Dr. Rupal Patel is an Associate Professor in the School of Physical Therapy at Texas Woman’s University (TWU) in Houston, Texas. Dr. Patel received her PhD in Health Promotion and Wellness from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, UT. She received her Master of Science in Physical Therapy from TWU in Houston and her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Physical Therapy from TWU in Denton, Texas. Currently, Dr. Patel coordinates the two health promotion and wellness courses in the TWU Houston DPT curriculum, one focuses on the physical therapist’s role in impacting individual health behaviors and the other focuses on the PT’s role in community health promotion. Dr. Patel has extensive experience utilizing a service learning pedagogy to teach community health promotion, working with various local organizations with underserved target populations. She also teaches Nutrition in PT Practice content to 2 other DPT programs. Dr. Patel has presented refereed poster and platform presentations at state and national meetings on the utility of the PRECEDE-PROCEED Model for Health Promotion Program Planning in physical therapist education. She has also co-authored a publication on this model in the Journal of PT Education. Her research interests include (1) designing and implementing group based culturally tailored community lifestyle intervention programs to reduce risk factors for Diabetes and (2) applying the PRECEDE-PROCEED Model to foster community engagement during service learning projects in the DPT curriculum. Dr. Patel is an engaging speaker that has taught numerous courses on nutrition, community health promotion, education, ethics, and advocacy related topics at local, regional, state, and national conferences. She is a regular content contributor at APHPT and and consults on design and delivery of community engagement projects.

Nicole Eddy, PT, DPT, is a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy with a deep passion for improving health and wellness within neurological populations. As an assistant professor at Grand Valley State University, she shares her expertise and dedication with students, preparing them to make a difference in the lives of their patients. Dr. Eddy also plays an active role in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), where she chairs the Health Promotion and Wellness Network Member Engagement Group, focusing on fostering collaboration and engagement to advance wellness initiatives. Her work is centered on enhancing the quality of life for individuals with neurological conditions by promoting evidence-based interventions and advocating for holistic approaches to health and wellness. 

Shannon Richardson, PT, DPT, EdD is an Assistant Professor for the College of Saint Mary's Blended Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in Omaha, Nebraska. He received two Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and a Doctor of Physical Therapy from Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. He completed an orthopedic residency at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles, California, and became a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy. Before joining the faculty at the College of Saint Mary, Dr. Richardson worked in various settings, but the majority of his time was primarily in an orthopedic outpatient setting as part of a hospital. He also served as a faculty member for that hospital's physical therapy orthopedic residency. His teaching experience began as an adjunct faculty member teaching orthopedic courses to DPT students and he eventually secured a full-time teaching position at the College of Saint Mary. nal Leadership. His areas of scholarship are focused on discrimination within physical therapy education and social determinants of health.

Janet Bezner is professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at Texas State University. She received a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy at the University of Texas Medical Branch, a master’s degree from Texas Woman’s University, a PhD in health education from the University of Texas, and a DPT degree from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. She also is a national board-certified health and wellness coach. She was vice president of education, governance, and administration at APTA for nine years and served on APTA’s Board of Directors prior to joining its staff. Janet has practiced and held leadership roles in various settings, including hospitals, home health, long-term care, corporate wellness, academia, and non-profit organizations.  Her research has resulted in 15 book chapters, over 30 published articles, eight grants, and numerous conference presentations on health and wellness and leadership-related topics. She is a Lucy Blair Service Award recipient and a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA.  Janet maintains an active health and executive coaching practice, and provides strategic planning and thinking consultation.