Chair Updates

February 2026

As I settle into my second year as Chair of the UMass Lowell Department of Physical Therapy and Kinesiology, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation and deep respect for all of you. I am struck by the breadth and depth of our supportive, accomplished and connected alumni, clinical partners and friends. This department is truly a ‘family,’ and you are a big part of that. 

Rebecca Glass joined our faculty as assistant clinical professor filling the role of director of clinical education. Associate Teaching Professor Michele Fox continues to provide significant support to our clinical education program. They continue to build our clinical education site offerings, which include recent additions of Spaulding Rehabilitation, UMass Memorial and the Indiana Pacers.

Associate Professor Dave Cornell received the Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist Award the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) awarded at in July at the 2025 NSCA National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

Associate Professor Erika Lewis and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) student Kyle Callahan collaborated with engineering students on augmented reality research, which has the potential to deliver remote care with measurable experiences that physical therapists can monitor in real time.

Our faculty continued their great work in biological and molecular muscle and human physiology and performance outcomes across the lifespan. View recent publications.

In May, we congratulated our Exercise Science and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) classes of 2025 and welcomed them as alumni. We look forward to hearing from our new alumni as they enter their professions! We also celebrated the pinning of DPT ’25 students and recognized the work of our DPT ‘25 and DPT ’26 students at our annual student showcase. View DPT student awards.

Several Physical Therapy and Kinesiology (PTK) students won awards in the Student Research Symposium:

• Matthew Ruggiero won best undergraduate oral presentation with faculty advisors Associate Professors Pei-Chun Kao and Yi-Ning Wu.
• Donald Rogers ’24, '25, an exercise science and Master of Public Health major, won best graduate oral presentation with faculty advisor Associate Professor Dave Cornell.
• Lauren Latino, Hannah Allgood, Shayla Quill and Nathan Johnson won best posters, also with faculty mentoring from Kao and Wu.

With faculty support from Associate Teaching Professor Kyle Coffey, our exercise science students attended the New England Exercise Science College Bowl regional competition. While we didn’t bring the big trophy to Lowell this year, (we did in 2024 and were fourth in the nation), the students in the photo - Zachary Kyros, Lily Boccelli and Michael Arbuckle - did a great job and made us proud.

Year 3 DPT students, in the photo above, attended Physical Therapy Day on the Hill—a legislative advocacy event to educate the Massachusetts on issues impacting the profession. Thirty-one students attended the event, spoke with legislators and prepared educational materials to legislators illustrating the breadth of how PT can impact health and wellness. UML had among the highest attendance.

The UMass Lowell DPT program was also well represented at the Massachusetts American Physical Therapy Association meeting with over 25 people attending. Associate Professor Maggie O’Neil and Department Chair and Professor Julie Keysor presented their research. Cornell and O’Neil, along with students Jeremy Piez, Kyle Poulin, Alex Nelson, Luciano Folz and Julia Forget, presented posters.

We continue to hear how great our exercise science and DPT alumni are in their respective fields and sincerely appreciate our numerous alumni serving as clinical instructors (too many to list!) and adjunct faculty – Heather Jones 10, '13, Ben Kim '05, '11, Caroline Pisinski '20, Christine Spelman '07. '10 and Ryan Stoddard '00, '03. Some highlights include:

• Lou Coiro ’82, owner of two physical therapy practices, continues his leadership in the UMass Lowell (UML) Student Physical Therapy Clinic to support our integrated DPT clinical education didactic training while providing care to UML students, faculty and staff. Heather Jones and Kelly Dyke ’01, ’04 work with Coiro as clinical instructors in the PT Clinic.

• Jenna Mattera ‘16 of Mattera Physical Therapy, and author of “Strength Training and Exercise Prescription for Rehabilitation Professionals: An Evidence-based, Therapeutic Exercise Textbook” spoke to our third year DPT students once again about strength training and exercise prescription.
• Scott Waugh ’90, shared with our students his exciting career as a physical therapist and certified athletic trainer for the Atlanta Falcons, Boston College football and ice hockey programs, and his work with the Patriots and Boston Red Sox. Previously, co-owner of Sports and Physical Therapy Associates with 15 offices in the Greater Boston area, he is currently the clinical director of sports therapy for the Division of Sports Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Students were thrilled to hear of his mentoring approach and his perspectives on the importance of life-long learning.