My overall teaching goal has been that my students become positive and effectual change agents for their clients and communities as students and as they graduate and become physical therapy professionals. I aim to accomplish this goal through transformational, experiential, and active learning strategies.
I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity and support to conduct research in the realm of community and civic engagement at Widener University, where scholarship that leads to positive impact on communities is highly valued. My scholarship has led to a wonderful blend of improving my teaching, enhancing the learning experiences of the DPT students at Widener, serving the physical therapy needs of the Chester community, and positively impacting the growth of pro bono services and experiential learning locally, nationally and internationally.
Ultimately, both my teaching and scholarship contribute to the fostering of academic citizenship within my students and myself, as well as positively impacting the local community, the Institution, and the national and international professional communities. As Pro Bono Services Coordinator within the IPTE, much of my service has focused on the expansion of the national network for student-run pro bono clinics as well as the continued growth and development of the Chester Community Clinic.
My research interests are in the areas of local community engagement and service-learning, international service-learning and clinical education, global health competencies, pro bono service, student leadership development, and oncological rehab.
American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
When the Chester Community Clinic first opened in September 2009 its purpose was simple: serve the community and give students an exceptional learning experience. Years of dedication to quality care and strategic transformation have established the clinic as an anchor in the community and a celebrated national model for student-led pro bono care and education.
The expansion of health science programs in the College of Health & Human Services and School of Nursing is bolstering Widener’s interprofessional learning approach that has set the programs apart and put students on track to becoming competent and compassionate clinicians.
Renovations to Academic Center North, Cottee Hall, and the Chester Community Clinic in the newly renamed Julie E. Wollman Hall will help facilitate and support Widener’s focus on interprofessional learning.
In an interview with Archmere Academy, Jill Black, associate dean of the College of Health and Human Services and director of the Institute for Physical Therapy Education, discusses her work and academic background as well as tips for students interested in the profession.
The Institute for Physical Therapy’s Ellen Erdman, clinical associate professor and director of clinical education, and Jill Black, associate dean in the College of Health & Human Services and associate professor, published findings from a case series in the Journal of Physical Therapy Education.
Titled, “Case Series Comparing Physical Therapy International Clinical Education Experiences in a Developed and Developing Country and Measuring Against Professional Standards and Guidelines,” Erdman and Black investigated physical therapy international clinical education experiences in both the developed and developing countries in comparison to the experiences to professional standards and guidelines. They examined nine students that were placed between Italy and Belize, and found that both experiences met the Commission on the Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) and other professional standards and that the placements proved to be a broadening experience for the participants.
Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/physical-therapy-faculty-publish-study-international-clinical-education-experiences
Members of the Widener community participated in this year's Next Step: From Freedom to Equity Walk-A-Thon and Health Fair hosted by the Black Doctors Consortium and the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity. The event drew supporters to the two-mile march up Broad Street in North Philadelphia to bring awareness to local racial health disparities. Rhonda Hazell, associate professor and coordinator of clinical anatomy, organized the Widener team and was joined by Katie Hershede, vice president for strategic initiatives and chief of staff, Anali Falcon '23, Lori Felker, director of the Institute for Physician Assistant Education, Ijjae Hill '25, Jill Black, associate dean of College of Health & Human Services and director of Institute for Physical Therapy, and Colleen Chancler, assistant professor.
(Photo left to right: Katie Hershede, Anali Falcon, Rhonda Hazell, Lori Felker, Ijjae Hill, Jill Black, and Colleen Chancler.)
Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-shows-support-black-doctors-consortium-walk-thon
Institute for Physical Therapy Education faculty Ellen Erdman, clinical associate professor and director of clinical education, and Jill Black, associate dean of College of Health & Human Services and the director of the Institute, co-authored a report in the journal Physical Therapy Education.
The purpose of the article was to compare and contrast the physical therapy international clinical education experience in both the developed and developing country and compare the experiences to professional standards and guidelines.
Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/19256/
Jill Black, associate dean of the College of Health & Human Services and director of the Institute for Physical Therapy, is a co-author on the research report "Defining Global Health Competencies for Entry-Level Physical Therapist Education." The report, which was published in the journal Physical Therapy Education, investigated a framework to integrate a global health perspective into physical therapy curricula.
Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/19251/