Retiring PTA Instructor Says Teaching Has Inspired Her

Sue Griffin has seen the physical therapist’s degree of responsibility for patient management grow tremendously in her 28 years at Blackhawk.

An instructor in the Physical Therapy Assistant program, Sue is retiring next month.

Sue always knew she wanted to do something in the medical field, but she wasn’t sure what that would be.

“My mom was a director of nursing for a rehab facility and connected me with the physical therapists who worked there,” she said.

Realizing it was a great fit between her interest in a healthy lifestyle and activity while also in the medical field, Sue graduated with a bachelor’s in Physical Therapy from UW-Madison, then with a master’s in biomechanics and motor control from UW-Milwaukee.

Sue had been working as a lab assistant in the Kinesiology course in UW-Marquette’s Physical Therapy program when she came to Blackhawk. While teaching here, she completed her doctorate in Physical Therapy at Marymount University.

Knowing the combination of teaching and clinical work is important, it’s the teaching aspect that inspires and requires Sue to stay as current as possible in all areas of the field, even those in which she doesn’t practice. She enjoys learning new elements related to education.

“The most satisfying is the ability to forge strong relationships with the administration and other faculty as we work to provide the best education possible to students,” she said.

Among the changes that Sue has seen in her time in the physical therapy field, perhaps the most interesting is the accreditation needed to practice as a Physical Therapist. Able to practice with a bachelor’s degree when she graduated, a doctorate is required today.

As an instructor, Sue is going to miss the opportunity to learn from the questions she is asked by students. She hopes incoming students continue to accept feedback in the spirit of continuous personal and academic improvement while treating the learning experience with a sense of joy.

Currently serving as president of the Wisconsin chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, Sue will continue working in the field at hospitals in Burlington and Elkhorn. She and her husband will have continuing projects on their five-acre homestead that includes a 130-year-old house, a horse and four cats.

Sue and her husband are also going to prioritize visits to their daughter in the Twin Cities while also having more time to bike, hike and camp.

Congratulations on your retirement, Sue!