Leadership
Christopher Wise, PT, DPT, MTC, ATC, PhD
Program Director, DPT Program—Austin, TX Campus
With robust experience in academics and physical therapy clinical practice, Dr. Wise has specialties in manual therapy, orthopedics, kinesiology and sports medicine. His clinical interest is orthopaedic manual physical therapy of the spine.
Dr. Christopher Wise is a board-certified specialist in Orthopaedics (OCS), a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT), a certified manual therapist and a certified athletic trainer.
Before joining the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in August 2024, Dr. Wise was the founding chair and program director for the physical therapy department at Alvernia University.
He also served as a clinical associate professor for the Institute for Physical Therapy Education at Widener University and as adjunct faculty at Arcadia University, Temple University and Ursinus University.
Dr. Wise has engaged in active clinical practice in providing care for individuals with musculoskeletal impairments for more than 30 years. He is the former owner of WISE Physical Therapy, LLC, an orthopaedic outpatient private practice in Kutztown, PA, and WISEfeet, P.C., a functional foot orthotic prescription service. He is co-owner of Therapeutic Articulations, LLC, a provider of educational resources for physical therapists.
Dr. Wise’s clinical and research interests are in orthopaedic manual physical therapy of the spine in clinical practice and in teaching clinical decision-making and psychomotor performance, as well as lower extremity biomechanics. He has produced multiple peer-reviewed publications, an American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) orthopaedic section home study course, more than 25 peer-reviewed presentations and more than 40 educational workshops for practicing clinicians. He has been awarded nine internal faculty excellence grants since 2013 and has written two textbooks, “Mobilization Notes: A Rehabilitation Specialist’s Pocket Guide” and “Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy: From Art to Evidence,” as well as “Quick Notes” reference guides on manual therapy techniques and musculoskeletal special tests. He was also involved in the initial development of an iPod/Android application titled “iOrtho+.”
Dr. Wise has served the profession as a two-time APTA southeastern district delegate to the house of delegates and has served on various APTA physical therapy committees, such as the continuing education committee, research committee and legislative ambassadors.