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Campus News
CAMPUS NEWS
The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) has granted accreditation to Messiah University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program.
“Having a CAPTE-accredited program is more than just an indicator of quality, it is essential to obtaining physical therapy licensure,” said Karl Bergmann, Messiah’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program director. CAPTE accredits physical therapy programs to assure the quality of course work and that programs produce graduates qualified to serve the public.
“Our faculty, staff and administration have worked diligently to develop a DPT program that meets all of the CAPTE standards and is aligned with the Messiah University mission,” said Rob Pepper ’92, associate provost for graduate and professional studies and university partnerships. “Achieving CAPTE accreditation during the challenges over the past two years due to COVID-19 is a testament to the members of Messiah University who have labored together to build this outstanding program.”
Messiah University’s DPT program is a full-time, residential, 110-credit program designed to prepare physical therapists for careers as practitioners, educators, administrators and consultants in a variety of professional settings including hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, homecare programs, schools and private practices.
“In addition to accreditation, Messiah’s DPT program offers faith integration, faculty with expertise in multiple PT specialties and the opportunity to study and train at Winding Hill,” said Bergmann. Winding Hill is a newly designed education facility customized to the needs of physical therapy students and includes exercise, cadaver, musculoskeletal and pediatric labs as well as dedicated research rooms and a full-sized, activities-of-daily-living apartment.
Messiah University is the first institution within the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic Region to offer a graduate program in physical therapy. The first cohort of the DPT program graduated in May 2022. — Staff report
LEARN MORE AT
MESSIAH.EDU/DPT.
See what our grads have to say about the program on p. 25.
At the High Center Season Keynote Lecture, Dr. Mae C. Jemison, the first woman of color to travel in space, addressed the audience at Parmer Hall April 13. She discussed her 1992 voyage aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, STEM and her Look Up campaign, which encourages people to stop and simply look up, since we all share the same sky. This lecture was sponsored by the Office of the President.
MESSIAH PARTNERS WITH HACC
Messiah and Harrisburg Area
Community College (HACC) will partner to provide a R.N.-to-BSN pathway for HACC nursing graduates to transition to Messiah to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Through the agreement, students who satisfactorily complete the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from HACC and who are licensed registered nurses will receive full recognition of that degree, and all credits will be applied toward the completion of the Messiah BSN.
Coursework at Messiah will be 100% online, and on-site clinical requirements can most likely be met at the student’s place of employment. Participants will receive a 10% tuition discount each semester and a $200 book grant for the first semester.
“It has been delightful to work with our colleagues at HACC to bring this partnership to fruition as we strive to deliver a quality program and be the first-choice nursing graduates consider for completing their next degree,” said Brenda Elliott, assistant professor of nursing and coordinator of MSN, CAGS and R.N.-toBSN programs at Messiah.
“This agreement strengthened the transferability of HACC credits and additionally streamlined the pathway to earning an advanced master’s degree,” said Monica J. Filburn, chair of HACC’s Department of Nursing. The curriculum includes six graduate credits that could later be applied to an advanced nursing degree at Messiah.
— Staff report
Messiah students traveled to Warsaw, Poland, this summer to teach English to middle and high school students. Students also assisted in humanitarian efforts to help refugees from Ukraine.
STUDENTS VISIT POLAND FOR SERVICE TRIP
Warsaw
TEACHING STUDENTS, HELPING WITH UKRAINE REFUGEE EFFORTS
Through the Agapé Center, several students traveled to Poland for a service trip to partner with Polish Christian Ministries (PCM) May 20-June 1. Tina Keller, chair of the Department of Education and associate professor of TESOL, served as the group leader on the trip.
“We taught English in Polish middle and high schools in Warsaw,” explained Keller. “We also assisted in humanitarian work with Ukrainian refugees in the city, such as assisting in buying shoes.”
Several Messiah students participated in the trip. Mireliz Bermudez ’23, an education major with a dual certification in early childhood education and special education with minors in ESL and language pathology, says the trips allowed her to speak and teach English learners (ELs).
“Having been an EL myself, I thought that I would be able to not only experience teaching in a foreign country but relate to the high school and middle school students. It was amazing to see how quick the students were able to show off their English and Spanish skills, especially since Spanish is my first language,” said Bermudez, who is serving as student body vice president.
Between a global pandemic and war in nearby Ukraine, the students remained flexible amid uncertainty in a new culture.
“The Agapé Center did a great job of keeping the students on the service trip safe and well-informed,” said Bermudez. “Every day before the trip brought a new wave of compassion to serve in the community of Warsaw. Overall, I was very humbled by the experience and feel even more confident in my decision to become a teacher.”
Keller echoes that sentiment.
“It was a gift to witness the love that poured out of Warsaw to Ukrainian families fleeing the war. Christians sacrificially loving like Christ was on display, and it impacted the whole atmosphere of the city. I could see it changing our students, and it is still changing and challenging me.”
— Anna Seip
