O&P EDUCATOR
Prioritizing Student Well-Being J. Chad Duncan, PhD, CRC, CPO, brings years of experience to his latest task: launching a master’s program
O&P Almanac’s new O&P Educator column focuses on experienced educators within the O&P profession. Here, you will get to know inspiring individuals who educate the next generation of O&P professionals.
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S J. CHAD DUNCAN, PhD, CRC, CPO,
Made for the Moment
J. Chad Duncan, PhD, CRC, CPO, worked closely with a team in designing the space for the new O&P master’s program at Salus University. 44
JUNE/JULY 2022 | O&P ALMANAC
Duncan’s own educational experience perfectly prepared him for designing the new master’s program. He first discovered O&P as an undergraduate at Auburn University in the early ‘90s. “I did a job shadow in pediatric orthotics, and I fell in love with it,” he recalls. He worked as a prosthetic technician while earning his bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation sciences, and continued to work as a
technician after moving to Chicago to pursue certificates in orthotics and prosthetics from Northwestern University. After receiving ABC certification, Duncan moved back to his hometown of Auburn to work in O&P clinical practice. There, he was introduced to teaching: He was invited to give a two-hour lecture to undergraduates on O&P. “The professor who invited me to speak asked me to consider teaching,” which spurred his decision to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees at Auburn and transition to full-time teaching. Duncan’s influence within the field of O&P education is unmistakable. The O&P program at ASU won accreditation by NCOPE in 2012. He moved back to Chicago to work on faculty at Northwestern University’s Prosthetics-Orthotics Center (NUPOC), eventually becoming director—fulfilling a professional dream. In addition to his teaching roles, Duncan has contributed to the O&P community as a member of AOPA National Assembly Planning Committee, a licensure board member, a speaker at dozens of conferences and industry events, a content developer for NCOPE materials and ABC item writer, an author of journal articles and book chapters,
PHOTOS: J. Chad Duncan, PhD, CRC, CP; Hope Daluisio
prepares to open the doors to a new O&P master’s program at Salus University, he is pulling from his extensive background in education to create a unique learning environment for the next generation of O&P clinicians. “‘Salus’ means well-being,” Duncan says, “so we’ll be focused on student well-being” in the program set to launch in August on campus in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Before taking on the role of chair and program director of orthotics and prosthetics at Salus last year, Duncan served as director of Northwestern University’s Prosthetics-Orthotics Center (NUPOC). Prior to that, he was chair and program director at Alabama State University (ASU)—a program he helped build from the ground up 10 years ago.
