ALEXANDRIA, VA - The Foundation for Physical Therapy Board of Trustees recently awarded a total of $240,000 in Promotion of Doctoral Studies (PODS) I & II Scholarships to 21 physical therapists.

"The Foundation is proud to support such outstanding doctoral students who exhibit academic excellence and will make significant contributions to the profession through research," said Foundation Board of Trustees Chair William G. Boissonnault, PT, DPT, DHSc, FAPTA, FAAOMPT.

As part of its post-professional Doctoral Opportunities for Clinicians and Scholarships (DOCS) program to fund the most highly-qualified doctoral and post-doctoral students preparing for research careers, the Foundation awards PODS I scholarships of $7,500 each year to physical therapists or physical therapist assistants who have completed at least 2 full semesters or 3 full quarters of their coursework toward a doctorate degree. PODS II scholarships of up to $15,000 each are awarded to physical therapists or physical therapist assistants who have been formally admitted to doctoral candidacy.
Recipients of the 2010 PODS I scholarships are Meryl Alappattu, PT, DPT, University of Florida; Eric Anson, MPT, University of Maryland; Michael Bade, MPT, University of Colorado Denver; Amy Feldman Bailes, PT, MS, PCS, University of Cincinnati; Jennifer Hide, DPT, University of Colorado Denver; Virginia Little, PT, MS, NCS, University of Florida; Ericka Merriwether, DPT, Washington University (St. Louis); David Logerstedt, MPT, MA, University of Delaware; Barbara Sargent, PT, MS, PCS, University of Southern California; and Jaclyn Sions, DPT, OCS, University of Delaware.

Recipients of the 2010 PODS II scholarships are Keith Avin, DPT, University of Iowa; Stacey DeJong, MPT, MS, Washington University (St. Louis); Jonathan Dropkin, MS, Mount Sinai School of Medicine/University of Massachusetts Amherst; Bernadette Gillick, MS, University of Minnesota; Manda Keller, DPT, Marquette University; Mark Lyle, MSPT, OCS, University of Southern California; Lynette Montgomery, PT, BPhty, The Ohio State University; William Thompson, DPT, University of Delaware; Lori Tuttle, MPT, Washington University (St Louis); Richard Willy, MPT, University of Delaware; and Melissa Wright, MPT, University of Michigan.

Meryl Alappattu, PT, DPT, received the Georgia State-Marquette Challenge Award for extraordinary merit. This award was made possible by the Georgia State-Marquette Challenge. Physical therapist and physical therapist assistant students from schools across the country participate in this annual grassroots student fundraising effort coordinated by Marquette University physical therapy students. The Challenge has raised over $1.8 million and funds a PODS I scholarship and supports Foundation research grants each year.