Are You Waving or Drowning?

Abstract

Dr Shepard has made remarkable contributions to the profession of physical therapy through her accomplishments across all areas of practice, education, research, publication, and service. She was one of the pioneers who introduced qualitative research methods to the profession and, with her colleagues, went on to apply the principles of these methods to study differences between “master” and “novice” clinicians. Her work in this area has been vital as the profession continues to grapple with effective ways to prepare professional students, clinical specialists, interns, and residents in physical therapy. Her scholarly work includes more than 60 papers and book chapters and coauthorship of 3 textbooks. She has been invited to speak at state, national, and international professional meetings and has held visiting professorships in Sweden and South Africa. She was the “first” for several invited lectures, including the Polly Cerasoli Lecture at APTA's Combined Sections Meeting and the Eleanor Branch Lecture at Duke University. Dr Shepard's list of awards and honors includes APTA's Dorothy E Baethke-Eleanor J Carlin Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching, Golden Pen Award (now the Jules M Rothstein Golden Pen Award for Scientific Writing), Dorothy Briggs Memorial Scientific Inquiry Award (3 times), and Lucy Blair Service Award. In 1989, Dr Shepard was elected as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of APTA. She has received awards for outstanding contributions to physical therapy education from Stanford University and Temple University and the APTA Education Section's Leadership Award, and she holds an honorary doctor of science degree from the University of Indianapolis. Thank you, Mr President, Mary McMillan Awardees, physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, guests, and the staff from states and national office who support us so consistently and graciously. Like the Mary McMillan Lecturers before me, I am gratified and humbled to take my place in that long …