Dr. Derek Liuzzo, assistant professor and assistant program director of the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, has been named the 2024 recipient of the Emerging Educator Award by the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT).
Liuzzo, who joined the UTC faculty in 2019, will officially receive the Emerging Educator Award in October during ACAPT’s national Educational Leadership Conference in Oakland, California.
According to its website, ACAPT represents 278 member institutions and faculty committed to improving education standards, research and practice within the field of physical therapy. The emerging educator honor, awarded annually to one early-career physical therapist instructor—or, in some years, not at all—recognizes individuals who have “demonstrated excellence in academic or clinical teaching in a physical therapy education program early in his or her physical therapy career.”
Liuzzo said he was unaware that his name had been put forward for the award.
“I had no clue it was happening; they nominated me secretly,” he said, explaining how he learned about the award. “I had no inkling that this was coming and just happened to look at my email; I’m pretty sure I dropped my phone because you don’t expect that. It was shocking, surprising and exhilarating all at once.
“To have people nominate me, to feel that I was worthy of this … I still don’t have the words to really describe it. I’m just really excited and very grateful that people put my name out there for this.”
The award letter cited Liuzzo’s “profound commitment to enhancing learning opportunities for students through creative and impactful approaches,” his involvement with interprofessional education collaborations, and the work he has done as a member of the Network Community Taskforce and as chair of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Academy of Education’s Academic Faculty Special Interest Group.
“You work really hard, and you try so many different things, and being recognized for this is really nice,” he said. “There’s still a lot to learn and I want to continue to grow my leadership skills.”