STCC physical therapy assistant professor honored for excellence in teaching

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College honored Dr. Renae Gorman, a professor and director of the Physical Therapist Assistant program, with an award that recognizes excellence in teaching and a commitment to the college’s mission.

The college selected Gorman as the 2024 Joseph J. Deliso, Sr. Endowed Chair, an award named for the first chairman of the STCC Board of Trustees.  

In 1993, the Deliso family established the Joseph J. Deliso Sr. Endowed Chair at STCC in recognition of excellence in teaching. Appointed as the first chairman of the STCC Advisory Board, Deliso, an industrialist, served from 1967 to 1981. He then became first chairman of the STCC Board of Trustees, serving through 1985.

Each year, STCC faculty are nominated by their colleagues and then invited to apply. An award selection committee, made up of faculty and staff, reviews applications, and the STCC Foundation Executive Committee then selects a winner.

Part of the recognition includes a $1,500 monetary award from the STCC Foundation which goes toward professional development. Additionally, $1,500, is awarded to the respective academic department to carry out a proposed project.

STCC President John B. Cook said the Endowed Chair awards represent an investment from the STCC Foundation in faculty excellence and shines a light on the important relationships faculty develop with businesses and community organizations. Cook congratulated Gorman at a campus Professional Development Day for faculty and staff on Aug. 29.

Christopher Scott, dean of the School of Health and Patient Simulation at STCC, said Gorman is committed to the college’s mission to support student transformation. He described her as a leader and mentor committed to building an inclusive environment.

I am incredibly proud to be awarded this prestigious honor. Dr. Renae Gorman, Professor and Department Chair, PTA Program

“Professor Gorman is always looking for new and innovative teaching and learning methodologies,” Scott said. “She makes sure that all students, regardless of their learning style or background, feel valued, supported and equipped to succeed in the PTA program.”

Scott noted that Gorman was one of the faculty members who sought out accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare with the SIMS Medical Center at STCC receiving the coveted accreditation in summer 2024.

“I am incredibly proud to be awarded this prestigious honor,” Gorman said. “My career in academia has been devoted to STCC and to be recognized by the institution is humbling. I have worked diligently with colleagues to advance simulation and to expand our pro bono clinic's services to the campus community and to receive resources to further that effort is exciting.”

Gorman will put the money towards supporting the campus rehabilitation clinic by incentivizing outside participation and purchasing creative and innovative equipment for patient care. In addition, the award will be applied to educate and train standardized patients for simulation and build the PTA standardized patient program, and will support a free continuing education presentation for faculty by bringing in speakers.

Gorman, a holder of key health-specific certifications that often define different fields of Allied Health, earned multiple doctoral degrees from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, including education and physical therapy. She also received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in physical therapy from D’Youville College.

Gorman started as an adjunct faculty member at STCC in 2006. She joined the PTA program full time in 2012, taking on leadership as director starting in 2018.

STCC’s Physical Therapist Assistant program trains students to work as technical health care providers under the supervision of a physical therapist. The two-year associate degree program prepares students to perform movement-related activities and therapeutic techniques for patients with burns, amputations, spinal cord injuries and cardiac, neurologic and orthopedic injuries. The STCC PTA program is one of the oldest accredited programs in the country.

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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