Please join fellow physical therapy alumni at the upcoming APTA Combined Sections Meeting in Nashville! The UTC PT Alumni Association will be hosting a reception on Friday evening, February 6, 2004, in Hermitage A at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. with complimentary hors d'oeuvres provided by the University Alumni Office. Catch up with former classmates and faculty after taking in the conference on Friday. Even if you do not attend the conference and happen to be in Nashville, please come by! If you plan to attend the reception, please RSVP by January 20, 2004 to: Debbie-Ingram@utc.edu, FAX 423-425-2215, or by calling 423-425-4767.

It has been a very exciting year for the PT program. The DPT is the only degree we are now awarding! Isn't it amazing to see how far we've come in 13 short years? The first class to receive the DPT degree will be the graduates from 2003. They completed additional coursework and will be returning to campus for the December graduation. We encourage you to continue to send us great students! Our web site includes application materials and updates on the program. We also post job opportunities. Please bookmark our address: http://www.utc.edu/PhysicalTherapy.

We love hearing from you. Send us updates regularly! All of us are still here! Cathie Smith is our acting director this year. Randy Walker got married this summer and is serving on the APTA's Nominating Committee. Nancy Fell is serving on the Neurology Section's Program Committee. Alex Ingram (a.k.a. Redbird) is in high school! David and Allie Levine are the proud parents of a third daughter! Yvonne Kilpatrick will reach two milestones in the year ahead with her youngest, a senior, heading to college (empty nest) and will graduate with a MBA degree in December 2004. June Hanks continues to go to Haiti (2 months in summer; takes UTC-PT students for 2 weeks during final clinical). Anyone interested in joining her April 3-17, 2004? [one or both weeks?] Mike Whittle has another grandson. Larry Tillman led another great team this fall in the Susan Komen Race for the Cure………

Our students continue to face rising tuition costs. The current in-state tuition is over $2200/semester! That doesn't include housing, books or travel expenses! We have enclosed a gift envelope if you would like to designate a contribution to our UTC PT Alumni Scholarship fund.

We hope to see you at CSM, if not sooner!