HARRISBURG, PA — Harrisburg University of Science & Technology is pleased to welcome the 2025 MovePA Annual Conference on October 23–25: a statewide event assembling innovators, clinicians, and educators at the intersection of technology and human movement. The Conference – a flagship event organized by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) of Pennsylvania – convenes each year to explore how emerging tools are transforming patient care and improving quality of life.
The 2025 conference kicks off at The Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts and will open with the Future-Ready Physical Therapy Pre-Conference, led by HU’s Dr. Jacki Klazak Kopack, PT, DPT, Ed.D., who will set the stage with an inspiring discussion about the expanding role of technology in physical therapy education and clinical practice.
Following the opening session, attendees will immerse themselves in two concurrent tracks – AI & AR/VR and 3D Printing & Robotics – each offering hands-on engagement with technologies reshaping the future of rehabilitation and movement science.
- The AI & AR/VR track, featuring Dr. Caitlin McGee, MS, PT, DPT; Dr. Allison Harris, PT, DPT, CSS; and Dr. Jessica Heath-Byerly, PT, DPT, Ed.D., will explore the expanding use of artificial intelligence (AI) in patient simulations. These innovative platforms allow students and clinicians to refine skills such as history-taking, motivational interviewing, and clinical decision-making in safe, low-stakes virtual environments. Dr. Heath-Byerly will highlight the transformative potential of augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) for anatomy and physiology education, especially in hybrid learning models that merge physical and digital classrooms. Attendees will then have the opportunity to test AI-driven patient simulations and explore immersive 3D anatomical models in an interactive lab session.
- The 3D Printing & Robotics track, presented by Jason Kunec, PT, CP/BOCO, LPO-PA; Steve Mantegani, PT; and Dr. Amy Ellis, OTR/L, will focus on the rapid customization and accessibility made possible by 3D printing. From prosthetics and orthotics to rehabilitation supports and custom splints, these technologies are dramatically accelerating production timelines and expanding patient-centered design. Afterward, participants will tour HU’s Advanced Innovation Labs to see firsthand how faculty experts like LJ Holmes are using 3D printing and robotics to develop cardiac models, surgical simulation devices, and open-access rehabilitation products that empower patient independence and success.
By hosting MovePA, Harrisburg University reaffirms its commitment to advancing healthcare innovation by bringing together innovators and practitioners from across industries and disciplines. The conference provides a yearly reminder of how fields such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, computer science, engineering, and design converge to create technologies that enhance human capability and advance well-being.
“As a developing DPT program, we’re incredibly excited to open our campus to the APTA of Pennsylvania and to Physical Therapists from all across the state,” said Dr. McGee. “I’m thrilled that HU can provide not just a meeting place, but a jumping-off point for many more fruitful conversations in the future. Bringing together the STEM mindset, emerging tools and techniques, and people who truly care, will make a real difference in people’s lives throughout Pennsylvania.”
Ready to register? Reserve your spot at MovePA 2025 using this link.
ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY
Harrisburg University was recognized by US News & World Report as one of the nation’s most innovative colleges for 2025. HU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a private, nonprofit university offering bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, nursing, and other health science fields. For additional information about HU’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 LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
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