Faculty

LTC Hoppes is Professor and Director of the Army-Baylor University DPT program. She graduated from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania in 2003 (BS), the U.S. Army-Baylor University Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy in 2006 (DPT), and the University of Pittsburgh in 2017 (PhD). Her dissertation work utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy to study the cerebral activation of individuals with visual vertigo during optic flow. Dr. Hoppes is a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in both Neurologic and Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, a Certified Athletic Trainer, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. She has served as the Chief of Inpatient Physical Therapy and Amputee Physical Therapy at major military medical centers during the past 18 years. LTC Hoppes is also the co-founder of the Military Vestibular Assessment and Rehabilitation Course. She re-joined the Army-Baylor University DPT faculty in 2017. LTC Hoppes’ current teaching areas include Neurorehabilitation and Clinical Medicine III.

LTC Bryan Pickens is an Associate Professor and joined the Army-Baylor DPT Core Faculty in 2021. Dr. Pickens is a board certified specialist in Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists. He received his BA in Exercise Science from Baldwin-Wallace University in 2006, DPT from the Army-Baylor DPT program in 2009 and DSc from The Army-Baylor University Doctoral Fellowship in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy in 2016. Prior to joining the DPT faculty, LTC Pickens served as the Director of the Army-Baylor Doctoral Fellowship in OMPT (Fort Sam Houston, TX) and as an Assistant Professor in the Army-Baylor Division 1 Sports Physical Therapy Doctoral Fellowship (West Point, NY). His clinical experience includes assignments as the Musculoskeletal Action Team leader (Fort Sill, OK) and as a Brigade Physical Therapist for 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division (Fort Carson, CO). LTC Pickens’ current teaching areas include Executive Skills and Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy of the Cervical and Thoracic Spine. His research interests include utilizing technology in physical therapy practice and improving the instruction and performance of manual physical therapy.

CDR Rachel Condon is an Assistant Professor joining the Army-Baylor DPT Core Faculty. A native of Chicago, Illinois, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science in 2008 at Saint Louis University and went on to complete her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2010. In July 2016 she completed her Doctor of Science and Fellowship in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy through Army-Baylor University and is Board Certified in Orthopaedics. CDR Condon entered Naval service in 2010 and served as the Department Head at CAPT James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in Great Lakes, IL. In 2013 she reported to the USS Theodore Roosevelt where she served as the ship’s PT. Following her Doctoral Fellowship, she served as the Assistant Department Head of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth after which she served as the Department Head of PT, OT, and Chiropractic services at Naval Hospital Okinawa. Most recently she served as the Associate Director of Clinical Support Services and the Department Head for PT and OT at Naval Medical Center San Diego where she was also the Clinical Internship Director for the Army-Baylor DPT Program.

Dr. Jim Cowan is an Assistant Professor and clinical core faculty for the Army-Baylor University DPT Program since 2020. Dr. Cowan is a board certified specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists. He received his BS from the University of Louisiana Lafayette in 1989, MPT from Baylor University in 2001, and DSc from Baylor University in 2006. Dr. Cowan served 27 years as a Naval Officer, which included 4 Carrier Strike Group deployments to Iraq and Bosnia Herzegovina. He has served as Chief of Physical Therapy for multiple clinics including the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 and the Naval Special Operations Tactical Athlete Program for SEAL and Special Boat Teams. Prior to joining the DPT faculty, he served as the Chief of Physical Therapy at the Center for the Intrepid Department of Defense Amputee Rehab Center. Research interests include injury prevention strategies, manual therapy interventions and amputee best practices. Dr. Cowan’s current teaching areas include PT Fundamentals, Radiology, Spine and Prosthetic Care.

LTC John Mason is an Associate Professor and joined the Army-Baylor DPT Core Faculty in 2022. Dr. Mason is a board certified specialist in Sports Physical Therapy and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He received his BS in Exercise Science from Brigham Young University, a DPT from the Army-Baylor DPT Program, and a DSc in Sports Physical Therapy from the Baylor University‐Keller Army Community Hospital Division 1 Sports Physical Therapy Fellowship at the United States Military Academy. His clinical experience includes assignments as Chief of Physical Therapy at McDonald Army Community Hospital, Assistant Chief of Physical Therapy Womack Army Medical Center, Chief of Physical Therapy at Keller Army Community Hospital, and a deployment to Kabul, AFG as the sole Physical Therapist in support of NATO operations. LTC Mason also served as an Associate Professor in the Sports Physical Therapy Fellowship from 2018 to 2022. LTC Mason’s current teaching areas include Therapeutic Interventions and Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy of the Lower Extremity. His research interests include post-surgical return to sport testing, the use of musculoskeletal imaging in direct access physical therapy, and musculoskeletal injury prevention.

MAJ Mullins is an Assistant Professor and the Executive Officer of the Army-Baylor University DPT program. She graduated from University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio in 2007 (BS), the U.S. Army-Baylor University Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy in 2010 (DPT), and the University of Kentucky in 2020 (PhD). Her dissertation work examined the neurophysiologic effects of dry needling on individuals with chronic ankle instability. Dr. Mullins is a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy. She has served as a staff physical therapist, the 2nd Brigade Physical Therapist for the 101st Airborne Division and the Officer in Charge of the Soldiers in Training Physical Therapy clinic. She joined the Army-Baylor University DPT faculty in 2020. MAJ Mullins’s current teaching areas include Neuroscience, Clinical Medicine II, Clinical Medicine III, and Dry Needling within Advanced Therapeutic Interventions.

LTC Pitt is an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Physical Therapy Research Laboratory. He is a graduate of the United States Army-Baylor University Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy and Board Certified in Orthopedic Physical Therapy. His clinical experience includes assignments as a Brigade Physical Therapist with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Fort Drum, NY) and as a Special Operations Physical Therapist with the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment (JBLM, WA), during which time he deployed five times to Iraq and Afghanistan. He completed his terminal degree studies at the University of Oregon where he earned a PhD in Human Physiology with an emphasis in Biomechanics. Prior to joining the Core Faculty at Army-Baylor DPT, LTC Pitt served as an Assistant Professor in the Army-Baylor Division 1 Physical Therapy Doctoral Fellowship at West Point, NY. His research interests include the utilization of wearable technologies in the assessment of dynamic balance control deficits and running gait retraining, as well as functional return to duty assessments following lower extremity surgeries. Currently his primary areas of instruction include Biomechanics, Gait (normal and abnormal), Injury Control and Prevention, and Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy for the Shoulder Region.

Dr. Mark Thelen is a Full Professor and Director of Research for the Army-Baylor University DPT program. Dr. Thelen is a board certified specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy. He is a clinical researcher, physical therapist, and retired military officer with a history of clinical care excellence and over 22 years of military leadership. He received his BS in Biological Sciences from Florida Institute of Technology in 1994, MPT from Baylor University in 2001, and DSc from Baylor University in 2007. Dr. Thelen joined the Army-Baylor DPT faculty in 2011. His current teaching areas include all the Research Methods and Evidence Based Practice coursework. His interests include injury prevention, direct care physical therapy, and research design. He has published several peer reviewed papers and his work has been presented at national and international conferences. Dr. Thelen, is a recipient of Army Medical Department’s Order of Military Medical Merit, and “A” Proficiency Designator.

MAJ Jon Umlauf is an Assistant Professor and Director of Curriculum of the Army-Baylor University DPT program. He is board-certified in Orthopaedics, a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists, and certified to perform diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound (RMSK). He received his BS in Environmental Health from Old Dominion University in 2004, DPT from the Army-Baylor DPT program in 2012, and DSc from The Army-Baylor University Doctoral Fellowship in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy in 2018. Previous to joining the Army-Baylor University DPT faculty in 2021, he served in several educational positions including the Army Service Assistant Dean for Graduate Allied Health, Associate Program Director for the U.S. Army-Baylor Doctor of Science Fellowship in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy, and the DPT internship Site Director at Brooke Army Medical Center. His clinical experience includes assignments as Assistant Chief of Physical Therapy at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Physical Therapy to the Secretary of State, and Chief of Physical Therapy at Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center. His research interests include advancing the clinical competence of physical therapists, improving outcomes of rehabilitative care, and investigating the utility of diagnostic ultrasound.

Maj Josh Van Wyngaarden is an Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education for the Army-Baylor University DPT program. Dr. Van Wyngaarden is a board certified specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. He received his BS in Biology from the United States Air Force Academy in 2008, DPT from the Army-Baylor DPT Program in 2011, and PhD from the University of Kentucky in 2020. Maj Van Wyngaarden has served in diverse roles throughout his military career, leading Physical Therapy clinics at Wright Patterson AFB and Joint Base Charleston. While in Charleston, he deployed on a humanitarian mission to Southeast Asia and was selected as the first team chief to develop an isolation system to safely transport patients with Ebola from West Africa to the U.S. for treatment. In 2016, Dr. Van Wyngaarden was tasked for a short tour to South Korea for a year where he led the Physical Therapy Clinic, Health Promotions Clinic, and base wide Injury Prevention. Additionally, he acted as the base Decontamination Chief, which carried the role of decontaminating personnel and equipment in the event of a biological, nuclear, or chemical attack. Maj Van Wyngaarden joined Army-Baylor Faculty in 2020, and his research interests include patient risk stratification and pain neuroscience.