Richard Wallace Bohannon, EdD, DPT, is a pioneering innovator in the world of physical therapy education. Upon taking an occupational interest test in his youth, he discovered that he was interested in physical therapy, which involves critical thinking, extensive patient interaction and the utilization of one’s hands. Finding that these attributes were innately interesting to him, he delved into the profession with a fervent passion. He commenced his career as a staff therapist at the Wake County Medical Center (now known as WakeMed Health & Hospitals) in Raleigh, NC, in 1977, fulfilling the position for four years. From there, he served as chief physical therapist at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System in Chicago in 1982 and Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, NC, from 1983 to 1987. He was a longtime professor of physical therapy at the University of Connecticut in Storrs from 1987 to 2015, simultaneously serving as a senior scientist in the research department of Hartford Hospital from 1999 to 2004. Since 2015, he has been a renowned professor of physical therapy at Campbell University.
A frequent consultant in the field, Dr. Bohannon has made numerous presentations and lectured across the globe at various universities and institutions. He is also a prolific writer, having contributed over 400 articles to esteemed journals and edited the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy from 2002 to 2007 and again from 2013 to 2018. Board certified in neurologic physical therapy from 1989 to 2019, he has always enjoyed hearing from patients who have witnessed a change in their health due to his intervention.
As a testament to his longevity and success in his industry, Dr. Bohannon has garnered several accolades. He received three awards from the American Physical Therapy Association: the Helen J. Hislop Award for Outstanding Contributions to Professional Literature, the Marian Williams Award for Research in Physical Therapy and the Jules M. Rothstein Golden Pen Award for Scientific Writing. The recipient of a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in physical therapy from the University of North Carolina, he also
holds a Doctor of Education from North Carolina State University and Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Boston University.
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