Faculty Updates

It is with gratitude that we say goodbye and best wishes to Holly Clynch.  Since 1998, Holly has dedicated her professional life to educating future PTAs, advocating for PTAs within the APTA, and serving her profession. 

Teaching:

Holly has been the recipient of several awards at St. Catherine University, including an Excellence in Teaching and Advising Award and the very prestigious Bonnie Jean Kelly and Joan Kelly Award for Faculty Excellence.  The Kelly Award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in teaching and scholarship that bring external visibility to the University, regionally and nationally.  Holly’s ongoing work with the APTA and promotion of PTA education has benefited our PTA program and university.  Holly was recognized as the APTA’s Distinguished Physical Therapist Assistant Educator in 2020

Scholarship:

Most of Holly’s scholarship is focused on PTA education or the PT-PTA relationship.  Her numerous national presentations include topics such as strategies for thriving as a PTA program director, improving PTA licensure pass rates, and threading leadership development throughout a PTA program. Most notably, she is the author of a commonly used textbook in PTA education, The Role of the Physical Therapist Assistant: Regulations and Responsibilities which is now in its third edition. 

Service

Holly has been an active member of the APTA, nationally and locally, throughout her entire career.  Her service to our professional association is nothing short of impressive.  She has consistently been involved with the APTA nationally since 2005.  Holly has served as an invited participant on several taskforces and workgroups including the Academy of Education PTA Education Summit Workgroup, 2020-2022.  She has been appointed to several committees or groups within the APTA including currently serving as an appointed mentor, Academy of Education Fellowship in Higher Education, 2024-27.  She has also held elected offices including the APTA Nominating Committee from 2016-2019.  Her service to APTA Minnesota has also been consistent.  She was instrumental in PTAs becoming licensed in 2007.  She has served as a Delegate, Chief Delegate, and President of APTA Minnesota.  She is active in many committees including Governmental Affairs.  In 2022 Holly was awarded the Lucy Blair Service Award.

Holly will certainly be missed but the legacy of her incredible work will live on in the PTA Program.  We wish her well on her new adventures!

It is bittersweet to say goodbye to Dr. Cort Cieminski…..we are so excited for his retirement adventures, but he will be very missed by the DPT Program and St. Catherine University.  After 34 years, Cort is a cornerstone of the DPT Program and it is impossible to think of the Program without him!  Here are some highlights of his many accomplishments with the DPT Program

Teaching

With his background in outpatient orthopedics and as a licensed athletic trainer, Cort has been a key member in delivering orthopedic content, as well as exercise physiology and anatomy content to 33 cohorts of MPT/DPT students.  Students have always appreciated his enthusiasm for the content matter and consistently commented that he is committed to their learning and growth.  Cort was recognized for his outstanding teaching with the Faculty Teaching Award in the 2001/2002 academic year.

Scholarship

Cort’s research has primarily focused on measuring joint motion and kinematics, particularly at the shoulder complex.  Evidence of his dedicated excellence to this scholarly agenda includes 13 peer-reviewed publications and 41 peer-reviewed presentations in this area.  Many of these products include student researchers or junior faculty, demonstrating Cort’s consistent commitment to mentorship. 

Service

Cort has provided exceptional service and enduring leadership to the DPT Program and to St. Catherine University. He served as DPT Program Director for a total of 12 years, during which time he led the program through the MPT-DPT transition, oversaw two accreditation visits, navigated the program successfully through the Covid pandemic, and directed the program move from the Minneapolis to the St. Paul campus. 

As can be seen from these highlights, Cort leaves a legacy of leadership, mentorship, graciousness, and friendship to his many colleagues at the University and most importantly, so many students!  Cort highlighted gratitude and his lessons learned in a “Last Lecture” on May 27, 2026.  Many students, current and former faculty/staff and alumni were able to attend this celebration.