Tony English, PT, PhD, named APTA KY's Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

Tony English, PT, PhD, is the recipient of this year's American Physical Therapy Association Kentucky Chapter's Donald H. Lange Lifetime Achievement Award.

The purpose of the award is to recognize the Physical Therapist who has exhibited outstanding leadership, innovation in practice, mentorship, and ongoing service to the profession of Physical Therapy. The award is named for Don Lange, PT. Mr. Lange practiced in Kentucky for many years. Not only was he an exceptional clinician and mentor of young physical therapists, he also was instrumental in the development of Kentucky’s practice act. Mr. Lange’s impact on the profession of Physical Therapy, the lives of all those he touched and his commitment to life-long learning and leadership is the foundation for this award.

The award is based on the following:

Must be or have been a member in good standing of the APTA/APTA KY.
Must have a commitment to life-long learning as evidenced throughout their career.
Must have exhibited mentoring to students and/or other PTs and PTAs, impacting on their professional lives.
Must have exhibited a pioneer spirit by promotion, cultivating and expanding the profession of Physical Therapy.
Be nominated by at least one letter of support evidencing the above criteria.

Tony has been a faculty member in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Kentucky since 1992 and currently is a full professor. He received a BS in Physical Therapy from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas in 1978 and a MS in Education from the University of Kentucky in 1990. Tony completed his dissertation titled "Clinical functional testing in people 30-60 years old: Expected performance values and correlations to muscle fitness and activity level," and received his Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Kentucky in 2008.

Research / Scholarship

Multimedia educational material production
Use of multimedia in the classroom and in distance learning
Educational program outcomes and admissions analysis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: muscle strength and functional examination
Clinical functional tests with middle aged and older adults; comparing norms to clinical outcomes

Educational Focus

Doctor of Physical Therapy

Therapeutic Exercise
Posture and Gait
Pathomechanics
Mechanics of Motor Control
Diagnosis and Management of the Complex Patient
Research: Analysis and Outcomes

Clinical Work

Outpatient general practice emphasizing general orthopedic conditions

Research interests

The use of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation as an exercise intervention, the study of pulmonary responses and strength in people with ALS, educational outcomes related to multimedia technology and distance learning, and clinical outcomes related to dynamic balance, trunk stability and activity level.

Tony announced this year he will be retiring in June.

Congratulations Tony!