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In honor of the upcoming PT and PTA Day of Service and National Hispanic Heritage Month, join us to for a discussion on ways to find community engagement and volunteerism opportunities, and get insights from our speakers on how they've broadened their toolboxes to better serve their local community. 

This event will cover: 

  • Responsible and sustainable service engagement.
  • Providing pro bono services.
  • Considering social determinants of health in your clinical practice.
  • Communicating effectively with those who are English as a second language learners.

Our Speakers

Efosa L. Guobadia, PT, DPT is CEO of Move Together, founder of PT Haven, and co-founder of Global PT Day of Service. He received a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from the University of Massachusetts, a doctor of physical therapy from the University of Scranton, and slated to receive a Master of Business Administration from the Isenberg School of Management. He is the recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Young Alumni Award given by the University of Massachusetts/Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, a 2018 American Physical Therapy Association Social Impact Award recipient, and the 2023 University of Scranton DPT Program Outstanding Alumni Award recipient.

Bonnie Virag, PT, DPT, ATC, MA is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh. She serves as doctor of physical therapy teaching faculty and director of community engagement for the DPT program, and lead DPT faculty at Birmingham Free Clinic. She is a board-certified orthopaedic clinical specialist and a dual-credentialed PT and certified athletic trainer. She received a doctor or physical therapy degree from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Arts in exercise and sport science with an athletic training concentration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor of Science in athletic training from Duquesne University.

Celia Pechak, PT, PhD, MPH is a retired professor from the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at The University of Texas at El Paso. She earned a bachelor's degree in physical therapy at Marquette University, a master's degree in public health (with an international health specialization) from the University of Hawaii, and a PhD in physical therapy from Texas Woman's University. Her career includes 24 years as a physical therapist, 14 years of teaching at UTEP, and various international volunteer experiences with Health Volunteers Overseas. She was a faculty champion for integrating Spanish in the DPT curriculum at UTEP, and she and her colleagues developed and validated the Physical Therapy Spanish Proficiency Measure.

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