{"41157":{"#nid":"41157","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Launches New Degree Program in Orthotics and Prosthetics","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s School of Applied Physiology will debut the nation\u0027s only two-year master\u0027s degree program in prosthetics and orthotics beginning fall 2002.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe University System of Georgia\u0027s Board of Regents approved the new master\u0027s program at its June 2002 meeting. During the same meeting, the Regents also approved the re-naming of Georgia Tech\u0027s former Department of Health and Performance Sciences to the School of Applied Physiology. The school remains a unit within Georgia Tech\u0027s College of Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFaculty in the School of Applied Physiology study the science of movement and the physiological basis of movement control. They also offer instruction related to the importance of maintaining sound physiological systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our approach to these tasks involves every biological level utilizing both basic and applied sciences,\u0022 said Professor Robert J. Gregor, chairman of the School of Applied Physiology. \u0022For example, attempts to understand how molecules transmit signals in skeletal muscle have a foundation in basic molecular biology and, ultimately, these relate to the applied science of movement control.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFaculty interests within the school range from the behavioral to the systemic and molecular levels. At the undergraduate level, the school instructs all Georgia Tech students in their health and wellness requirement and offers a Certificate in Health Science, which addresses student interest in basic medical science education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the graduate level, the School of Applied Physiology is home to the new master?s program in orthotics and prosthetics. It represents a close collaboration among faculty and students within Georgia Tech\u0027s Schools of Applied Physiology, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We expect the fall 2002 class size to be about six or seven students,\u0022 Assistant Professor Mark Geil said. \u0022Plans are in place to increase the class size to a maximum of 12 students during the next few years.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe school\u0027s research into prostheses and orthoses, or braces, encompasses a wide variety of medical devices and techniques. These include prosthetic legs, braces for scoliosis, powered myoelectric prosthetic arms, knee-ankle-foot braces and HALO devices for spinal immobilization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeil said that many economic studies predict a severe shortage of qualified orthotics and prosthetics practitioners in the near future -- professionals who will serve the needs of the nation\u0027s aging population. Georgia Tech addresses this need by taking a fresh approach to prosthetics and orthotics education, one that goes beyond the educational methods that have been in place for years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our students will experience real prosthetics and orthotics practice first-hand and at an aggressive rate throughout their experience at Tech,\u0022 Geil said. \u0022They will learn the potential for computer-aided design and manufacture in prosthetics and orthotics, and will be conversant in the clinical literature. Our aim is to produce the finest clinicians, researchers, designers and educators in the industry.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther prosthetics and orthotics programs in the United States offer either baccalaureate degrees or post-baccalaureate certificates, Geil said. But Georgia Tech\u0027s program will be the only active, master\u0027s-level program available in the country.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContacts:\u003Cbr \/\u003E Professor Robert J. Gregor\u003Cbr \/\u003E Chairman, School of Applied Physiology\u003Cbr \/\u003E (404) 894-1028\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:robert.gregor@ap.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Erobert.gregor@ap.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Professor Mark Geil\u003Cbr \/\u003E School of Applied Physiology\u003Cbr \/\u003E (404) 894-3957\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mark.geil@ap.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emark.geil@ap.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Program Housed in Re-named School of Applied Physiology"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s School of Applied Physiology will debut the nation\u0027s only two-year master\u0027s degree program in prosthetics and orthotics beginning fall 2002.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Applied Physiology will debut the nation\u0027s only two-year master\u0027s degree program in prosthetics and orthotics beginning fall 2002."}],"uid":"27310","created_gmt":"2002-08-30 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:02:15","author":"David Terraso","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2002-07-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2002-07-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"41158":{"id":"41158","type":"image","title":"Professor Mark Geil","body":null,"created":"1449174285","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:24:45","changed":"1475894364","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:39:24","alt":"Professor Mark Geil","file":{"fid":"100857","name":"i13d69de946e59085336a78cfed63d8b2f1030734703.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/i13d69de946e59085336a78cfed63d8b2f1030734703_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/i13d69de946e59085336a78cfed63d8b2f1030734703_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":30903,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/i13d69de946e59085336a78cfed63d8b2f1030734703_0.jpg?itok=Q8PLv6Kk"}}},"media_ids":["41158"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ap.gatech.edu\/geil\/","title":"Profile of Dr. Mark Geil"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ap.gatech.edu\/mspo\/","title":"Master"},{"url":"http:\/\/cos-web.admin.gatech.edu\/","title":"College of Sciences"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ap.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Applied Physiology"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["matthew.nagel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}