2022 Irma Ruebling Distinguished Speaker Series

Join the Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy for the annual Irma Ruebling Distinguished Speaker Series:

Innovative Approaches to Optimize Performance 

in the Real World in Persons with Neurological Conditions

presented by

Terry Ellis, Ph.D., PT, NCS 

Dr. Ellis is an Associate Professor at Boston University, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College in the Department of Physical Therapy & Athletic Training. Her research focuses on investigating the impact of exercise and rehabilitation on the progression of disability in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Dr. Ellis is also the Director of the Center for Neurorehabilitation at Boston University where she conducts research, provides clinical consultations and education to healthcare professionals and to persons with neurological disorders. Dr. Ellis also directs the American Parkinson Disease Association National Rehabilitation Resource Center housed at Boston University and teaches examination and treatment of patients with neurological disorders. In addition, Dr. Ellis is a board-certified specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy. She has published numerous articles and lectures internationally on topics related to rehabilitation in persons with Parkinson's disease.

This event is complimentary but registration is required to receive the event link. Please register by March 22.

If you are having troubles accessing the registration site, you can copy and paste this link into your search bar: https://alumni.slu.edu/ruebling22

Cheryl L. Cavallo Endowed Memorial Fund

The Cheryl L. Cavallo Endowed Memorial Fund is for upcoming professional year III students in the Physical Therapy program. Applicants must have a 2.7 GPA or higher and a desire to participate in healthcare-related domestic or international mission trips.

Dr. Cheryl Cavallo received her bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees from Saint Louis University and was a member of the faculty for 32 years, retiring in 2011. During her tenure, she received multiple awards for teaching and service. Cheryl participated in mission trips to Haiti and El Salvador and was extremely passionate about student involvement in service trips. Cheryl truly saw her profession as a gift because she could serve other people. 

The Cheryl Cavallo Memorial Scholarship was established to reflect Cheryl's passion and lifetime commitment to the education of her students and their preparation in the Jesuit tradition to become men and women for others. She served as the faculty mentor for the Program in Physical Therapy Student Council (now the Physical Therapy Student Association) for 22 years and tirelessly coordinated the Hustle for Your Health 5K event for 11 years. She lived the Jesuit mission every day by giving back to those less fortunate. 

The purpose of this award is to assist physical therapy students in their upcoming PY III year who have the same desire to participate in healthcare-related domestic or international mission trips. International trips must have a focus on healthcare. Belize clinical placement will count towards your eligibility.  Please note that the number and dollar amount of scholarships given will vary.  If you have questions about this scholarship, please contact Jill Fitzgerald at 314-977-8756 or jill.fitzgerald@health.slu.edu.

Students can apply for the scholarship here: https://slu.academicworks.com/opportunities/17667

Learn more about our student scholarships on the Saint Louis University Doisy College of Health Sciences website: https://www.slu.edu/doisy/about/scholarships-for-current-students.php

If you wish to support this student scholarship or others, please visit the Saint Louis University Giving Page: https://giving.slu.edu/doisy

Carolyn Gioia Memorial Scholarship

Carolyn Gioia was a 1949 graduate of Saint Louis University's Program in Physical Therapy. Carolyn was always mindful of and generous to the poor, the needy, and the underserved of society.  She worked as a dedicated physical therapist for 45 years and actively participated in various international and national physical therapy organizations. Carolyn was a life-long supporter of Saint Louis University - Go Billikens! She was a member of the Saint Louis University 1818 & DuBourg Society, two giving societies recognizing those that give generously to the University. Carolyn established the Carolyn Gioia Memorial Scholarship to support physical therapy students.  The first scholarships were granted in 2019.

The scholarship is available to professional phase Physical Therapy students.  Students must have a 2.7 GPA or higher and demonstrate financial need.  Preference will be made first to students with a physical disability, then to students going into their PYII or PYIII year of the program.  Please note that the number and dollar amount of scholarships given will vary.  For questions regarding this scholarship, please contact Jill Fitzgerald at  jill.fitzgerald@health.slu.edu or 314-977-8756.

Students can apply for the scholarship here: https://slu.academicworks.com/opportunities/17663

Learn more about our student scholarships on the Saint Louis University Doisy College of Health Sciences website: https://www.slu.edu/doisy/about/scholarships-for-current-students.php

If you wish to support this student scholarship or others, please visit the Saint Louis University Giving Page: https://giving.slu.edu/doisy

Sister Mary Imelda Pingel Scholarship

Sister Mary Imelda Pingel (1911-2006), a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, became the director of the physical therapy department in 1943 after pursuing clinical work at Firmin Desloge Hospital (now Saint Louis University Hospital), where she treated polio patients and opened a cerebral palsy and rehabilitation center. She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy in 1942 and a master’s degree in education in 1969, both from Saint Louis University.

In honor of Sister Imelda Pingel, the Chairperson of the Department of Physical Therapy from 1943-1977, a scholarship fund was created in 1983 through generous contributions by alumni and friends.  The Pingel Scholarships are awarded to selected Doctor of Physical Therapy students to assist in their PY II or PY III year. The decisions for the awards will be based on financial needs and academic records.  Your annual Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is one tool used to determine need.  This information must be on file with the SLU Financial Aid office to be considered for an award.  Please note that the number and dollar amount of scholarships given will vary. If you have any questions, please contact Jill Fitzgerald at 314-977-8756 or jill.fitzgerald@health.slu.edu.

Students can apply for the scholarship here: https://slu.academicworks.com/opportunities/17661

Learn more about our student scholarships on the Saint Louis University Doisy College of Health Sciences website: https://www.slu.edu/doisy/about/scholarships-for-current-students.php

If you wish to support this student scholarship or others, please visit the Saint Louis University Giving Page: https://giving.slu.edu/doisy

Dr. Peter D. Mosher Endowed Memorial Scholarship

The Dr. Peter D. Mosher Endowed Memorial Scholarship is inspired by the example and life of Dr. Peter D. Mosher (1981-2013) who received his DPT from SLU in 2006. Dr. Mosher excelled in all facets of his education and was greatly respected and admired by fellow students and colleagues. He devoted his life to the service of others, including as an energetic educator and compassionate physical therapist. Because Pete’s passion for social justice was the motivating force throughout every facet of his life, it was his great desire for his students to practice their profession among those who are underserved. This award was established to defray costs for physical therapy students who choose a clinical experience that fulfills this goal.

This scholarship carries forward his enduring passion for the clinical component of physical therapist education and his vision that physical therapy students should seek clinical experiences that explore and extend their horizons, challenge themselves, and serve the under-served. This scholarship is for students in the Program in Physical Therapy entering PY III year for next academic year and placed in a clinical setting over the upcoming summer or during PYIII spring that would be considered as serving the underserved.  Preference is given to students serving outside of the St. Louis area.  Eligible students must have a minimum of 2.7 GPA. Please note that the number and dollar amount of scholarships given will vary.  If you have questions about this scholarship, please contact Jill Fitzgerald at 314-977-8756 or jill.fitzgerald@health.slu.edu.

Students can apply for the scholarship here: https://slu.academicworks.com/opportunities/17665

Learn more about our student scholarships on the Saint Louis University Doisy College of Health Sciences website: https://www.slu.edu/doisy/about/scholarships-for-current-students.php

If you wish to support this student scholarship or others, please visit the Saint Louis University Giving Page: https://giving.slu.edu/doisy

Theresa Bernsen Endowed Memorial Award

Professor Theresa Bernsen (1965-2010) was a passionate advocate for physical therapy students. This award is a testament to Theresa’s commitment to excellence in education and practice.  Since 2018, this award has been designated for students in the post-baccalaureate portion of the Program in Physical Therapy who are first-generation students.

This scholarship will support a student in physical therapy entering their PY II or PY III year who exemplifies academic integrity and effort as did Theresa Bernsen. Theresa Bernsen was among the first Honors Student Program graduates in Physical Therapy and joined the PT faculty as a lab assistant in 1991. Theresa was the first member of her family to graduate with a college degree. 

Eligible applicants must have a declared major in Physical Therapy and be considered a first-generation college student (your parents did not earn a college degree).  Applicants must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate or post-bac GPA of 2.7. Your annual Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is one tool used to determine need. This information must be on file with the SLU Financial Aid office to be considered for an award. Please note the number and dollar amount of scholarships will vary.  If you have any questions, please contact Jill Fitzgerald at 314-977-8756 or jill.fitzgerald@health.slu.edu.

Students can apply for the scholarship here: https://slu.academicworks.com/opportunities/17669

Learn more about our student scholarships on the Saint Louis University Doisy College of Health Sciences website: https://www.slu.edu/doisy/about/scholarships-for-current-students.php

If you wish to support this student scholarship or others, please visit the Saint Louis University Giving Page: https://giving.slu.edu/doisy

Researcher Spotlight - Oluwatoyosi (Olu) Owoeye, PhD, MSc, BPT

Hi! I am Olu Owoeye, a Nigerian-Canadian residing in the United States. I am an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) at the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, Saint Louis University, MO. I am a research physical therapist with expertise in sports injury epidemiology and prevention. Before moving down south to work in the United States, I was a postdoctoral fellow at the International Olympic Committee funded Sport Injury Prevention Research Center, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada for 4 years. This position provided me the opportunity of leading research projects funded by the NBA and GE and other funding agencies. 

Studies from my postdoc projects and my previous research efforts have produced several scientific publications informing best practices and future research directions in the field of sports injury prevention and knowledge translation. Specifically, my research is focused on the discovery and translation of knowledge that informs the prevention of sport-related injuries and associated consequences in youth and young adults. 

My current project at the Saint Louis University – RICHLoad, meaning Reducing Injuries in Collegiate atHletes through Load Management, aims at developing an athlete monitoring system (mobile app and dashboard) for the daily tracking of psycho-physiological load (RPE) and weekly prediction of injury risk based on multivariable regression models in collegiate soccer and basketball athletes (details here: https://cs.slu.edu/projects/richload/). We are hopeful this innovative tool would be useful to college soccer and basketball coaches and sports medicine professionals in mitigating the risk of overuse and traumatic injuries among student-athletes in the United States.

Find me on Twitter at @owoeye_oba

Researcher Spotlight is a regular feature that highlights faculty research in the Saint Louis University Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training.