Skip to main content

Part of UT Health San Antonio

School of Health Professions, UT Health Science Center San AntonioSchool of Health Professions, UT Health Science Center San Antonio

Part of UT Health San Antonio

Give
Search

Quicklinks

School of Health Professions logo

Logins

  • LiveMail
  • Canvas

Schedule/Calendar/Catalog

  • Class Schedule
  • Catalog
  • Academic Calendars

Health/Wellness

  • Student Health Center
  • Needlestick Guidelines
  • Needlestick Incident Report
  • Insurance
  • Counseling Services

Technology

  • Service Desk
  • Password Reset
  • TechZone (Computer Store)

Other

  • Student Directory

 Close Quicklinks

Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Programs
  • Admissions
  • Tuition and Financial Aid
  • Research
  • Student Life
  • Alumni

You are here

  • School of Health Professions News
  • Physical therapy professor to receive Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence

Physical therapy professor to receive Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence

Time & Date

Wednesday, February 14, 2018


By Kate Hunger 

When Martha Acosta, Ph.D., PT, GCS, assistant professor discusses her goals for her students, she emphasizes her hope that they will genuinely care for their patients. 

"I would like to have them treat patients as if they are someone very special to them," she said. "You want the best person around to work with your loved one."

Acosta's talent for teaching led to her selection as one of the 2018 Presidential Award winners announced last month by UT Health San Antonio President William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP. She was selected in the Teaching Excellence category and will receive a cash award and plaque at a dinner honoring the award winners on March 1.

"I was very excited and very thrilled," she said of her reaction to news of her selection for the award. 

Acosta, who joined the faculty of the Department of Physical Therapy in 2007, bolsters her teaching with clinical examples to help her students grasp the responsibility they will have in their practice. 

"I am really trying to empower students to understand the responsibility they have to be a competent health care provider, to become lifelong learners, and to feel compassion," she said. 

Although Acosta has worked with all age groups in 35 years of clinical practice, geriatrics holds a special place in her heart. 

"I always was interested in trying to improve the quality of life for the older adults," she said. "I feel like they are a walking history book. I love to hear the stories they tell."


Share this news item
Martha Acosta, Ph.D., PT, GCS
Map image of UT Health San Antonio location

UT Health San Antonio
School of Health Professions

7703 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio, TX 78229
Contact Us
Admissions: 210-567-6220

1-866-802-6288

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Maps & directions
We make lives better ®

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also called UT Health San Antonio, is a leading academic health center with a mission to make lives better through excellence in advanced academics, life-saving research and comprehensive clinical care including health, dental and cancer services.

Web Privacy | Links from websites affiliated with UT Health's website (uthscsa.edu) to other websites do not constitute or imply university endorsement of those sites, their content, or products and services associated with those sites. The content on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Health information on this site is not meant to be used to diagnose or treat conditions. Consult a health care provider if you are in need of treatment.