October 2022 Dean's Message

Dear CHP alumni and donors,

This month is National Physical Therapy Month and PA Week! We hope you will follow us on social media as we celebrate. You can join us on Instagram or Facebook to see the latest.

As I do in each update, I would also like to take a moment to recognize several recent achievements from the college:

• Walter Jones, Ph.D., faculty member in the Department of Healthcare Leadership & Management, retired Aug. 31 after 33 years of service at MUSC.
• Kelly Long, director of Student Services and student services coordinator for the Anesthesia for Nurses program, retired Sept. 30 after 20 years of service in the college.
• Steve Kautz, Ph.D., chairperson for the Department of Health Sciences and Research, was recently honored as a Fellow of the American Society of Biomechanics. The fellow status recognizes professional achievement and service of the top members of the society and encourages service to the society in a leadership role.
• Angie Mund, DNP, CRNA, chairperson for the Department of Clinical Sciences, began her term as president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA).
• Kevin Wiley, MPH, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Healthcare Leadership & Management, received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity (AIM-AHEAD) Leadership Fellowship award. The fellowship focuses on artificial intelligence and machine learning and its ability to advance health equity and increase researcher diversity.
• Cristina Reyes Smith, OTD, OTR/L, associate professor in the Division of Occupational Therapy, recently presented at the World Federation of Occupational Therapy Congress in Paris, France. The title of her presentation was “Data-Driven DEI: Evidence-based Strategies to Increase the Number of Students from Under-Represented Backgrounds in OT Academic Programs.”
• Jim Krause, Ph.D., associate dean for Research, was the keynote speaker at this year’s Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professions (ASCIP) conference in September. His speech was titled “The Challenges, Pitfalls, and Triumphs of Those with Spinal Cord Injury: 50 Years of Research.”
• The MUSC Neurologic Rehabilitation Institute recently installed a ZeroG Gait & Balance system. This state-of-the-art robotic body-weight support overhead track system allows therapists to maximize gait and balance training at higher intensities while providing a safe environment where the fear of falling does not inhibit patients.

I am so proud of all the continued accomplishments of our alumni, students, faculty and staff. Thank you for your continued support of the college, and I hope that you and your loved ones continue to stay well.

Zoher F. Kapasi, PT, Ph.D., MBA, FAPTA
Dean and professor
College of Health Professions