Education
- Doctor of Physical Therapy, Regis University, Denver, United States, 2008
- Master of Science, Texas Women's Univeristy, Dallas, TX, United States, 1995
- Bachelor of Science, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, United States, 1982
- Bachelor of Science Biology Education, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, United States, 1980
Biography
Dr. Mulligan has been involved in orthopedic-sports physical therapy, athletic training, and clinical education for the past 43 years. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Nebraska and he received his physical therapy training at UTMB–Galveston. He completed the post-professional master's degree program at Texas Woman's University-Dallas in 1995 and his transitional DPT at Regis University in 2008. He was recognized as a clinical specialist in sports physical therapy by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) in 1988, served as the Chair for the Sports Physical Therapy Council of the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists from 2010-11, and is the lead author of the current description of specialty practice for sports physical therapy. From 2014-18 he served on the APTA's Board of Residency and Fellowship Education and continues as a senior site reviewer for physical therapy residency programs. He was certified as a clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy in 2009 and currently serves on the Research Committee for the APTA's Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy. In 2017, he was honored by the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy for his lifetime achievements in education and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2020. He was a Professor at UT Southwestern for over 20 years with joint appointments in the Physical Therapy and Orthopedic Surgery Departments and has published over 30 studies in orthopedic and sports-related peer-reviewed journals. AT UTSW he developed and administered the orthopedic and sports physical therapy residency programs and coordinated the musculoskeletal extremity, practice management, and sports physical therapy elective curriculums. Upon retirement in 2021, he accepted a new faculty position at Tufts University as the director of their musculoskeletal curriculum. His wife, Jana, is also a physical therapist and they have two sons - Ryan, an orthopedic surgeon in Grapevine, and Reid, an architect in Dallas. They also have two grandchildren, Ellie (10) and Bennett (8).