HARRISBURG, PA – Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) is pleased to welcome Allison Harris, PT, DPT, CCS, a new face at HU and the latest team member to join the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program currently in development* at HU.
Dr. Harris comes to us from Temple University where, as an undergraduate, she majored in Psychology with a Neuropsychology concentration and minored in Sociology of Health. After graduating, Dr. Harris worked with various organizations, including Food Trust, on various public health issues – most notably on addressing food security and underserved healthcare communities. She worked as a physical therapist and adjunct professor for several years, including at Temple, before joining the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Arcadia University (2018) and later at Baylor University (2023).
“Working with these organizations was such a great experience,” says Dr. Harris. “You have to focus on population levels, address education, and build effective public policy. Looking back at how I chose to become a PT [physical therapist], I really wanted to be involved at that individual level and help people, while looking at that bigger picture.”
Her work centered on improving nutrition in public schools (especially the Philadelphia, Chester, and Reading areas), bringing more nutrition information into the classroom, and creating new opportunities for students and citizens to engage in physical movement. She also assisted various food pantries and city- and county-level coalitions with efforts to improve access to healthy food and build nonprofit alliances focused on health and wellness.
However, there was always a call to return to the classroom to become a physical therapist. “I couldn’t sleep one night, so I mapped out the myriad steps in my head to make that goal happen. I finally fell asleep – and when I woke up the next morning, I told everybody who would listen that this is what’s happening. I put one foot in front of the other and went back to Temple to get my DPT.”
We wanted to learn more about what makes Dr. Harris tick, so we sat down with her to see what brought her to HU and what’s next.
What brought you to Harrisburg University?
“I chose HU because it has the capacity to make things happen. I love that Harrisburg is committed to addressing real challenges – whether it’s healthcare deserts or working to meet the needs of the employers located here and the individuals who want to work here. That’s a very strong foundation for our program; we want our students to come out with great careers. HU has a commitment to opening doors.
“Having experiences as an adult learner and career-changer, and really wanting to focus on getting an education that would lead to a strong and productive career is something that really resonated with me. The DPT program we’re developing has an opportunity to meet the needs of our adult learners and career-changers. Maybe someone who’s had a less traditional pathway compared to conventional students. Having that perspective and taking that journey – making it that much easier and relevant for the adult learner – is something I’m very excited about for Harrisburg University.”
What are your main areas of interest for conducting research?
“One of the things that interests me most is best practices for online learning. How can we create really robust educational experiences that leverage technology? How can we break back out of the classroom into the community? For me, it’s about curriculum design and supporting online as well as adult learners.
“We’ll be looking at integrating best practices and new technologies, like VR for healthcare, but we also have a model here at HU that will be very interesting to develop and share with others. How are our pathway programs creating opportunities for diverse students?”
What do you think makes HU stand out as a university for our students and our faculty?
“We have a very diverse student population with adult learners, so it’s a great university to house a program like ours. We’ve set up the program in ways that I think will be really enticing to that student population. We have an outstanding program in terms of quality. And we’ve mapped out the immersions for the students to be on campus to minimize the amount of time they need to be away from their families. We realize they have lives and other goals that they’re trying to meet simultaneously.
“At the same time, we’re always bringing aboard new partners and new scholarships to make them available to students. And since the entire program is hybrid and largely asynchronous, we get to give the learner what they want: More autonomy. We need these people in the workforce, and we need to find more ways, like our pathway program for Exercise Science, to allow those amazing individuals to get their qualifications and provide these much-needed services to the community while enhancing their own careers.
“Tonya [Miller] has put together a team that’s unique in what it’s able to do. We have backgrounds in continuing education for adults. We have people who were leaders in PT programs and people who understand business and practical industry needs. And there are folks like myself, who bring more traditional and hybrid PT program experience. I love the commingling of academics and industry – it’s something that sets us apart.”
Where are you from originally? Where do you live now?
“I live in Flourtown, PA. It’s in the Philadelphia area, in Montgomery County. That’s where I’m from originally. I just celebrated my 18th anniversary with my husband, Matt. We live with our two kids, our dog, and eight chickens.”
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
“If the Harrisburg University DPT program had been available to me when I was at university, there’s no question about it: I would have enrolled for sure. There was nothing like this available when I made my decision to become a physical therapist. From first-year foundational physiology coursework, and simulations in the second year, to service-learning courses in year three, this is a very complete experience.
“I was fortunate to find the right pathway for myself, and I’m extremely excited to see this new DPT pathway open up for our students. We’re already seeing huge interest from all across the country as students recognize the value of a program like this. I can’t wait to put HU on the map as one of the country’s top destinations to get an extraordinary PT education.”
ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY
Harrisburg University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a private, nonprofit university offering bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in the fields of science, technology, and mathematics. For additional information about the University’s affordable, demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, please call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Stay updated by following Harrisburg University on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
*Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT; www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT’s website. Harrisburg University is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist education program from CAPTE. The program is planning to submit an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, on November 1, 2024. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the professional phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
