School of Health Professions News

Pursuing an online respiratory care master’s degree as a working professional

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

By Kate Hunger

Carolyn Adams, RRT-NPS, is a full-time senior respiratory therapist, but one day, she hopes to teach. 

In addition to working nights at a pediatric hospital, Adams serves a clinical instructor for one of the technical schools in Madison, Wisconsin, where she lives. She is also a student in the Division of Respiratory Care’s online degree advancement master’s program, which is designed to help working professionals reach their career goals.

Occupational therapy chair recognized for contributions to OT education

Monday, April 26, 2021

By Kate Hunger

Department of Occupational Therapy Chair and Associate Professor Bridgett Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR, has received a 2021 Roster of Fellows Award from the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Speech-language pathology professor elected to TSHA office

Monday, April 26, 2021

By Kate Hunger

Angela Kennedy, SLP-D, CCC-SLP, assistant professor and director of clinical education for the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, was elected vice president for education and scientific affairs of the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Speech-language pathology professor selected for research mentoring program

Monday, April 26, 2021

By Kate Hunger

A year-long research mentorship program will help Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Assistant Professor Casey Taliancich-Klinger, PhD, develop her research program on developmental language disorder among bilingual children. 

SHP students inducted into Alpha Eta Society

Friday, April 23, 2021

By Kate Hunger

Thirty-eight School of Health Professions students were inducted this spring into the campus chapter of the Alpha Eta Society, the national honor society of the allied health professions.

School of Health Professions Dean David C. Shelledy, PhD, RRT, FAARC, FASAHP, congratulated the inductees for their accomplishment in the April 13 ceremony. 

Medical laboratory sciences student is passionate about her profession

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

By Kate Hunger 

When Alana Rubio was growing up in Uvalde, Texas, she knew she wanted to find a career she could pursue with passion. 

She took a wide range of classes at Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde, hoping to find the field that would inspire her and give her the direction she craved. That spark came in her chemistry class, taught by a professor whose enthusiasm for the subject was contagious.

That moment was when Rubio realized she wanted to find a profession she loved.

Department of Physical Therapy faculty seek collaborators in rehabilitation research

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

By Kate Hunger 

The faculty in the Department of Physical Therapy is seeking to collaborate with other researchers in various areas of rehabilitation research.

PT faculty members have excellent training and experience in diverse fields including cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, clinical electrophysiology, geriatrics, neurologic rehabilitation, motor control/motor learning and orthopedics, said Department Chair and Associate Professor Greg Ernst, PT, PhD, ECS.

SHP students recognized for their leadership, clinical excellence, research and community service

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

By Kate Hunger

Five School of Health Professions students have been selected to receive Student Life Awards from the UT Health San Antonio Student Government Association.

Occupational and physical therapy students help dental students in project geared toward reducing musculoskeletal injuries

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

By Kate Hunger 

Perching on stools and twisting into awkward positions for long stretches of time while treating patients can lead to musculoskeletal injuries for dentists. Those injuries are sometimes so problematic they lead dentists to retire from practice. 

The biomechanics of tai chi: New faculty member brings an engineering perspective to rehabilitation research

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

By Kate Hunger 

For years, Wei Liu, Ph.D., has researched tai chi as a rehabilitation intervention and exercise treatment option for people with knee osteoarthritis and other disabilities such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and low back pain. Still, he admits there is much to learn about the benefits offered by the ancient practice of continuous, controlled movements.