WVU School of Medicine faculty member receives Fulbright Award

Professor Anne Swisher first in Division of Physical Therapy

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Anne Swisher, P.T., Ph.D., professor of physical therapy at the West Virginia University School of Medicine has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland in Dublin, Ireland, during the 2015-2016 academic year, the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board announced recently.

Dr. Swisher will work with the faculty in physiotherapy to teach students how to prescribe exercise for people with chronic health conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, heart failure, and cystic fibrosis. She will also assist in creating and assessing medical simulation activities to help students in varied health disciplines work together to care for patients.

A board-certified cardiopulmonary clinical specialist, Swisher is the first faculty member in the Physical Therapy program’s 42-year history to receive a prestigious Fulbright Award.

“Dr. Swisher is a national and international presence in areas related to management of cystic fibrosis, critical care and cancer survivorship,” MaryBeth Mandich, P.T., Ph.D., associate dean for professional and undergraduate programs in the School of Medicine and chair of physical therapy, said. “This award is a tribute to her contributions to the physical therapy profession in her areas of expertise. The Division of Physical Therapy is incredibly fortunate to have a faculty member of her talents to provide education to our entry level and post-professional students.”

Swisher is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2015-2016. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, a division of the Institute of International Education.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. The Program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.