Leadership and Advocacy

Brianna has certainly shown the capacity to move our profession forward, given her achievements prior to as well as while here in our DPT program. At the time of her arrival Brianna had already demonstrated leadership skills throughout a profound military history of seven years of service that culminated in her receiving the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. From the very first semester Brianna continued her trajectory in professional development and leadership. She assumed in her first semester the role of Advocacy Chair for the Physical Therapy Class of 2025 Council and continued in that capacity for all three years of her time in the program. In the following year Brianna created and served as President of the Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Pre-Professionals Special Interest Group and has retained that role to the present time. Last, in April of 2024 she co-founded Prideful Future of Healthcare, reflecting her ongoing transformation in leadership and advocacy from the academic setting to community and professional milieus. Brianna has taken full advantage of the opportunities afforded her and has created new avenues for leadership and empowering her classmates and education community members. Brianna is a reflective and sensitive leader who models her values and beliefs and inspires to do so as well.

Scholarly Activity

Brianna is committed to lifelong learning, evidence-based practice, and the pursuit of excellence in physical therapy. Her current cumulative GPA of 3.885 is only one indication of her intellectual abilities. The passion and commitment she displays towards elevating the practice of physical therapy through scholarly processes of discovery, integration, application, and teaching takes her to another level. In her first year Brianna enrolled in the Advanced Research course series and served as a Research Assistant for Dr. Sandr Kaplan assessing issues of school-based physical therapy. In 2023 she worked with Dr. Anita VanWingerden on a review of the effect of puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy on bone density for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, presented at a 2023 IPE event.

In addition, Brianna was second author on a research poster presentation at the 2025 American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting, the preeminent national conference for physical therapists:

Fay, P., Lally, B., (2025, February 14). For Patients with Stroke, Does Function during Inpatient Rehab Predict Unplanned Readmission to Acute Care?[47316]. 2025 Combined Sections Meeting, Houston, TX, United States.

Brianna attends professional state and national professional meetings to enhance her capacity to engage with colleagues in issues of practice. She is a member of the New Jersey Physical Therapy Association and a member of the American Physical Therapy Association Academy of Leadership and Innovation, Pelvic Health Chapter, and Academy of Research.

Community Service 

Brianna has provided service to her classmates, our education community members, and to community groups outside of Rutgers. Brianna has served as a tutor for the Physical Therapy program students as well as students in Cytology, Occupational Therapy, and other graduate programs for the past two years. She has volunteered for a summer program working with individuals with traumatic brain injury through the Community Participatory Physical Therapy Clinic, as well as a scoliosis screening program for high school students. She works with OutCare, a medical network dedicated to research, advocacy, and mentorship for LGBTQIA+ clinicians and patients.

Service to the University

Through Prideful Future of Healthcare, Brianna led a first ever School of Health Professions Pride Event June 2024 that hosted multiple organizations such as RWJ Barnabas Proud Center, Newark Pride Center, VNACJ LGBTQ Health Center in Asbury Park, and APTA Pelvic Floor Chapter.

In summary, Brianna is emblematic of what the Bergen Medal represents. She has made outstanding contributions to the program, our school, and the communities we serve. She is well prepared to transfer what she has learned and done at Rutgers to our professional community at both a local and national level. We have no doubt that Brianna will make a profound impact on the lives of her colleagues, patients, and the students she will mentor. We are confident that Brianna will effect change and help grow and build the profession of physical therapy. We ask the selection committee to give your full consideration to our nomination of Brianna Lally for the 2025 Stanley S. Bergen Medal of Excellence.