS, are authors of the award-winning article, “An Integrated Framework for Decision Making in Neurologic Physical Therapist Practice,” published in the December 2006 issue of Physical Therapy. Dr Schenkman is professor and director of the Physical Therapy Program, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center; Dr Deutsch is professor and director of the Rivers Lab, Graduate Programs in Physical Therapy Program, Department of Developmental and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; and Dr Gill-Body is adjunct clinical associate professor of the Graduate Programs in Physical Therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions.
Although decision-making frameworks are used by clinicians to guide patient management, communicate with other health care providers, and to educate patients/clients and their families, none presented to date have been comprehensive in terms of patient management of individuals who have neurologic dysfunction. This article proposes a unified framework that is patient-centered, anchored by the patient/client model from the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, incorporates the Hypothesis-Oriented Algorithm for Clinicians (HOAC), offers a systematic approach to task analysis for interpretation of movement dysfunction, and integrates both enablement and disablement perspectives. All authors contributed to each part of the manuscript, including conceptualization, writing and editing. The article is based on a presentation made at the III STEP Symposium on Translating Evidence into Practice: Linking Movement Science and Intervention (July 2005), and the work was supported by two National Institute of Health grants and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Master Educator Guild.
Schenkman M, Deutsch, JE, Gill-Body K. An Integrated Framework for Decision Making in Neurological Physical Therapist Practice, Phys. Ther. 2006;86:1681.
2007 Mary McMillan Scholarship Award
Physical Therapist Professional Education Students
- Alaina-Marie Hershman, Youngstown State University
- Catherine C LaRocco, Arcadia University
- Kyle Willets, Ithaca College
2007 Minority Scholarship Award for Academic Excellence
Physical Therapist Professional Education Students
- Mariana Hinkel - Arcadia University