The Spotlight
Illuminating the physical therapy profession, our students, the lives of others, and the world.
A Message from the Chair
Hello, Physical Therapy Colleagues and Partners!
Steadfast in the calling of Matthew 5:16 and our mission, Baylor University's Department of Physical Therapy continues to brightly shine across all its endeavors. As servants to our students, current and future physical therapy clients, our profession, and our communities, I am humbled by the collective efforts of the Baylor Physical Therapy staff and faculty team.
In meeting our responsibilities to students, we were blessed with unwavering support. During 2024, our Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program was supported by 72 highly accomplished adjunct faculty and more than 300 clinical instructors across 265 facilities in 28 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, we continued an excellent community partnership with Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Hillcrest for our Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency program, a growing PhD collaboration with Baylor's Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, and initiated development of a Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency with Hope & Believe Pediatric Therapy in Waco, Texas.
This past year brought much excitement as the Department received its first external grants! Dr. Shane Koppenhaver and Dr. Laurel Proulx received a four-year, $2.5 million award from the Department of Defense (DoD), to test a novel intervention for women service members suffering from debilitating chronic pelvic pain. Additionally, Dr. Megan Flores, in collaboration with Dr. Sandra Vanegas at the University of Texas at Austin, was the recipient of a two-year, $275,000 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, researching language and motor development in racially and ethnically diverse infants and toddlers with Down syndrome. Finally, Dr. Cole Galloway, in partnership with Case Western Reserve University, received a two-year $434,438 NIH grant to create a Metro Café to support research for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Two years ago, the Department was able to offer its first scholarship to two DPT students, thanks to a generous donor who created an endowed scholarship. Through additions to the scholarship fund and financial stewardship, the Department expanded the scholarship awards in 2024, to eight students and a substantial increase in each scholarship's amount! A significant number of our students have financial needs—if you feel a calling to support Baylor DPT students, please securely donate online—any and every gift amount will be a blessing to the students.
This issue of The Spotlight showcases these and many more impacts made by Baylor Physical Therapy students, staff, and faculty in 2024. I hope you enjoy reading about our expanding successes, only made possible by faith, prayer, and the efforts of countless individuals.
Sic 'em, Bears!
Brian Young, PT, DSc
Clinical Associate Professor and Interim Chair
Department of Physical Therapy
Baylor University's Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences
Faith — Connection — Growth — Inclusion — Adaptability — Courage
Baylor University’s Department of Physical Therapy has awarded its second round of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Light the Way Scholarship—this time to eight deserving recipients. The annual scholarship was established by an anonymous donation and is supported by continued contributions from alumni, faculty, and friends of the Department.
Amber Knoernschild, a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) student from Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, was selected to represent the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) in advocating for policy changes on Capitol Hill. This prestigious opportunity allowed her to promote critical healthcare issues during Capitol Hill Advocacy Day in April 2024.
Megan Flores, PhD, PT, Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy in Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, has received a two-year, National Institutes of Health (NIH) subaward in partnership with Sandra Vanegas, PhD, Research Assistant Professor in the Texas Center for Disability Studies in the University of Texas at Austin’s Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Baylor received $74,063 from the $275,000 award, and Flores will serve as Baylor’s principal investigator (PI).
The Baylor University – Hope & Believe Pediatric Therapy Pediatric Residency has been granted the status of "developing program" by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). A decision on candidacy will be released in early 2025 after which applications will open. The program is looking to matriculate its first resident in June of 2025.
This past year, faculty in Baylor University's Department of Physical Therapy have continued their combined excellence in collaboration, research, and teaching, specifically through the receipt of internal grant awards. The projects highlighted here received funding either through the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences Research Award program, or through the Academy for Teaching and Learning's University Teaching Exploration Grant.
In Spring 2025, MetroHealth's Old Brooklyn Campus in Cleveland, Ohio will open two new and unique food and beverage options for hospital visitors, patients, and employees, providing a space for community members with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) to participate in upcoming research projects while volunteering and rehabilitating. To bring this project to life, Cole Galloway, PT, PhD, FAPTA, Clinical Professor in Baylor University’s Department of Physical Therapy, has partnered with James Sulzer, PhD, Staff Scientist in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Associate Professor of PM&R at Case Western Reserve University, who serves as principal investigator on the pair’s recently awarded two-year $434,438 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
With excitement, July 2024 welcomed the long-awaited return of the International Federation of Manual and Musculoskeletal Physical Therapists Incorporated (IFOMPT) conference, as more than 1,600 physical therapists from 57 countries convened in Basel, Switzerland. Among those in attendance were two faculty members representing the Department of Physical Therapy in Baylor University's Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences.
Baylor University's Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program is well-known for developing skilled and compassionate therapists who are equipped to face the ever-changing challenges of healthcare. A key part of this success is the program's alumni who continue to contribute to Baylor's legacy by returning as adjunct faculty, bringing with them a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to the profession, using their roles to educate the next generation of physical therapists.
In October 2024, Baylor University’s Department of Physical Therapy celebrated both National Physical Therapy Month and Physical Therapy Day of Service® by giving back to the Waco, Texas community. The Department partnered with a local nonprofit, Better at Last, to host its first-ever Wellness Expo to serve the 55+ community.
Inspired by the University’s mission and Christian commitments, Baylor’s Department of Physical Therapy in Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences includes “Faith” as one of its core values. This emphasis shines through in many ways, but one particularly unique outcome is an optional course offering called Faith Prescriptions.
In December 2024, the Department of Physical Therapy in Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences celebrated the graduation of its sixth cohort of practitioners, with 97 students earning their Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.
Whether you just walked the stage in December 2024 or were in the first graduating DPT cohort in 2019, we want to keep in touch with you! Visit our Baylor DPT Alumni website periodically to update your contact information, connect on Facebook, make a gift, and share your latest achievements. And, if you're interested in becoming a clinical education instructor (CI) or adjunct faculty, please make sure to fill out an interest form. Sic 'em, Baylor DPT Alumni!
Novel intervention to be tested by Robbins College faculty could have a “substantial impact on the health and wellbeing of countless women service members”
