ATLANTA – Two Mercer University Department of Physical Therapy faculty members and a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) student received awards at the Georgia state component meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA GA) held April 30 in Suwanee.
Jeffrey Ebert, PT, DPT, OCS, clinical associate professor of physical therapy, was recognized with the Achievement in Education Award for making “a valuable service contribution to physical therapy and to APTA GA by developing quality educational experiences.”
Dr. Ebert’s pedagogical innovations include the incorporation of technology to advance DPT students’ abilities to reflect on their own clinical skill performance. He has presented to colleagues at multiple state and national meetings related to the scholarship of teaching and learning, orthopaedics, and differential diagnosis and clinical reasoning.
Timothy McMahon, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, clinical assistant professor of physical therapy and director of the Mercer Physical Therapy Clinic, was recognized with the Outstanding Physical Therapist Award.
Beyond Dr. McMahon’s provision of exceptional patient care, he is a lead instructor and mentor in Mercer’s postprofessional Residency in Orthopedic Physical Therapy Program and the Fellowship in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Program. He also teaches course content in the DPT program and clinically educates DPT students.
Caroline “Carly” Esposito, a member of the DPT Class of 2022, received the Horizon Award, which recognizes a member who has “demonstrated enthusiasm and service to APTA GA in the first two to three years of membership.”
Esposito has served as president of the Student Focused Interest Network, led virtual student conclaves through the pandemic, presented on leadership topics and engages in the “PT Moves Me” student recruitment campaign to raise awareness of the profession with youth, especially those from diverse backgrounds.
“I’m pleased that APTA GA has recognized these three outstanding individuals who provide excellence in physical therapy education, patient care or service to the professional organization,” said Dr. Jeannette Anderson, PT, DHS, chair of the Department of Physical Therapy in Mercer’s College of Health Professions. “Each award is well deserved, and we are proud of their contributions.”
About the College of Health Professions
Mercer University’s College of Health Professions is composed of six disciplines: physical therapy, physician assistant studies, public health, clinical psychology, athletic training, and kinesiology. The College offers a doctoral-level physical therapy program; master’s-level physician assistant program; bachelor’s-, master’s-, and doctoral-level public health programs, doctoral-level program in clinical psychology, master’s-level athletic training program, and bachelor’s-level kinesiology program. The Department of Physical Therapy also offers residencies in orthopaedic, neurologic and cardiovascular/pulmonary physical therapy; a fellowship in orthopaedic manual physical therapy; and an onsite clinic. Each program is housed in a department that provides students with comprehensive didactic courses taught by an extraordinary faculty and extensive clinical experience enhanced by outstanding service-learning opportunities. For more information, visit chp.mercer.edu.
