Giving Opportunities

We invite donors, alumni, and friends to contribute to the scholarships and funds within the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. From funding graduate research and fellowships, to supporting our Visiting Lecturer program or providing financial assistance to a student, our funds offer many ways you can support our program. As always, we appreciate your interest and support .

 

The University of Wisconsin Foundation funds listed below allow you to donate online. For all other funds, please use this donation form .

The Physical Therapy Fund was established to fund graduate research and to be used as a discretionary fund from which the Program Director can spend. The Physical Therapy Alumni Awards are drawn from this fund and awarded to first-year physical therapy students who serve as Instructional Assistants in Anatomy 622-Gross Anatomy and PT 501-Anatomical Applications in Physical Therapy. This fund is supported by gifts from Physical Therapy Program alumni. Donations to this fund can also be earmarked for faculty endeavors in global health. Donate to The Physical Therapy General Fund online.

 

The Visiting Lecture Fund was established through a generous gift by the late Mary Jane Meng, PT, Emeritus Assistant Professor. This fund assists the Physical Therapy Program in its teaching, research, and public service responsibilities by annually inviting qualified physical therapist practitioners to guest lecture. Donate to The Visiting Lecturer Fund online.

 

The Margaret A. Kohli Scholarship Fund was established with contributions from the friends of Margaret Kohli in honor of her retirement as the Director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Physical Therapy Program, a position she held from 1941 to 1980. This fund annually provides financial assistance to a second-year physical therapy student who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and a potential for leadership in the field of physical therapy. Donate to The Margaret A. Kohli Scholarship Fund online.

 

The Jean L. Roland Scholarship Fund was established to honor her for a distinguished career as a physical therapist, for her service to children with disabilities, and to recognize her many contributions to the profession of physical therapy. This memorial scholarship is awarded to a physical therapy student during his/her second year of graduate study. Donate to The Jean L. Roland Memorial Scholarship Fund online.

 

Lois and Theodore (Ted) Ridley married in 1948 and were life partners for 50 years in the state of Michigan. In 1996, Ted was diagnosed with a serious brain tumor. Their son Gordon then served as Associate Dean for Administration of the University of Wisconsin Medical School. Gordon arranged for Ted to come to the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics to have the University's outstanding faculty physicians perform surgery and follow up care. Dr. Robert Dempsey and his colleagues conducted a long, complex surgery followed by a lengthy stay in the hospital including much rehabilitation.

 

Lois and Ted Ridley were most grateful for the services Ted received and in particular the care and attention of physical therapists. They wanted to recognize the benefit they received, and, acting on their high regard for university education, they established a scholarship for physical therapy students of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They had earlier established a student scholarship at Michigan State University in Lois' name.

Donate to The Ridley Family Physical Therapy Scholarship online.

 

The Next Step PhD Fellowship Fund was established to support graduate fellowships in the Physical Therapy PhD Initiative in Clinical Investigation. This degree program is offered through the Graduate Program in Clinical Investigation and is directed at returning health care professionals who are interested in learning how to translate discoveries in basic science and patient-oriented research into clinical applications. The goal of the Next Step PhD Fellowship Fund is to support two students annually through the development of a $1.5M endowment. Donate to The Next Step PhD Fellowship Fund.

 

The Mary McKinney Edmonds Minority Recruitment Fund was established with funds from Warren W. May to honor Mary McKinney Edmonds, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Physical Therapy Program in 1954, for her commitment to the advancement of minority and economically disadvantaged physical therapy students. The purpose of this fund is for minority recruitment and scholarships for economically disadvantaged students. Donate to The Mary McKinney Edmonds Minority Recruitment Fund online.

 

The Janet Lemke Physical Therapy Fund was created in her memory by her husband to benefit students pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Janet Lemke was an Emeritus Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy Program. Donate to The Janet Lemke PhD Fund online.

 

The Amelia Doyon Scholarship Fund was established in honor of her many contributions to the physical therapy profession. A scholarship is awarded each year to a first-year female physical therapy student for her second year of study. Academic standing and financial need are considered.

 

The Harper Scholarship Fund was established to award two first-year physical therapy students with scholarships for their second year of study. Academic standing and financial need are considered.

A donation to the Phi Theta General Fund provides us with the most financial flexibility.  Funds can be used to support our community outreach programs like Adopt-a-Highway, raking leaves for area senior citizens, and Habitat for Humanity, or for social events like our annual Holiday Party.

 

Phi Theta is proud to announce our partnership with Hillside Clinic in Belize.  In January 2012, we helped create the Hillside Rehabilitation Program Fund.  Donations will be used to buy locally-made medical durable equipment like walkers and wheelchairs out of wood handcrafted by local carpenters.

 

Each year, Phi Theta raises money to compete in the Marquette Challenge.  Fundraising benefits the Foundation for Physical Therapy, which distributes fellowships and research grants to support evidence-based practice for physical therapists like you.

 

A donation to the Phi Theta Global Impact Fund can now impact people around the globe.  The UW-Madison DPT Program visits Uganda, Belize and Honduras on an annual basis.  Students work with local therapists to problem-solve how to adapt patients' environments to better suit their needs.  In the past, we've helped fund ramps for people in wheelchairs so they could leave their homes, rails in bathrooms so people could transfer from wheelchair to toilet, and provided gait belts and other equipment to local PTs.

 

Download a donation form .