Dr. Rita Wong will receive the Distinguished Alumna Award on Nov. 7 from her alma mater, Bouv\u00e9 College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University. Wong will be honored at a dinner as part of the centennial celebration of physical therapy education at Northeastern, where she received her bachelor\u0092s degree in 1971.<\/p>\n
Known for her work in geriatric physical therapy and education, Wong is associate dean of graduate and professional studies at Marymount University and a professor of physical therapy.<\/p>\n
\u0093The world has changed a lot since I entered the profession,\u0094 she said. \u0093Forty years ago geriatrics was a very small part of physical therapy and you only needed a bachelor\u0092s degree, not a doctorate, to enter the workforce.\u0094<\/p>\n
Wong received her master\u0092s degree in physical therapy from Boston University and her Ed.D. from Clark University. She came to Marymount in 1995 as founding director of the Physical Therapy program after holding a senior faculty position at the University of Connecticut. She is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association, the highest honor given in recognition of a member\u0092s contribution to the profession.<\/p>\n
\u0093I was one of the early people looking at ways to educate students about geriatric physical therapy,\u0094 Wong said. \u0093When I was at UConn the dean needed someone, so I started working in geriatrics. I don\u0092t think I fully realized what I was getting into, but I\u0092ve always been one of those individuals willing to take on the next challenge.\u0094<\/p>\n
In the late 1980s, Wong was one of three members serving on the APTA\u0092s first geriatric specialty council which pioneered certification in that area.<\/p>\n
\u0093Now there are several thousand certified geriatric physical therapist specialists,\u0094 said Wong, who is also a licensed physical therapist in Virginia.<\/p>\n