$232,500 IN DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED BY FOUNDATION

ALEXANDRIA, VA, June 21, 2007 — The Foundation for Physical Therapy Board of Trustees recently awarded Promotion of Doctoral Scholarships (PODS I & II) to 20 recipients.

"Once again, the applications submitted for consideration were outstanding," said Foundation President Richard Shields, PT, PhD, FAPTA. "This cadre of promising researchers will no doubt advance our profession with their contributions to evidence-based practice."

As part of the Doctoral Opportunities for Clinicians and Scholarships (DOCS) program, PODS I scholarships of $7,500 each are awarded to physical therapists or physical therapist assistants who have completed at least two full semesters or three full quarters of their coursework toward a doctorate. PODS II scholarships of up to $15,000 each are awarded to physical therapists or physical therapist assistants who have been formally admitted to doctoral candidacy.

Recipients of the 2007 PODS I scholarships are Joaquin A Barrios, IV, PT, DPT, of the University of Delaware; George J Beneck, PT, MS, OCS, of the University of Southern California; Dustin Hardwick, PT, DPT, of Washington University in St Louis; Erin H Hartigan, PT, MSPT, DPT, BSEP, of the University of Delaware; Andrew Littmann, PT, MA, of the University of Iowa; Mark Lyle, PT, MSPT, OCS, of the University of Southern California; Brian W Noehren, PT, MSPT, of the University of Delaware; John Popovich, PT, DPT, MS, of the University of Southern California; and Lori Tuttle, PT, MPT, of Washington University in St. Louis.

Recipients of the 2007 PODS II scholarships are Justin Beebe, PT, MSPT, of Washington University at St Louis; Antoinette Domingo, PT, MPT, of the University of Michigan; Wendy Herbert, PT, MS, of Ohio State University; Minna Hong, PT, MSPT, of Washington University at St Louis; Julia Looper, PT, MSPT, of the University of Michigan; Sujata Pradhan, PT, MS, of the University of Pittsburgh; Sara Scholtes, PT, DPT, of Washington University in St Louis; Neena Sharma, PT, MSPT, of the University of Kansas Medical Center; Catherine Siengsukon, PT, MSPT, of the University of Kansas Medical Center; Richard B Souza, PT, MPT, of the University of Southern California; and Jaime Talkowski, PT, MPT, of the University of Pittsburgh.

Andrew Littmann was awarded the Patricia Leahy Doctoral Scholarship, given to a PODS I recipient for postprofessional doctoral studies in neurology. Antoinette Domingo received the Marylou Barnes Doctoral Scholarship, awarded to PODS II scholarship recipients for postprofessional doctoral studies in neurology. Both scholarships are generously funded by the Foundation's Neurology Endowment Fund, endowed by APTA's Neurology Section.

Brian Noehren was awarded the Viva J Erikson Doctoral Scholarship, given to a PODS recipient for postprofessional doctoral studies, and is intended to help prepare the recipient for academic leadership of physical therapy education programs. The award is generously funded by the Viva J Erikson Fund, established in 1995 in memory of an accomplished physical therapist and APTA leader.

The PODS I awarded to Erin Hartigan was made possible by the Pittsburgh-Marquette Challenge. This annual grassroots student fundraising effort coordinated by physical therapy students from Marquette University and the University of Pittsburgh has become so successful that this year, in addition to the research grant that the Challenge supports, it is funding a PODS I scholarship.

The Foundation for Physical Therapy was established in 1979 as a national, independent nonprofit corporation dedicated to improving the quality and delivery of patient care. The Foundation accomplishes this goal by providing support for scientifically based and clinically relevant physical therapy research.

Contributions for the Foundation for Physical Therapy are tax-deductible and can be made via check (payable to the "Foundation for Physical Therapy") or credit card.