HIGH POINT, N.C., July 3, 2012 – Dr. Alexis Wright, assistant professor of physical therapy at High Point University, was recently featured as the guest speaker for the Greensboro Optimists Club luncheon.
Wright’s topic, an overview of HPU’s new School of Health Sciences, covered the changes currently taking place at the university and the development of the new school. She focused on the departments which will be housed in the new school, including athletic training, exercise science, physical therapy and physician’s assistant.
In her presentation, Wright discussed the need for the School of Health Sciences by highlighting an aging population, an increase in chronic disease, and a decreased number of health care providers, specifically in the southeast.
“We currently sit at a national shortage of nearly 22,000 physical therapists with a projected shortage of 25,000 by the year 2020,” says Wright. “Time Magazine recently named physical therapy the ?6th Most Recession Proof Job,’ and High Point University students who pursue a degree in Health Sciences will have no difficulty finding jobs once they graduate.”
Wright also spoke briefly about the new school’s research interest, involvement with the community and service projects, and an international collaboration with the University of Otago, New Zealand.
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.℠ HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report at No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South. Parade Magazine lists HPU in the top 25 private schools in the nation. HPU was selected in the 2010-2011 list of “Colleges of Distinction,” as well as one of the top green schools in the country by the Sierra Club. The university offers 44 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and 10 graduate degree programs. It is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu.
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Pam Haynes
Communication Specialist
336-841-9055