Director of D.P.T. program receives APTA chapter award

Professor Kevin Chui, P.T., D.P.T., Ph.D., was named the recipient of the 2022 Mercedes Weiss Service Award by APTA Oregon, a chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association. The award was established in 1976 to publicly acknowledge the outstanding contributions of members of the profession.

Chui is program chair of Radford University's Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) program.

“Personally and professionally, I am honored to receive this award,” Chui said. “I am especially thankful for my wife and family, who have always supported my opportunities to serve the PT profession. I would also like to thank my mentors for their support and encouragement throughout my career, as well as the colleagues and students that have inspired me.”

APTA Oregon states that the recipient of the award must have made a significant contribution to the advancement of one or more of the following areas:

• Clinical Practice – innovations in treatment techniques, patient aids, standards of practice.
• Education – program development or modification, educational skills and techniques, continuing education.
• Administration – staff development and successful administrative innovations.
• Research – basic or clinical research, development and implementation of research models and the promotion of research over a broad base.
• Practice Management – legislative issues, reimbursement, quality assurance, etc.
• Other areas which may not be included in the above criteria but which have significantly affected the practice of physical therapy.
  

Chui was notified that he had won the award in late February and was officially named this year’s recipient at the 2022 Virtual Conference hosted by the organization on March 12.

His nomination for the award stated that “Dr. Chui’s scholarly contributions are far too extensive to list in their entirety.” Chui’s résumé includes editing and writing chapters for healthcare textbooks, authoring multiple peer-reviewed manuscripts and articles for invited publications and presenting many peer-reviewed publications at national, regional and state conferences. He was also recognized for his extensive service to the profession, including elected leadership roles, on the Commission of Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy, and editorial work for several journals.

Chui came to the D.P.T. program, based at Radford University Carilion (RUC) in Roanoke, in November 2021, relocating from Hillsboro, Oregon. There, he had served as the director of the School of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training and the associate dean for faculty affairs for the College of Health Professions for Pacific University. Chui said making the decision to relocate from the West Coast to the East Coast became clear during his interview process.

“When I came for the interview, it was clear that Dean [Kenneth] Cox and Associate Dean [Glen] Mayhew were effective advocates for Waldron College of Health and Human Services and dedicated to excellence,” Chui recalled. “The Radford University D.P.T. program has an outstanding reputation with exceptional graduation, licensure and employment rates that exceed accreditation requirements and reflect the faculty’s commitment to student success.”

Additionally, Chui said he was drawn to the D.P.T. program when he saw the multitude of opportunities for students from Radford’s partnership with Carilion Clinic.

“I liked the small class sizes, which enable the program to create a supportive environment, provide experiential learning opportunities and mentor groups on capstone projects, as well as other high impact practices,” Chui said. “The faculty are known for their teaching, service and scholarly contributions. In particular, there is an impressive culture of collaboration amongst the faculty. All of these factors made my choice to come to the D.P.T. program an easy one.”

Chui said that the D.P.T. program was reaccredited for 10 years by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education in 2019, making this an ideal time to develop a new strategic plan to guide the program’s future development.  

“We have already begun discussions about new pedagogical models, curriculum revision, new tools to enhance our operations, increasing student diversity, post-professional education opportunities and practice opportunities for underserved populations,” Chui said.

More information about APTA Oregon and the 2022 awards and honors can be found on the organization’s website.