Lindsay France/University Photography

Linda Warner

Calling herself "the luckiest physical therapist in the United States," Linda Warner, supervisor of University Health Services' Department of Physical Therapy (PT), offers services not usually found in a university PT department.

"Many universities do not have a physical therapy department of this size and quality," she says. "Here, we work with students, faculty and staff. I enjoy seeing people from many different occupations with a wide range of ages and abilities. I especially enjoy meeting students from around the world and learning about their countries and customs. One of my greatest satisfactions in my work comes from the connections I've made all across Cornell."

Originally located in the Gannett Health Services building, the PT department moved to Schoellkopf Hall when its staff expanded, and now consists of five physical therapists and one PT assistant. The department shares exercise equipment with the training staff in the Department of Athletics and Physical Education.

"This arrangement with athletics is also unusual," Warner says. While athletics works with intercollegiate athletes, Warner and her staff do outpatient PT, working with injured students and with faculty and staff who have been referred for PT or who seek care on their own.

In the 20-plus years she has worked in the PT department, Warner has also expanded her own knowledge base. "I not only have taken numerous courses to stay current in a rapidly changing field, but I also decided to get my doctorate in physical therapy," says Warner, who received the degree several years ago. "It was a personal challenge that also allowed me to gain knowledge commensurate with new physical therapy graduates."

In the future, Warner plans to take additional academic courses at Cornell. She also will continue to work part time. "I had planned to move into a transition role in the next year or two, anyhow. The Staff Retirement Incentive Program just moved the timeframe up a bit."

Warner also hopes to travel extensively with her husband. "Our first trip will be to drive cross-country to Vancouver to visit our daughter, visiting sights like Yellowstone Park and Mount Rushmore along the way," she says. In the near future, she also plans to visit Sweden, where her parents were born and her extended family resides.