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Anatomy Educators SIG

PURPOSE:

The AESIG serves as a forum for those teaching anatomy in physical therapy (PT and PTA) educational programs. We seek to foster awareness of best practices in anatomy education and to provide anatomy educators with tools to enhance their work. Developing relationships with others teaching anatomy content can provide mentorship to novice faculty, promote research collaboration, and facilitate the exchange of ideas. We strive to increase awareness of available resources, and active involvement in the                                                        Academy and other anatomy-related professional associations.

  • Provide an online network for the exchange of information related to physical therapy anatomy education.
  • Foster awareness of best-practice and teaching tools available to physical therapy anatomy educators to enhance the integration and application of the foundational sciences into the development of clinical reasoning skills and physical therapy practice.
  • Coordinate efforts with existing anatomy professional organizations to ensure efficient use of available resources and the dissemination of education-related information and evidence-based anatomical sciences research germane to educators in our field.
  • Foster mentoring relationships between experienced and novice faculty teaching anatomy in physical therapy education programs.
  • Facilitate collaborative efforts in anatomy and anatomy education-related research among physical therapy anatomy educators.
To view the SIG Standing Rules, please click here. 
Are You Ready to Be Connected?
The APTA Academy of Education is seeking to partner with educators outside the United States and other professionals within the US who do not qualify for APTA membership. With more than 3,500 current members, APTA Academy of Education is one of the largest specialty sections of APTA. APTA Academy of Education is committed to meeting the needs of all persons concerned with the progress, growth and development of education in physical therapy.
Section members recognize that education in physical therapy is a multi-faceted process including didactic and clinical components which are implemented in a variety of learning environments. This makes the Interprofessional Partners Program of APTA Academy of Education the ideal choice for professional physical therapy educators.
Submit Partner Member Application to Join

      Link to fill out RPM Survey:

     

Link to submit Membership Spotlight: Submission Deadline 1/15 & 9/15

In Memoriam:
Dr. Gerard "Gary" C. Gorniak, 75, passed away September 1, 2024.
"Dr. Gorniak" as he was known by his thousands of students over the years was born in Erie, Pa on April 23, 1949. “Gary” graduated from Cathedral Prep HS in Erie, and received BS in Physical Therapy from the SUNY at Buffalo and then a PhD. in Anatomical Sciences from the SUNY of Buffalo School of Medicine.  After receiving a degree in Physical Therapy from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1971, he earned a Ph.D. in Anatomical Sciences from the College of Medicine in 1976. He then went to The University of Michigan for 5 years as a NIH post-doctoral scholar with Professor Carl Gans working in muscle transplantation, biomechanics, and functional anatomy. In 1981, Gary accepted an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Biological Science and Program in Medical Sciences at Florida State University and became an Assistant Director of Clinical Affairs, Program in Medical Sciences in 1986. In 1988, he joined the Physical Therapy Program at Florida A&M University as an Assistant Professor. In 1994, Dr. Gorniak helped start the physical therapy program at the Institute of Physical Therapy now known as the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. As an Associate professor and was promoted in 1999 to Full Professor. From 2000–2008, he was the Director of Physical Therapy Program at the University and the Director of the Institute of Physical Therapy from 2006–2008. From 1986–1997 he also practiced Physical Therapy part-time. He retired in 2015 and began tutoring online with Wyzant in Anatomy and Biomechanics.

Dr. Gorniak published 8 books on Anatomy and Biomechanics of the Human Body, a Video Dissector of the Human Body series, and over 30 peer reviewed journal articles. He delivered many invited presentations and workshops on Human Anatomy and the Mechanics of Human Motion. He was a reviewer for several journals and an associate editor for the Journal of Morphology; an Item Writer and Reviewer for the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, served on the Medical Advisory Board for Medical Personnel Pool, and was active in the Florida Physical Therapy Association as a member of the Ethics Committee, Board of Directors, Practice Panel Coordinator, Research committee chair and a delegate to the National Assembly. He is listed in American Men and Women in Science, Who’s Who in the Midwest, and Who’s Who in the South.

*** The AE SIG leadership is currently working out the logistics surrounding the quarterly member spotlight.  On a personal note, and to be fully transparent, I took the opportunity to spotlight my former mentor and co-author because of the substantial impact he has made on my life, anatomy education and physical therapy education.  Future member spotlights will be the result of AE SIG submissions and will be chosen by a vote of AE SIG leadership.  `                                                         ~ Will Conrad, AE SIG Chair
  • Journal/Author Name Estimator (JANE) - Website (free) that offers a selection of journals that are more or less likely to publish your research.  Just enter the title and/or abstract of the paper and click on 'Find journals', 'Find authors' or 'Find Articles'. Jane will then compare your document to millions of documents in PubMed to find the best matching journals, authors or articles. 
Date and Time of First Journal Club to be decided:
Leadership & Committees

Chair: Will Conrad, PT, DPT, EdD, MS

Vice Chair: Alison Lynn McKenzie, PT, DPT, PhD

Membership Secretary: Eryn Milian, PhD, DPT

Recording Secretary/Website: Jay Ciccotelli, PT, DPT, PhD

Nominating Committee Chair: Melissa Cencetti, PT, DPT, EdD

Nominating Committee Member: Melissa Tolbert, PT, DPT, ATC

Nominating Committee Member (7/1/2025): Ashley Simons, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS

Program Committee Chair: Marsha Rutland , PT, ScD, OCS

Liaison Committee Co-Chair: Casey Movinsky, PT, DPT, PCS

Liaison Committee Co-Chair: Kelby Kaplan, PT, DPT, EdD

Research Committee Chair: Noel Goodstadt, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

Research Committee Member:  Jeb Helms, PT, DPT, EdD, OCS, SCS