1. Haley Juber is a pediatric physical therapist with additional certification in aquatic physical therapy.  While the majority of her clinical experiences have occurred in providing physical therapy services to children at a non-profit outpatient clinic, she currently works with babies and families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and an associated NICU Follow-up Clinic. Outside of the classroom and the clinic, you can find Dr. Juber embracing all things related to being a wife and mom of two young daughters.
2. Priya Pockyarath has served as a full-time faculty member at IWU since 2022. She grew up in southeast Michigan and was involved in the sport of gymnastics from a young age, competing and coaching through her school years. She attended Purdue University, where she graduated with a BA in Movement and Sport Science while competing as a member of the NAIGC gymnastics team. She attended Oakland University where she received her Doctor of Physical Therapy and Graduate Certificate in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy. She spent the first ten years of her career as an out-patient Physical Therapist and served many years as a clinic director. During her early career, she enjoyed being a clinical instructor, mentoring new hires, and teaching continuing education courses, which led to seeking a full-time faculty role. Since stepping into a faculty position, she uses her expertise in orthopedics to teach musculoskeletal-focused courses. She melds her love of gymnastics and physical therapy through her research and has become a Gymnastics Sports Medicine Certified Practitioner, focusing her clinical hours on the treatment of gymnasts and dancers. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Human Movement Science with a dissertation topic focused on low back pain in female gymnasts. When she is not in the classroom or clinic, Priya attends to her busy home life with her husband and two children. When she finds free time, she enjoys traveling and reading.
3. Palmer assumed his position as part-time professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy on August 1, 2023 and was appointed to a full-time position as Program Director on July 1, 2025. With more than 45 years of experience in PT, he has practiced at hospitals and outpatient centers in Texas, Georgia, and in the Middle East - Bethlehem, Jericho, and the Gaza Strip, where he taught in the School of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences. He also served as a PT consultant in Beirut, Lebanon and was the PT for a semi-professional basketball team in Larnaca, Cyprus.  While in the West Bank, Dr. Palmer developed a PT program that was implemented at Bethlehem University.  He has also taught at the Medical College of Georgia, Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, the University of North Georgia, and was the founding director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia. He has been an active volunteer with the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, serving on the Nominating committee and as a reviewer for ProCert, the Federation’s continuing competence certification program. His experience with the Federation also includes service as an item writer for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) and participation in task forces related to completion of practice analyses, setting pass points for the NPTE, analysis of the results of the annual membership survey, and development of the continuing competence program. As a result of his work with the Federation, Dr. Palmer has been awarded the McDougal Award for long-term service, the President’s Award for his work with continuing competence, and two Outstanding Service Awards. He was also inducted into the Academy of Advanced Item Writers. Outside the classroom and office, Dr. Palmer loves to spend time with his three children, their spouses, and his nine grandchildren.

Student referred to Financial Aid office for assistance.

1. Global Trip: During the second year of the program, students are required to participate in an international travel program, which is paid by their tuition. To date, two classes served in Ecuador and two in the Dominican Republic.
2. Early clinical experiences (ICE): Students have the opportunity to engage in clinical practice throughout the program through our Integrated Clinical Experiences. Wellness activities are  conducted in local community centers and pro bono clinical services are provided through a partnership with Bridges to Health. With the acquisition of the Wellness Center, new opportunities for clinical involvement and collaboration with health care providers from other disciplines will be come a greater opportunity.
3. Electives: Every student is required to take three courses in advanced clinical practice. Each course provides one credit toward the three required for DPT 895. In the past, electives have been offered in advanced musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, and specialty practices. Students may also participate in a program to gain certification in LSVT.

The DPT program is specifically designed to prepare students to enter the healthcare arena as physical therapists. Students are equipped with the technical skills and knowledge needed to work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, schools and sports facilities. On completion of the program students are enabled to examin, diagnose, and treat and prevent movement dysfunction and impairments. All course and program activities are designed to reflect and integrate contemporary physical therapy practice as indicated in the program mission statement, which states that the program strives to “become a leader in developing graduates who are equipped to deliver quality, professional, innovative, compassionate, evidence-based clinical care while serving their local, national, and global community to improve health and glorify Christ.”

As this program’s curriculum is “lock-step,” students must complete all course satisfactorily during each academic term in order to progress to higher level courses. Each course is carefully designed to contribute to the overall mission and goals of the program, and to provide knowledge and skills for the successful practice of physical therapy on graduation.

1. IWU PT Graduates that have stayed local are Matt Lavin and Susan Green
2. IWU Undergraduate and PT graduate working outside of the state is Dayton Butte
3. IWU PT graduate who completed clinical experiences outside of the US is Tiffany Romeos

After graduation, students must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination and secure licensure before employment. Some states (e.g., Indiana) allow new graduates to work with a temporary license until that take the NPTE the first time. Pass rates for the NPTE for graduates from the first two cohorts (2024 and 2025) are posted on the website (IWU Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree).

1. All students are required to participate in and pass all Integrated Clinical Experiences, an Early Clinical Experience (4 weeks), and three Terminal Clinical Experiences in order to graduate from the program. Something that makes us a different is the 1:1 involvement of the DCE with student planning compared to a “lottery system.” Students have a voice in the development, progression, and placement during their terminal clinical experiences.  This speaks to our focus on spending time with, learning about, and investment in our students.
2. Students are encouraged to complete a research project under the supervision of a faculty member. A “Research Night” is held each summer to highlight the students’ research. Students have also presented their research at State, National, and International meetings, and several of the studies have been published in pee-reviewed journals.

The DPT program is on-campus and requires all students to be present for the entire program length. Requirements for clinical experiences are noted above in response to question #8. During these clinical experiences, students may be required to travel to sites within Indiana, in other states, and internationally depending on the placement agreements made between the DCE and each individual student. Students are required to locate and cover the costs of living during the experience.

Students are engaged in classes, labs, and clinical experiences 20 – 25 hours per week. Each student should commit to the additional time required for class preparation and to complete all necessary assignments.

Currently, the program takes 3 years to complete all requirements. A proposal is in place to reduce the length of the program to 2.5 years.

All services available to students on the campus.

1. Students assigned faculty advisors to facilitate meeting the students needs, providing adademic and professional supports and mentoring.
2. Previous cohorts have had “peer” mentors. First year students paired with either a third or second year student.

See information above related to clinical experiences. All clinical experiences are live and cannot be completed virually.

The program generally does not accept transfer students.

See information above regarding involvement in faculty-mentored research.

Generally, students who are highly motivated and dedicated to learning thrive. These are not necessarily the ones with the highest admissions GPAs, although solid academic preparation in fulfillment of a bachelor's degree and completion of necessary prerequisite courses tends to lead to better performance in the program.

• Students meet with Director of Clinical Education early in the program to discuss student’s areas of interests and desired areas of focus post graduation to assist in development an individualized student clinical education plan.Reflection of student clinical experiences prior to their termincal clinical experience (8, 10, and 12 week rotations) through Integrated Clnical Experience (ICE) further assist with guiding their final clinical experiences.
• Termincal Clinical 1 (8 weeks), 2 (10 weeks) and 3 (12 weeks) occur following the completion of the students coursework. Students engage and work with a variety of patient diagnoses, age groups, and demographics in completing these rotations at different clinial sites and within a a variety of rehabilitation settings.

• The curriculum is built to provide exposure to all aspects of physical therapy practice that will be addressed on the examination.
• A workshop is held for students provided by a reputable test preparation company that is designed to help them identify content areas needing improvement as well as test-taking strategies.
• Students are required to complete several practice tests and submit plans for study and development in the areas of content covered by the exam.