Dear CHP alumni and friends,
We bring CHP’s 57th year to a close with many accolades to celebrate. We welcomed new students and now have the largest group of students enrolled in our history, nearly 1,100. We bid farewell to two beloved and accomplished leaders through retirement - Dr. Karen Wager retired in May after 38 years of service to MUSC, and Dr. Jack Thomas retired in June after 34 years. Their collective service has made an indelible impact on the college.
Our accomplishments this past year include successful alumni outreach and receptions in Columbia, Jacksonville, and Greenville. We established our first endowed scholarships in Cardiovascular Perfusion and in the Ph.D. Health and Rehabilitation Science program. Further, we increased the number of scholarships awarded to students in the Department of Healthcare Leadership & Management from five to 11.
Our faculty continue to distinguish themselves and raise the bar of achievement for their respective programs and MUSC:
- Congratulations to Stephanie Aghamoosa, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences and Research, who was recently awarded a South Carolina Translational Research (SCTR) Discovery Pilot Grant.
- Congratulations to Ken Miller, PT, DPT, MA, assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Division of Physical Therapy, who has been recognized with two distinguished research awards for his outstanding work on the study “Trauma, Depression, Stress, Anxiety, Grit, Resilience, and Burnout in Early Career Physical Therapists Licensed for Five Years or Less.”
- Congratulations to Dave Fitzgerald, DHA, MHA, CCP, who received the Commitment to Excellence in Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice Award during the IP Fellowship Recognition Program in May.
Our students continue to make an impact in the classroom and beyond. I’m particularly proud of these students for representing the college and their professions so well:
- Joshua Brown, occupational therapy (OT) student, was awarded a Center for Global Health Student & Trainee Travel Grant in the fall of 2022 to pursue a project with Child Family Health International (CHHI) in La Paz, Bolivia.
- Kathryn Griffin, OT student, was also awarded a Center for Global Health Student & Trainee Travel Grant in the spring of 2023 to pursue a project with FNE International in Leon, Nicaragua.
- Emily Meiring, OT student, traveled to Delhi, India, earlier this year as part of an MUSC Center for Global Health Student & Trainee Travel Grant.
- The MUSC Office of Student Engagement recognized student award winners Katelyn Feeny (OT), Katherine Childrey (OT), Mackenzie Walker (OT), and William Meyer (MHA) during their annual Leadership & Services Awards Reception, recognizing notable contributions to the university through their character, service and commitment to enhancing the university environment.
We’ve had a great year, and we look forward to pushing boundaries in the coming academic year!
Zoher F. Kapasi
Dean, College of Health Professions Professor, College of Health Professions
Dr. Zoher Kapasi is the Dean of the College of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.
Before becoming the dean, Dr. Kapasi served as the Director and Professor in the Division of Physical Therapy and Vice Chair of Education of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Physical Therapy from the University of Bombay, India, Ph.D. in Anatomy/Immunobiology from Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia and an Executive MBA from the Goizueta Business School, Emory University, Atlanta. He did post-doctoral work in Immunology at the Basel Institute for Immunology, Switzerland and the Medical College of Virginia. After graduation, his research focused on age-related changes in immune function and the effects of exercise and nutrition on the immune system.
Dr. Kapasi serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation. Dr. Kapasi has taught human anatomy, advanced human anatomy, and business management in the physical therapy program. In 2014, Emory University School of Medicine conferred the Dean’s Teaching Award to Dr. Kapasi. In 2017, Emory University conferred the Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching Award and the Atlanta Business Chronicle awarded the Health Care Heroes Allied Health Professional Award. An active American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) member, Dr. Kapasi has served on the Board of Directors of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy and chaired the American Physical Therapy Association's Education Leadership Partnership. Currently, Dr. Kapasi serves on the Board of Directors of the American Physical Therapy Association as Treasurer. Dr. Kapasi is a Catherine Worthingham fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association.
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