Skip to main content

A physical therapist (PT) educator with more than 2 decades of education experience and more than 40 research publications has been selected as APTA's 2018 Visiting Scholar.

Mary Jane K. Rapport, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA, has been selected as the recipient of the APTA Early-Investigator Research Fellowship. Rapport will spend her sabbatical year focusing on research related to physical therapy education and its impact on professional behaviors, clinical decision making, and/or clinical outcomes. Her responsibilities also will include other activities in support of research-related programs at APTA.

Rapport is a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she also is director of the pediatric physical therapy residency program. With a background that includes extensive publications on topics ranging from pediatric physical therapy to PT education and development of the physical therapy workforce, Rapport brings firsthand knowledge of the research landscape.

"This is an important time for investigations into clinical education in physical therapy, and Dr Rapport will play a key role in helping APTA contribute to the body of knowledge that will guide the evolution of education programs," said Robyn Watson Ellerbe, PhD, APTA's vice president of research. "We are excited to have an investigator of such a high caliber join the APTA team."


You Might Also Like...

News

Congress Is Back in Town: 5 Things to Watch on Capitol Hill in September

Sep 2, 2025

In July, APTA and other provider groups secured a 2.5% funding increase from Congress to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2026. While this was a

News

October Is National Physical Therapy Month: See How APTA Helps You Celebrate

Sep 2, 2025

APTA is recognizing National Physical Therapy Month in October by spotlighting the vital role physical therapy plays in improving movement for people of

News

Final FY ’26 SNF and IRF Rules: Payment Increases and Removal of SDOH Measures

Aug 27, 2025

The Big Picture: Effective Oct. 1, 2025, skilled nursing facilities will see a payment increase of 3.2%, which is slightly higher than the 2.8% included