On May 2, over 400 guests attended the graduation dinner at the Evan’s Championship Club to watch 67 Doctor of Physical Therapy students successfully graduate and receive their white coats. The ceremony kicked off with a warm welcome from Department Chair Dr. Krista Vandenborne, and we were honored to have Dr. Tara Jo Manal, director of Clinical Services & Residency Training and associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at University of Delaware, deliver the Barbara C. White Lecture.
During the ceremony, a number of students received awards, including:
- Grace Kupiszewski received the Martha C. Wroe Outstanding Clinical Student Award, which recognizes a graduating student who has completed all clinical affiliations demonstrating outstanding clinical performance and great promise in the field of physical therapy as documented by their clinical instructors.
- Brett Zebelian received The Dr. Mark H. Trimble Memorial Scholarship, which was established in 2001 in memory of the late Dr. Trimble. This award is presented to an outstanding student in orthopedics who demonstrates a strong commitment to learning, initiative, and self-reliance in his/her studies.
- Grace Kupiszewski, Erin Ginn, and Brett Zebelian received the Scholastic Achievement Award For Excellence in Academic Performance throughout the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program from 2016 to 2019. This award is given to a graduating student in recognition of outstanding scholastic achievement. This award is based on the highest cumulative GPA while in the physical therapy program.
Students who received pro bono and leadership recognition were given honors and recognized throughout the white coat ceremony.
Alison Kraus (in the picture to the left) also received the Outstanding Clinical educator of the Year Award for excellence in clinical instruction and dedication to education of entry-level physical therapy students.
On Friday, May 3, the class of 2019 were hooded in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. We are beyond proud of our graduating class — we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!