Faculty Contacts

Janice Haas, P.T.A., M.S.
Director and assistant professor, PTA program
Miller 208B
Phone: (814) 725-6305
Fax: (814) 725-6339
jhaas@mercyhurst.edu

Janice Haas has been a physical therapist assistant since 1986 and has worked in a variety of physical therapy settings and states, including California, Illinois and Pennsylvania.  She has been involved in physical therapy education for more than 15 years, first as a clinical instructor, then as clinical coordinator and instructor with a PTA program in Illinois.  Janice has been with Mercyhurst College since 1997 when she started as the academic coordinator of clinical education.  She assumed the role of program director in 2002.  She continues per diem clinical practice in an outpatient setting.

Janice received her associate degree in physical therapy from Lehigh County Community College.  More recently, she completed her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Mercyhurst in 2002 and her master’s degree in organizational leadership in 2006.  She is actively involved in the professional association and a regional consortium of physical therapy programs.  She currently serves as secretary to the North West District of the Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association.  In addition, Janice was appointed to a Faculty Advisory Panel for the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy in early 2006 and also serves on the Item Bank Review Committee for the National Physical Therapy Examination.

In fall 2006 Janice received the Outstanding Physical Therapist Assistant award from the Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association/PTA Special Interest Group.

Research:
Janice completed research for her master’s thesis on “Admission Criteria as Predictors of Success on the National Physical Therapy Examination.”  A manuscript based on this research was submitted for publication in the Journal of Physical Therapy Education.

Lisa Miller, D.P.T.
Academic coordinator of clinical education
Miller 206
Phone: (814) 725-6134
Fax: (814) 725-6339
lmiller@mercyhurst.edu

Lisa has been a practicing physical therapist since 1994 and has worked in a number of practice settings throughout western Pennsylvania.  Prior to becoming a PTA instructor at Mercyhurst in 2002, Lisa participated in PT education as a clinical instructor and assisted with lab at Gannon University.

Lisa earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1992 from Gannon University, followed by a master’s in physical therapy in 1994.  She is currently enrolled in the transitional doctor of physical therapy program at Gannon and expects to complete her D.P.T. in late 2007.

Lisa is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, Pennsylvania Chapter and several Special Interest Groups.  She also participates in the regional consortium of physical therapy programs and continues clinical practice as a per diem PT in an outpatient setting.

Research:
Lisa co-authored a study entitled, “Use of McConnell Taping to Inhibit Upper Trapezius Muscle Activity During Shoulder Abduction on the Kin-Com Machine.”

JoAnne Whaling, P.T.A.
PTA lab assistant
Miller 208A
Phone: (814) 725-6306        
Fax: (814) 725-6339
jwhaling@mercyhurst.edu