Christy Muasher-Kerwin

What year did you start working at NIU?
2022 

Where is your hometown? and where do you live now?
Sugar Grove, Illinois 

Where did you attend college and what degree(s) have you earned?
Marquette University: B.A. in psychology and Doctor of Physical Therapy 

In which department(s) do you teach?
Physical Therapy

What do you like about working at NIU?
I love working with the students! We have such fun groups of students who love to learn and are always very engaged and inquisitive. 

What advice would you give to students currently attending NIU?
Work hard and ask a lot of questions. I am always very impressed by some of the questions that my students ask, and I think their questions and perspectives make me a stronger professor as well. 

Tell us about a research or engaged learning project you have led.
I am currently enrolled in the Ph.D. in health sciences program here at NIU. I am in the beginning stages of research on individuals with brain cancer (specifically glioblastoma multiforme) and their ability to make functional gains in physical therapy (PT). I am also interested in exploring the caregivers of these individuals and hope to gain further information regarding how they are impacted by this diagnosis. 

What do you enjoy most about mentoring students?
Their excitement, enthusiasm and fantastic questions. 

What do you hope students take away from their college experience?
I hope that they feel like they learned not only didactic material, but also hopefully practical skills and knowledge that will help them be successful in the real world. 

What is your favorite memory of NIU?
To date, my favorite memory would have to be my first day working as a full-time clinical assistant professor. Up until that point, I had only been an adjunct professor, so it was very exciting for me to make this transition. 

What’s one thing about NIU that’s surprised you?
I don't believe anything has particularly surprised me per se, but I am grateful for the excellent students that we have. 

What fulfills you personally and professionally?
Personally, I love being with my family, staying active and doing new and fun things. Professionally, I love teaching our PT students. I also have a passion for patients with neurological diagnoses such as stroke, traumatic brain injury and brain tumors/cancer. It is one of my goals to bring more of these patients into our Physical Therapy Clinic on NIU's campus. 

Which of NIU’s core values align with your own?
Although I identify with all of NIU's core values, I would say probably most with curiosity and creativity and service and stewardship with regard to my research and clinical interests. Brain cancer and physical therapy is a relatively under-researched area, and I hope to add more valuable information to improve these individuals' and their caregivers' experiences and outcomes. I also hope to keep students actively involved in the process so that they can learn from this research as well. 

Have you contributed to any NIU Foundation fundraising campaigns such as the Day of Giving or Huskies United? If yes, why did you decided to support NIU?
I have contributed to our PT program's DEI committee to ensure that our students have the resources that they need to embark on valuable clinical experiences. 

Who has influenced your professional path?
My parents have always been very encouraging. My mom is a nurse and has certainly influenced me to be a part of the health care field. 

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Are you currently doing it? If not, what changed your path?
I knew I always wanted to do something in the health care field. I decided on physical therapy because I loved being around people, helping people and was fascinated by the capabilities of the human body. Once I started working, I realized that I loved working with the neurological population. Not only is this area complex and challenging, but these patients are capable of making tremendous gains in spite of significant health problems. Also, I worked a lot with patients with brain cancer and realized that this area was under-researched and that often these patients do not get the attention they should from the medical community. I want to build up the research in this area and illustrate how much these patients can improve while undergoing a PT program. I also want to determine challenges that their caregivers face to minimize the burden of care and provide sufficient training and support to the caregivers involved, since this is such a challenging role. So, long story short, my career aspirations have evolved as I've become more engrossed in the PT field, but I'm very happy where I am today! 

What do you do to relax or recharge?
I love being with my husband and children. I love running, cooking, baking and spending time at our family lake house. I love relaxing on the pontoon boat and enjoying the beautiful weather! 

Is there anything else you'd like to share about your NIU Huskie story?
Just that I'd love to see more patients with neurological diagnoses at our NIU PT clinic. Please feel free to pass this information along to any family and friends!