SMART Wellness and Beyond

The things I love most about teaching are the growth, inspiration and creativity in the learning environment. For me, wellness is the foundation that allows us to thrive so we can be more effective learners and teachers. Self-care enables us to cope with stressors that challenge our ability to teach, learn and live effectively. This is just as true in business classes as it is in health classes. I have served as faculty in college programs for health education, health promotion and allied health education since 1993. Currently, I teach post graduate and graduate students in Wellness and Health Promotion, Doctoral Nursing and Education Leadership, and MBA for Healthcare programs. I am the president and lead physical therapist of Integrative Wellness, Inc., Physical Therapy and Consulting.

I want my students to be able to deal with the most challenging parts of their world in a healthy way. When it comes to wellness, the best any of us can do in any circumstance is to maximize our capacity for resilience, creativity, and connectivity. I try to make sure my students have tools to do that in a way that is meaningful in the context of their lives. We are all learning from and teaching each other. Helping people help themselves allows a ripple effect of knowledge and goodwill to spread beyond the small efforts we each can achieve on a daily basis. It encourages others, and improves our world in ways that are beyond our own abilities.

• Outstanding Dissertation Award for 2010-2011 academic year, College of Saint Mary, May 2011. • Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Division of Physical Therapy Education, 1997. • University of Nebraska Graduate Thesis Scholarship, Spring 1990. • William M. Kizer Scholarship for Worksite Heath Promotion, Wellness Council of the Midlands, Omaha, NE, 1989.

• EdD, Doctorate in Education with Emphasis on Health Professions Education, College of Saint Mary, in Omaha. Dissertation title: The Suitability of the Generic Abilities Assessment for Evaluating Professionalism in Physical Therapist Assistant Students – A Phenomenological Study. • MPT, Masters of Physical Therapy, University of Nebraska Medical Center. • MS, Master of Science in Health Education, University of Nebraska - Omaha, August 1992. Thesis title: The Effect of a Weight Training Program on the Happiness of Young Women. • Graduate Certificate of Gerontology, University of Nebraska - Omaha. • BA, Bachelor of Arts in Natural Science, University of Nebraska - Omaha. • BS, Bachelor of Science in Education with concentration in Exercise Science, University of Nebraska - Omaha.

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