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College of Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy
Texas State College of Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy People Faculty

Faculty

Debbie Baylor, PT, MEd, DPT

Senior Lecturer

Licensed since 1978. Clinical background in acute care, administration, and pediatrics. Assists with clinical education team, serves as clinical instructor in clinic, and assists with professional course sequence. 

Office: Willow Hall 355
Phone: (512) 716-2669
E-mail: DB38@txstate.edu

Alt TextJanet R Bezner, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA

Department Chair

Professor

Licensed since 1981. Joined the faculty at Texas State in Fall, 2014, having taught at Southwest Texas State from 1995 to 2002. Dr. Bezner was a staff Vice President at the American Physical Therapy Association for 9 years, leading the Education and Governance and Administration Units. Her PhD is in health education from the University of Texas and her interests and expertise are in health promotion, prevention and wellness. Dr. Bezner has chaired the Faculty Senate at Texas State, 2019-2020, 2020-2021 and has been re-elected for 2021-2022. 

Office: Willow Hall 362
Phone: (512) 716-2652
E-Mail: jb25@txstate.edu

Gwendolyn Cariker, PT, DPT, Board Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist
Jacob Garza

Clinical Lecturer

Licensed physical therapist since 2016, Dr. Cariker has practiced in inpatient rehabilitation primarily with patients with spinal cord injuries and other neurological diagnoses. Dr. Cariker assists with lecture and lab for the neuroscience series and as a clinical instructor in the on-site physical therapy clinic. She graduated from the Texas State Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program in 2017. 

Office: Willow Hall 346
Phone: (512) 716-2660
E-mail: gkc7@txstate.edu

 

Jacob Garza, PT, DPT, Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists Jacob Garza

Clinical Lecturer

Licensed PT since 2011. A graduate of the Texas State Physical Therapy program. He completed his fellowship training at the Manual Therapy Institute in 2016. Dr. Garza assists with the musculoskeletal and anatomy sequence as well as therapeutic exercise. 

Office: Willow Hall 347
Phone: (512) 716-2661
E-mail: jg1647@txstate.edu

Aalt TextKaren Gibbs, PT, DPT, PhD, Certified Wound Specialist

Professor

Licensed PT since 1999. Certified Wound Specialist with active clinical practice in wound management. Teaches examination techniques, therapeutic interventions, special issues, patient care skills and integumentary physical therapy.

Office: Willow Hall 352
Phone: (512) 716-2666
E-mail: kg18@txstate.edu

Alt TextDenise Gobert, PT, PhD, Board Certified Neurology Clinical Specialist, Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults

Professor

Licensed PT since 1994. Is part of the neuroscience team and research team. Has previously taught at University of Kansas Medical Center and served as adjunct at University of Maryland and George Washington University. Specialty area is vestibular rehabilitation. Dr. Gobert Chairs the Institutional Review Board at Texas State. 

Office: Willow Hall 325
Phone: (512) 716-2648
E-mail: dg46@txstate.edu

Mark Lester, DPT, PhD, OCS Dr. Mark Lester

​

Associate Professor

Licensed Physical Therapist since 2002. Dr. Lester is a board-certified specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy with over 25 years of  experience in military physical therapy, research, and academic settings. He completed his PhD in Rehabilitation Science in 2014 with a focus in Neuroscience and Motor Control at the University of Utah. His teaching areas include Neuroscience, Motor Control/Motor Learning, and Research Methods. Mark is a passionate clinical scientist; his research interests include developing novel technology suites to assist in the evaluation and treatment of neuromusculoskeletal injury, investigating the role of sensory integration in motor learning and motor control in people with neuromusculoskeletal injury and disease, and developing and evaluating musculoskeletal injury prediction models and screening tools.

Office: Willow Hall 349
Phone: (512) 716-2663

alt=""James Lorenz, PT, DPT

Lecturer

Licensed since 2000. A graduate of the Texas State Physical Therapy Program. Dr. Lorenz is part-time at Texas State and provides instruction in neuroanatomy, anatomy, and physiology.

Office: Willow Hall 342
Phone: (512) 716-2656

McDowellDebra McDowell, PT, PhD

Clinical Associate Professor

Joined us in September 2013. Licensed in Texas. Completed PhD at TWU in 2008.  Has been in practice in Austin for over 20 years with practice focused on fall prevention in older adults. Teaches in the neuro sequence, body systems course, therapeutic exercise, and with the clinic decision making course series.

Office: Willow Hall 343
Phone:  (512) 716-2657
Email: DM78@txstate.edu

Alt Text

Suzy Dougherty Okere, PT, PhD, Certified Athletic Trainer, Licensed Athletic Trainer

Clinical Associate Professor

Licensed PT since 1998. Board Certified in Sports Physical Therapy. Completed a Sports Physical Therapy Residency in 2000. Teaches anatomy and clinical applications for the orthopedic sequence. Completed PhD at TWU Spring 2012.

Office: Willow Hall 323
Phone: (512) 716-2646
E-mail: sd11@txstate.edu

picture of Leeda Rasoulian Leeda Rasoulian, PT, DPT, Fellow of American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy 

Clinical Lecturer 

Licensed PT since 2014. A graduate of the Texas State Physical Therapy program. Completed fellowship training in manual therapy and orthopaedics in 2017. a part-time faculty member,  assists with lecture and lab for the muculoskeletal sequence and consults in the PT Clinic.

Office: Willow Hall 342
Phone: (512) 716-2656
E-mail: lr1304@txstate.edu

(08-04-2020)

Angela Rich, OCS, PT, ScD, Certified Athletic Trainer           

Ang TallPT Clinic Director
Clinical Associate Professor

Licensed as a physical therapist in 1994. Certified Athletic Trainer since 1984. Dr. Rich earned a Doctor of Science degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 2011.  She is a private practice owner for 16 years with specialization in sports medicine/ orthopaedics and a special interest in treating elite club, collegiate and international athletes. Board Certified in Orthopaedics. A graduate of Texas State Physical Therapy Program, Dr. Rich returned to the program in the fall of 2015 as a member of the musculoskeletal team. Currently Director of the on-site clinic and advisor for the pro bono, Community Access Clinic. 

Office: Willow Hall 354 
Phone: (512) 716-2668
E-mail: ajr33@txstate.edu

alt=""Damian Rodriguez, PT, DPT, Board Certified  Neurologic Clinical Specialist, Board Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist                             

Clinical Assistant Professor

Licensed physical therapist since 2015, Dr. Rodriguez has practiced primarily in the area of neurologic rehabilitation with a focus on individuals with Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, and Traumatic Brain Injury. Dr. Rodriguez assists with lecture and lab for the Neuroscience sequence, Patient Care Skills, and as a clinical instructor during Directed Clinical. He graduated with his Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2015 and from the Neurologic Physical Therapy residency in 2016, both from Texas State University.

Office: Willow Hall 353
Phone: (512) 716-2667
E-mail:  DR1211@txstate.edu

Alt textSteve Spivey, PT, DPT

Director of Clinical Education
Clinical Associate Professor

Licensed since 1990. Director of Clinical Education.  Clinical background in acute care, home health and acute rehabilitation. Special interest in stroke and brain injury rehab, geriatrics, prosthetics/amputations and clinical education.  Assists in patient management course and other clinical courses.

Office: Willow Hall 360
Phone: (512) 716-2674
E-mail: SS66@txstate.edu

Lois StickleyLois Stickley, PT, PhD

Associate Professor                            

Licensed since 1982. Joined Texas State in Fall 2014 with 19 years of experience teaching in a professional and post-professional physical therapy program and over 30 years of clinical practice. Clinical background in neurologic physical therapy and expertise in professional development and leadership. Coordinates the clinical decision making sequence. Currently serves as Interim Chair for the department. 

Office: Willow Hall 351
Phone: (512) 716-2665
E-Mail: LAS239@txstate.edu

Shannon Williams

Shannon Williams, PT, DPT,
Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
 

PT Clinic Supervisor
Clinical Lecturer

Licensed PT since 1993. A graduate of the Texas State Physical Therapy program.  Has extensive experience in clinical practice. Supervises on-site physical therapy clinic and assists Dr. Spivey with clinical education program.. Specialty area is Clinical Education.

Office: Willow Hall 356
Phone: (512) 716-2670
E-mail: sw32@txstate.edu

(02-21-2019)