David Scalzitti

David Scalzitti is the college’s own three-peat. He earned a bachelor’s in physical therapy in 1987, a master in kinesiology in 1994, and a doctorate in disability studies in 2008—all from AHS.

When he received his distinguished alumnus award in spring 2013, Scalzitti was a lead specialist in the Evidence-Based Resources Department of the American Physical Therapy Association.

With the APTA since 2002, he had been a leader in moving the profession toward evidence-based practice as associate editor of two APTA resources: “Hooked on Evidence,” a database of extractions of articles related to physical therapy interventions; and “PTNow,” a web portal that helps clinicians translate the newest research for application. Those roles made Scalzitti a critical player in delivering the substance of extensive research articles to practicing therapists who can apply the knowledge to patient care—all with APTA’s express goal of helping therapists “improve patient outcomes, reduce unwarranted variation in practice, and demonstrate value to the health care system.”

Scalzitti’s road from UIC to today included more than the APTA. He had posts as a practicing therapist in hospital and outpatient settings, and for 10 years after finishing his MS degree, he was also a part-time instructor in AHS’ Department of Physical Therapy. The job would turn out to be good training, he says, for his current endeavor: assistant professor of physical therapy and health care sciences at George Washington University in Washington.

A Chicago native, Scalzitti cites his experience at UIC as having not only prepared him for his career, but for having influenced it. In particular, he says, “Harry Knecht (former head of PT) had such a passion for research literature and for PT, and he gave me an awareness of my interest in those areas. He was also a great influence on the PT faculty, who are in their own right leaders in the profession.”