Penn State Shenango Professor Earns National Recognition

SHARON, Pa. – Jennifer Jewell, a teaching professor in the Physical Therapist Assistant program at Penn State Shenango, is the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Educator in Physical Therapist Assistant Education Award. 

The award, which was presented Feb. 16 during a ceremony in Boston, is an honor issued by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Academy of Education and is the highest recognition that a faculty member in physical therapist assistant education can receive, a news release states. 

Jewell was nominated for the award by PTA educators from around the country, who noted that her dedication to supporting fellow PTA colleagues, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, along with her implementation of innovative teaching techniques in the classroom, have made her an invaluable asset to the PTA profession. 

“Serving as a national leader during the education shift to remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic came with significant challenges as well as tremendous collaborative opportunities,” Jewell said. “To have my efforts to leverage resources and encourage collaboration to benefit the education of physical therapist assistant students nationally, and here at Penn State Shenango, during this time gain such wide recognition is truly an honor. I am so grateful to my colleagues who took the time to submit my nomination and for the Academy of Education for my selection.” 

Jewell has served as the chair of the Physical Therapist Assistant Educator Special Interest Group, as well as other ATPA leadership roles, and recently presented “Better Together: Participant Perception of a Virtual Community of Practice for PTA Educators” and “PTA Admissions: Innovative Strategies for Success” at the 18th annual Physical Therapy Education Leadership Conference in Philadelphia. 

“Dr. Jewell’s passion for teaching and dedication to her profession is contagious and is felt by every student she interacts with here at the Shenango campus,” said Jo Anne Carrick, campus director and chief academic officer. “Earning this national recognition is a testament to Dr. Jewell’s professionalism and is further proof of the outstanding quality of our faculty at Penn State Shenango, and at the commonwealth campuses as a whole.” 

Pictured at top: Jennifer Jewell, a teaching professor at Penn State Shenango.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.