Rehabilitation and Health Sciences PhD Program Celebrates 25 years in CHS

Interdisciplinary. Individualized. Innovative.

Those are the characteristics of the Rehabilitation and Health Sciences PhD Program (RHB) in the College of Health Sciences (CHS) at the University of Kentucky, which prepares research-driven scholars and academic leaders who will advance rehabilitation and health outcomes in Kentucky and beyond.

And now, they’ve been doing it for 25 years.

On Monday, more than 70 faculty, staff, current students and alumni gathered in the Healthy Kentucky Research Building (HKRB) to celebrate those 25 years with speakers, presentations and a reception.

Esther Dupont-Versteegden, PhD and current director of RHB, noted that in the first year of the program, there were eight part-time students. Now, there are 160 alumni and 32 current students. 

“I’m proud of all the people who came before me,” Dupont-Versteegden told the crowd. “And I’m proud of the people we have now.”

Included in the crowd Monday were Susan Effgen, PT, PhD and the founding director of RHB, as well as Lori Gonzalez, PhD, who previously served as Dean of CHS and is now the President of Ohio University. 

“It’s hard to get a program going,” Effgen said. “And it’s really exciting what our graduates are now pursuing. We need you out there to present and disseminate.”

In her keynote speech, Gonzalez — who previously spent 20 years in CHS — detailed the history of RHB and how it was created, noting there was a need for professional faculty to help train healthcare professionals. 

“These graduates are the ones who will drive change,” she said. “This program embedded research into the DNA of the College.”

She explained that RHB had a purpose, and has fulfilled that purpose while continuing to fulfill it. While there are shortages in healthcare, there are also shortages in healthcare faculty, she said.  

“Preparing the next generation of clinicians does not happen by accident,” she said. 

Dupont-Versteegden also announced a re-branding of sorts for the program, illustrating and emphasizing those three characteristics. 

“We’re calling this the program where the I’s have it,” she said. “Interdisciplinary. Individualized. Innovative. These are the themes that come up time and time again when you talk to students.”

Later in the afternoon, the crowd heard from alumni, including CHS associate professor Kirby Mayer, DPT and PhD; adjunct professor Camille Skubik-Peplaski, OTR/L, PhD, FAOTA; EKU Clinical Therapeutic Programs chair Kellie Ellis, PhD, CCC-SLP; and CHS associate professor Matt Hoch, PhD, ATC.

"Over 25 years, the PhD program in Rehabilitation and Health Sciences has been shaped by the trainees, faculty, and community who brought it to life," Mayer said. "The event celebrated that legacy, but for me also signifies that the future of program is still being written and improved for the next generation of PhD candidates."

“The RHB 25th anniversary event highlighted the core values of the program, including interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, and the individual ways the program impacts each student,” Hoch said. “The event also made it evident that with 160 graduates, the RHB program has created a community of scholars which serves as an engine of healthcare innovation for the Commonwealth.”

Current RHB students Elisabeth Ohrnberger, Jamal Thruston and Ellie Renkert also presented, before guests were able to visit poster presentations in the HKRB lobby.

“The RHB celebration was an incredible opportunity to see the past, present and future of the program,” Thruston said. “It was a joy to network with students, professors and alumni of the program, and it was an energizing experience to see the passion in the room for building the next generation of researchers.”

Dupont-Versteegden said there was a lot of energy in the room. 

"It was great to have so many alumni, current students and previous and current faculty and staff in one room to celebrate this joyous occasion," she said. "The presentations from our alumni were extremely engaging and insightful, and it was a proud moment to see current students present their stellar research. Having both our previous Dean, Dr. Lori Gonzalez, as well as the founder and first Director, Dr. Susan Effgen, shower us with their wisdom and experience was a real treat. It is truly a privilege to be the Director of this successful Rehabilitation and Health Sciences PhD program that prepares future leaders in research, education and service inside and outside academia."