UNMC physical therapy earns NU teaching award

University of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek announced Tuesday that the physical therapy department at UNMC is the recipient of the 2024 University-wide Departmental Teaching Award.

The UDTA, one of the President’s Excellence Awards, is the University of Nebraska’s most prestigious honor for departmental excellence in teaching. Since 1993, the UDTA has recognized departments or units within the university system that have made unique and significant contributions to NU’s teaching efforts and demonstrated outstanding commitment to the education of students at the undergraduate, graduate or professional levels.

Honored departments are selected by a committee of faculty members from across the university. The award includes a $25,000 prize to be used as the department sees fit, for example for travel to a conference, instructional equipment or improvements to classroom space.

“Being selected for the 2024 University-wide Departmental Teaching Award underscores our team’s dedication to high-quality education,” said Betsy Becker, DPT, PhD, chair of the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions Department of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, director of the physical therapy program and associate professor. “As a team, we navigate challenges, striving for excellence. I’m proud of our contributions and positive impact.”

Said Kabourek, “The fundamental mission of the University of Nebraska is to provide outstanding education to our students. The faculty and staff of UNMC’s physical therapy department are answering that call every day. The department has been a pioneer since its earliest days, leading the way in offering high-quality, accessible physical therapy education that meets workforce and health care needs across our state.

“We are a healthier and stronger state thanks to the physical therapy department’s commitment to excellence and innovation. I’m honored to publicly celebrate their extraordinary impact on many generations of students and on the well-being of our communities and all Nebraskans.”

Housed within UNMC’s College of Allied Health Professions, the physical therapy department offers a three-year professional curriculum leading to a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. It is the only public program in Nebraska for the professional education of physical therapists, serving a crucial workforce need for the state. It currently is home to about 15 FTE faculty and 200 students and last year celebrated 50 years of graduates.

The quality of teaching is reflected in student outcomes: A 97% licensure exam pass rate for the Class of 2022-23 and a 99% graduation rate. More than 60% of recent graduates are employed in Nebraska, many of them in rural areas, helping address a growing demand for physical therapists as the population ages and more job opportunities are created.

The department is committed to serving the entire state, educating future physical therapists at UNMC’s Omaha campus as well as at the Health Science Education Complex on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus, ensuring a strong workforce pipeline for Nebraska’s urban and rural communities alike. The physical therapy department also participates in the Kearney Health Opportunities Program (a partnership with UNK) and the Rural Health Opportunities Program (a partnership with the Nebraska state colleges), pathway programs that encourage students from rural areas to practice in rural Nebraska after they graduate.

Faculty have been leaders in adopting new technologies to enhance their teaching, including simulation experiences that allow students to practice in realistic, hands-on clinical scenarios. The department also supports its students outside the classroom, for example with a “buddy” program that pairs incoming students with upper-class mentors on their first day of class to ensure they have peer support throughout their course of study.

Additionally, faculty, staff and students are actively engaged in serving the community, participating in programs that provide affordable health care to Nebraskans in need, volunteering to offer companionship to Nebraskans with long-term conditions such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury, and working with UNMC’s Munroe-Meyer Institute to create mobility devices for children with movement limitations.

“I would like to thank Interim President Kabourek and the selection committee for this prestigious recognition of our outstanding physical therapy program,” said Kyle Meyer, PhD, dean of the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions. “The award reflects the program’s commitment to providing an extraordinary educational experience for students, as well as a commitment to advancing the field of physical therapy for the patients and communities our faculty and graduates serve.”

UNMC Chancellor and incoming University of Nebraska President Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, congratulated Drs. Becker and Meyer on the award.

“Under the leadership of Dr. Meyer and Dr. Becker, the physical therapy program at UNMC will only continue to excel,” he said. “This honor is richly deserved, and we are proud of their work, as well as the impact of that work here in Nebraska and beyond.”

Members of the physical therapy department will be honored along with other President’s Excellence Awards recipients at the Aug. 8 Board of Regents meeting.