Paula DiBiasio, associate professor in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Department of Physical Therapy Education and the Global Learning Opportunities Program Coordinator, and Katey Collins, senior lecturer in physiotherapy at Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom, have been working together for over a year to create student and faculty exchanges. Both programs are interested in creating intercultural learning opportunities to promote the development of intercultural awareness, sensitivity and humility in physical therapy students with the ultimate goal of providing high-quality patient-centered care that helps to reduce health and health care inequities.

In the first meeting, both academic programs introduced information about the path to becoming a physical therapist and then 32 students broke out into groups to 鈥渟cavenger hunt鈥� facts about each program. In the process, students explored program similarities and differences, described unique aspects of their programs and shared some of their favorite aspects of their local culture.

The group will continue to meet monthly to discuss student-initiated topics while exploring aspects of the physical therapy profession, health care systems, delivery and reimbursement models in each country. Next month, a patient panel will launch the exchange. Future sessions will include topics related to patient populations, work environments and the impact of climate change on health care.

DiBiasio, in collaboration with Danielle Lake, director of design thinking and associate professor, are leading a series of design workshops with the DPT students. The first session featured a GLO alumni panel and workshop activities with the DPTE class of 2023.听 Alumni shared their “GLO stories”, including what they found personally, professionally, and civically valuable about their GLO now that they have graduated.

Alumni鈥檚 reflections included learning to have a more holistic perspective of their patients, and recognizing that, according to Chioma Ichoku DPT ’19, 鈥渁ssumptions can be one of the greatest enemies of growth鈥�. Rebba Maylone DPT ’20 reported that spending time with people who were different from her and had different lived experiences changed her worldview and made her a patient advocate.

Maksim Birikov DPT ’14 explained that respecting and celebrating diversity has contributed to his success as a physical therapist. Patti Weber DPT ’16 described how her clinical rotation in Italy 鈥渃hallenged me culturally and clinically鈥�.

Following the panel, current DPT students worked to imagine their own GLO stories, locations, and values. Students shared their desire to build relationships, meet language challenges, function in collective societies, and explore the world outside of their own corner. They recognized the need, as physical therapists, to learn in diverse spaces and challenge their comfort zone.

DiBiasio and Lake will continue this project with a second student workshop at the end of this month and a subsequent redesign of the nationally recognized GLO program. Alumni will continue to contribute to the future of GLO by adding video stories, serving as a resource for current students, and participating in a national 黑料不打烊 GLO professional network created by DiBiasio. DiBiasio has reconnected with more than 40 GLO alumni who are interested in connecting with each other, as well as mentoring new 黑料不打烊 DPTE GLO graduates.

The workshop ended with gratitude, and excitement for the future.

Associate Professor Paula DiBiasio, Department of Physical Therapy Education Global Learning Opportunities (GLO) coordinator, and Associate Professor Srikant Vallabhajosula, Department of Physical Therapy Education research coordinator, hosted the event.

This year the forum was virtual. To provide students the opportunity to present live and to offer attendees the opportunity to interact with students, the entire event was structured very similar to an in-person poster session. With the assistance of Michael Vaughn, Denise Cowardin and Ben Tupper in Teaching and Learning Technologies, each student presenter had their own Zoom room. Visitors moved from room to room to view the students鈥� posters and discuss the students鈥� projects.

Dean Becky Neiduski kicked off the event with a warm welcome and heartfelt comments acknowledging everyone鈥檚 efforts during this challenging time. First-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students presented their research projects including studies examining the effect of music on motor cortex excitability, classifying toe walking in children, and addressing fall risk in lung cancer survivors. Second- and third-year DPT students explored the intersection of healthcare and culture, and presented aspects of their domestic GLO clinical experiences that contributed to their professional development. Additionally, Hannah Buckingham, the DPTE鈥檚 first sports physical therapy resident, presented her work with Division One athletes.

The event was a great success with 115 attendees, including a few students鈥� family members who would normally not be able to attend the in-person event due to distance. While DiBiasio and Vallabhajosula hope the 2021 Forum will be in-person, they were pleased with the high quality of students鈥� work and their extraordinary flexibility. Many of the posters presented will be submitted for upcoming national conferences.

This year鈥檚 symposium听will feature David Wong, associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education at听Michigan State University. Wong鈥檚 area of interest and expertise include intercultural competence, global learning, and the impact of study abroad experiences.

Formerly a high school teacher, David received a doctorate from Stanford University and has been on the faculty in the College of Education at Michigan State University for more than 20听years. He is currently a visiting professor at Tokyo听Gakugei听University.听Wong听has led study abroad programs to Japan, England, and the Netherlands. He听is well-published听and frequently presents at international conferences.

Wong will present on the theme 鈥淭hinking differently about intercultural competence鈥� and will challenge attendees to consider alternative approaches to developing cultural competence in students. In an afternoon session, participants听will have the opportunity to apply Wong鈥檚 ideas,听designing activities particular to their students and institutional context.

The Global Education Symposium is sponsored by the Department of Physical Therapy Education Global Learning Opportunities program, the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center, the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning听and the Center for Research on Global Engagement.

For more information and registration: 2019听Global Education Symposium –听听鈥�/u/academics/global-education-center/global-education-symposium/.

As part of the curriculum, the DPT students have been learning about human motor development. They’re studying the progression in play skills for children, and understanding how body systems, such as the musculoskeletal system, impact development. 

To bring those concepts to life, DiBiasio partnered with the “It Takes a Village” Project, a program that uses a collaborative approach to help children in the community who are struggling to read. The program’s summer camp is hosting 70 children, providing them with opportunities to engage in music, technology, photography and many other exciting areas including movement. 

This service-learning adventure has reinforced classroom material while providing the children with well needed physical activity. The campers, who are in grades two through eight, have also learned the benefits of movement, risks of sedentary behaviors and how to stay active through sports and play.

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Six third-year DPT students lead the session with 20 second- and first-year students assisting. DiBiasio and Duffy have designed weekly curriculum to include science and physical activity to promote wellness within the Village. With the help of anatomist Janet Cope, the first session utilized the “Bones & Backpacks” curriculum focusing on the impact of good nutrition, physical activity and posture on bone development and strength.

The Village children and families engaged in various activities with lots of questions and laughter. All ages participated in the event that will continue every Tuesday night until the end of the semester. For the second year, DiBiasio and her DPT students plan to continue her work in The Village summer camp this year providing daily physical activity and education sessions for the Village summer campers to foster awareness about movement and discourage sedentary behaviors.

DiBiasio and Duffy hope to continue involvement in the Village in the fall which will include a research project to track the impact of their program on self-esteem, physical activity, health and wellness.

Carter, Selby and Thomas discussed issues related to protective health to avoid or improve back pain.

“This is Adam’s passion,” said Dr. Paula DiBiasio, who supervised the DPTE project. “He is all about wellness and on many occasions has given his time and shared his knowledge with the 黑料不打烊 community.” 

Students in the School of Education practiced stretching and strengthening techniques and discussed practices in the classroom to promote good health.

Members of the Global Medical Brigades learned to take blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate in preparation for skills needed on a service trip to Ghana this August. In addition, they practiced their knowledge of medical terminology and medical abbreviations while playing jeopardy with DPT and PA student volunteers. 

The group enjoyed pizza and fun while forging new friendships and mentor relationships. The event was organized by Paula DiBiasio, assistant professor of physical therapy education and chair of the School of Health Sciences Global Learning Opportunities Committee and advisor for the 黑料不打烊 Chapter of the Medical Global Brigades.

Mindful of the developing neurologic, musculoskeletal and cardiopulmonary systems, DPT students designed activity stations to target certain muscle groups, physical skills and performance levels to engage the children in 45-60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity.

This is the second occasion the Department of Physical Therapy Education has collaborated with the School of Education for this event.  This year, DiBiasio and Dr. Stephen Byrd, director of the summer academy, were awarded an 黑料不打烊 Civic Engagement grant to support the project.

The summer academy also serves as the final internship for students in 黑料不打烊’s master’s degree program in special education. Graduate interns were on hand to help coordinate and facilitate the activities as was Dr. Charity Johansson, from the Department of Physical Therapy Education.

The graduate interns were so pleased with the activities and the children’s level of engagement. They borrowed exercise equipment to continue the physical activities during recess for the remainder of the two-week camp. Byrd and DiBiasio were thrilled with the interns’ commitment to continue the physical activity, stressing the benefits for health, wellness and academic performance.