Dr. David Edwards, PT, DPT, OCS, Cert. DN, is a professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Wheeling Jesuit University and a contributing faculty member for the physical therapy department at USAHS.
He has advanced knowledge and research practice in orthopedics and sports medicine as well as physical therapy education. Dr. Edwards is a published author in orthopedics, sport medicine, and physical therapy education. He is also the owner of Edwards Absolute Kinetics with a clinical focus in orthopedics and sport physical therapy.
Dr. Edwards graduated from USAHS this December from the Doctor of Education program.
“David is a true leader,” Dr. Sunddip Aguilar, Assistant Academic Program Director – EdD/DHSc, said. “He is a stellar scholar in his field already because he has worked hard to continue to be a lifelong learner … hence, all of his credentials.”
Because of these characteristics, Dr. Edwards was awarded the Outstanding Student Achievement Award, which recognizes a student who has done exemplary work in a research product such as a dissertation.
He decided to start the EdD program because he knew he wanted to teach. He always enjoyed teaching, but he knew he needed to pursue the program if he wanted to do it as a full-time profession.
“The (USAHS) professors were very professional and very accommodating,” Dr. Edwards said. He was able to complete the program while working full-time with two young kids at home.
With new research, treatments and the constantly evolving field of physical therapy, Dr. Edwards always knew he had to be a lifelong learner. And to continue his commitment to learning, he knew he needed the knowledge from the EdD program to be an efficient learner as a full-time professor.
“In my experiences working with students at a doctoral level program, I have never met anyone who had the tenacity, drive and passion to complete a doctoral program the way he did,” Dr. Aguilar said.
Dr. Edwards said he’s simply a goal-oriented person and he made the decision to transition from the clinical side to be a full-time professor. So, that’s what he did.
“The best way to say it is I just kind of put my head down and did the work,” Dr. Edwards said. “That’s just my approach to life.”
