Joyce Maring, EdD, DPT held various faculty, administrative, and leadership roles within the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) over twenty years. She began as an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Health Care Sciences in 2005. During this time, she rose to the role of associate program director, and ultimately the program director. When the department was renamed Health, Human Function and Rehabilitation Sciences in 2013, Maring was appointed the department chair until 2023, and then appointed as the executive associate dean for health sciences.
“Dr. Maring has been a superb administrator for us, and in terms of educational excellence and leadership, she successfully led the physical therapy program through several accreditation cycles,” said SMHS Dean Barbara L. Bass, MD.
Maring was the associate-editor of the Journal of Physical Therapy Education, served on the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, and has received numerous honors and awards for her professional service. Most recently, she earned the Lucy Blair Service Award from the American Physical Therapy Association. Maring has also worked extensively with underserved populations such as those with intellectual and developmental disabilities and made significant contributions to educational and disability research.
Maring transitioned out of her role as the program director of the physical therapy program in 2018 to redirect her focus to launching the Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc) Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education program by 2020. The DHSc program was designed for working health professionals to gain critical leadership expertise through interdisciplinary knowledge and applying skills, research, and projects to their current, or projected, position.
“It has been a highlight of my professional journey to lead the development and implementation of the DHSc program. I could not feel more pleased and proud of the staff, faculty, students, and graduates engaged in meeting the mission and goals the program has established,” said Maring.
“Joyce has been an incredible mentor for faculty and students alike. She is a true servant-leader and an inspiration for a whole generation of healthcare professionals,” said Skip Gill, DSc, PT.
“Joyce envisioned a department that is dedicated to all aspects of rehabilitation care and has high-quality standards for education and research. She then created it, remained deeply involved throughout the expansion process, and made an amazing community and impact on health care,” said Ellen Costello, PT, PhD, the department chair of Health, Human Function and Rehabilitation Sciences.
Two years after the DHSc program launched, the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program welcomed its first cohort in 2022.
Roger Ideishi, JD, OT/L, FAOTA, program director and professor of the occupational therapy program discussed the influence that Maring has had on the field of occupational therapy, as she advocated for the OTD program and contributed to its current accredited-status. “Joyce’s approach to faculty development has made an indelible mark on us and her leadership philosophy provided a supportive environment to explore concepts of justice, equity and diversity, and to collaborate across health care disciplines.”
GW alum and assistant professor in the OTD program, Kellie Sawyer, OTD, OTR/L said, “Joyce was affirming and accessible, which was valuable to me as a student and as a new academic. She was intentional in her investments to ensure our success, both individually and as a collective.”
“It's been such a fantastic journey and this is the best team that anybody could aspire to work with. GW is the most welcoming, most committed, most student-focused, and has the most broad philosophies that are so impactful for healthcare across the nation. ‘Thank you’ is too shallow of a word to use for the depth of my gratitude,” said Maring on her upcoming transition.
Maring will continue teaching and mentoring research projects in the online DHSc Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education program until May 2025.
