Teresa M Cochran, PT, DPT, MA, GCS, FNAP
Associate Dean for the College of Allied Health Professions at the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex
Associate Professor
Dr. Teresa Cochran is Associate Dean for the College of Allied Health Professions at the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex in Kearney.
Dr. Cochran joined the Physical Therapy Program as an associate professor in 2017, and in 2018 accepted the appointment as CAHP assistant dean in Kearney. In her over 6-year tenure in this role she has been instrumental in the college’s success, fostering collaboration with the UNMC College of Nursing and UNK. She has been a strong student advocate, working tirelessly to provide students with the best possible learning environment and experience.
In 2020, she was awarded the CQuence Distinguished Professorship for Innovation in Health Care. The professorship recognizes and supports Dr. Cochran’s work within the College and UNMC, and nationally, at the forefront of interprofessional education (IPE). This past year, she led a group of our faculty members to develop a strategic plan for interprofessional education, notably to introduce a longitudinal curriculum to help our students acquire the IPEC core competencies.
In her role as Assistant Dean, Dr. Cochran has been a leader in the expansion of the College in Kearney, both in planning the design of the new building and in updating the current building to serve the ever-growing needs of our college and the programs located there. As UNMC grows its presence in Kearney with the addition of the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Public Health, Dr. Cochran’s collaborative leadership will continue to serve as a valuable asset for the College and UNMC.
Dr. Cochran holds a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, a master of arts in psychology/developmental psychobiology from the University of Nebraska graduate college, and a doctor of physical therapy degree from Creighton University. She is currently a PhD degree candidate in the MSIA Health Practice and Medical Education program at UNMC.
She has been a member of the American Physical Therapy Association since 1993 and was awarded Emerita status as an American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties Geriatric Clinical Specialist in 2021. She became a charter member of the American Interprofessional Health Collaborative in 2015 and was elected a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice in 2016, recognizing her leadership in IPE.
- DPT, Creighton University, 1996
- MA, Psychology/ Developmental Psychobiology, University of Nebraska Graduate College, 1994
- BA, Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1989
- Diplomate, American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties- Geriatrics (2001-present)
- 2016, Distinguished Fellow, National Academies of Practice
- 2015, Stanford Award - American Physical Therapy Association, Section on Education
- 2013, Driscoll Ignatian Teaching Award – Creighton University Pharmacy and Health Professions Student Government Outstanding Teacher of the Year
- 2012, ME Sacksteder Award – Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of the Profession, Nebraska Physical Therapy Association