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For more information contact:
Email: ptprog@gwu.edu
Phone: (202) 994-8237
Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
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Joyce Maring
, PT, EdD
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Phone: (202) 994-0053
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Program Director
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I have been a full-time faculty member in physical therapy education since 1990 and at The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences Doctor of Physical Therapy Program since January 2005. As an educator, I especially enjoy the opportunity to serve as coach, mentor and cheerleader as students embark on a journey towards becoming competent, effective, and autonomous practitioners in the field of physical therapy. As a faculty member, I have special concern and responsibility towards fostering and engaging in scholarship supporting evidence-based practice in education and in physical therapy.
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Heather Richards
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Phone: 202-994-6341
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Executive Coordinator of Clinical Education
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Marsha White
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Phone: (202) 994-8184
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Executive Coordinator
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Marisa Birkmeier
, PT, DPT, PCS
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Phone: 202-994-6348
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Director of Clinical Education
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In her role as Director of Clinical Education for the Program in Physical Therapy, Marisa Birkmeier is responsible for all aspects of clinical education within the DPT curriculum. She works collaboratively with clinical faculty and partners in the community to develop quality clinical experiences that support the goals and mission of the Program. Dr. Birkmeier assists students throughout their clinical education by providing orientation to the clinic environment and advising on clinical and professional issues in the classroom and in the clinic. Dr. Birkmeier also teaches Pediatrics and Clinical Conference IV in the second year of the DPT curriculum.
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Philip J. Blatt
, PT, PhD, NCS
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Phone: (202) 994-7831
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Assistant Professor
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Dr. Blatt’s area of teaching specialization is in the physical therapy assessment and management of person’s with neurologic disorders particularly individuals with vestibular disorders and is a neurologic clinical specialist. He continues active clinical practice at GWU and NRH. He has presented nationally on the application of problem-based learning strategies, and development and implementation of standardized patient encounters. Dr. Blatt has practical experience in the management of unique integrative courses utilizing complex patient cases. Dr. Blatt’s research interests are in the application of technology to improve patient outcomes in physical therapy.
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Rhea Cohn
, PT, DPT
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Phone: (202) 994-5596
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Assistant Professor
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My career path in physical therapy has been unusual, allowing me to work as a clinician, payer utilization management coordinator, licensure board member, and professional association director dealing with national and local insurance regulation and payment policy issues. I am able to bring these multiple perspectives to the classroom, offering a wide view of industry issues and challenges facing physical therapists in today’s marketplace. My primary goal is to prepare our graduates with as much knowledge of the rapidly changing healthcare industry as possible, so that they will succeed wherever they practice.
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Ellen Costello
, PT, PhD
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Phone: (202) 994-0056
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Assistant Professor
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I have always loved to teach and continue to have the same passion for our profession… if not more, as when I first graduated college with my physical therapy degree. Hence as a member of GWU Physical Therapy faculty I am able to combine my love of teaching and the practice of physical therapy on a daily basis. I began teaching the day after I graduated from college as a teaching assistant in the Gross Anatomy Lab; a humbling experience because of my age and inexperience, but eye opening in that I saw an avenue to explore which truly excited me. My enthusiasm for teaching continued to grow as did my love for the profession which led me to pursue advanced degrees in Anatomy and Clinical Research. Hence most of my adult professional career has been as a full-time faculty member involved in education, research and clinical practice. I have the opportunity at GWU to work with students, who begin their professional studies with enthusiasm and excitement, and watch them grow into caring and inquisitive health care professionals. I feel privileged to be a part of their educational experience and remain committed to educating lifelong learners as they enter our profession.
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Alison T. DeLeo
, PT, DPT
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Phone: 202-994-8177
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Assistant Professor
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My gravitation toward education, research and teaching was rooted in my positive experiences with enthusiastic role models in those areas. I know that my desire to provide caring and competent physical therapy care was ingrained by my parents, who have dedicated their lives to providing excellent physical therapy administration and patient care. For me, excellence in education and patient care is described in the words of John Gardner, who said, “Some people may have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them. They achieve it. The do not achieve it unwittingly or in the course of amusing themselves. All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose.” It is my honor to be surrounded by colleagues, students and a university that participates in and values daily “excellence development”.
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Jennifer Halvaksz
, PT, DPT, OCS
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Phone: 202-994-7878
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Assistant Professor
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I have always considered the ability to be a physical therapist a tremendous honor. As experts in human movement, physical therapists have a gratifying responsibility to preserve and restore the ability of an individual to interact with the world around them in the most optimal way. My professional quest to provide patients/clients with the most advanced and efficient care has bled into my role as an educator and director of clinical education. I love the challenge of assisting students in bridging the gap between classroom knowledge and the multiple facets of clinical practice. The process of developing as a professional and becoming an expert clinician is a life long endeavor and I am honored to share in the journey with students of the George Washington University!
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Margaret Plack
, PT, EdD
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Phone: (202) 994-7763
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Associate Professor
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I used to believe that knowledge was forever. I now know that knowledge is forever changing. It is exciting to be teaching in a time of change. Being a teacher is no longer about being the expert imparting knowledge and skills; it is about helping others learn how to learn so that they can become their own best teachers. Teaching IS learning. For me, the best teachers and learners are those that stop to reflect on what they know, question their knowledge, and never stop seeking to answer the questions posed. This is the essence of being a reflective practitioner. As Program Director and Chair it is my privilege to be among the best teachers and learners in health care today.
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Gloria Rogers
, PT, MMS
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Phone: (202) 994-8230
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Assistant Professor
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There are many challenges in physical therapy education and practice, but the two most important perspectives have to do with the responsibilities you have to yourself and to your patients. First, to yourself, be true. Maintain your personal integrity. Know your values, let them be known to others by the way you behave in your professional and personal life. Second, to your patients, be loyal. They expect you to treat them with respect, that you will be competent in what you do, and that you will act in a professional manner. Meeting these responsibilities is not always easy, but the reward is a successful professional life.
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