Dr. Nancy Fell and Dr. Stephanie Eton were honored during APTA Tennessee’s Spring Meeting on Saturday, March 29, in Murfreesboro. Photo courtesy of Dr. Stephanie Eton.
Dr. Nancy Fell and Dr. Stephanie Eton of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga have been recognized with top statewide honors from the Tennessee chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
Fell, a UC Foundation professor and head of the UTC Department of Physical Therapy, was named recipient of the 2025 Carol Likens Award—APTA Tennessee’s highest honor. According to the organization, the award is presented to a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant “whose work has significantly impacted and enhanced physical therapy in Tennessee.”
Fell, who joined the UTC faculty in 1994, is a longtime educator, mentor and advocate for improving health outcomes through interdisciplinary collaboration and community-based care.
The Carol Likens Award is her second significant honor over the past year after previously being selected as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association. The FAPTA designation, APTA’s highest honor, recognizes individuals whose efforts have had a lasting impact on the advancement of the physical therapy profession.
Eton, an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Physical Therapy and director of residency education, received APTA Tennessee’s 2025 Outstanding Physical Therapist Educator Award. The award recognizes exceptional contributions to physical therapy education in the areas of teaching, mentorship and professional development.
A member of the UTC faculty since 2020, Eton is a practicing physical therapist with more than a decade of clinical experience. She is board-certified in geriatric physical therapy and specializes in outpatient neurology and geriatric care.
Fell and Eton were honored during APTA Tennessee’s Spring Meeting held Saturday, March 29, in Murfreesboro.
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