Steve Ferdig, PT, DPT, OCS

Steve Ferdig is a board-certified orthopedic clinic specialist and serves as the Director of the UMPT Clinic.  Dr. Ferdig graduated with his Bachelor’s degree in Human Physiology from California State University at Long Beach in 1991 and received his Master of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Southern California in 1993.  He completed a year-long manual therapy program emphasizing spinal treatment through Folsom Physical Therapy in 1995.  Dr. Ferdig served as Adjunct Faculty for 20 years in the Department of Physical Therapy at Chapman University.  In 2011, Dr. Ferdig completed his transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Chapman University.  He was the owner of an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy practice, Specialized Physical Therapy, for 14 years.  Dr. Ferdig teaches examination and treatment of the spine in the musculoskeletal tract of the DPT program at UM.  His passion is to empower individuals to maximize function through education, exercise and self-management techniques.  When not working in the clinic he can be found fly fishing and enjoying time with family.

Troy Adam, PT, DPT, NCS

Troy Adam graduated with his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from The University of Montana in 2016.  He went on to receive his board certification as a neurologic clinical specialist in 2020.  He serves as a clinician for the UMPT clinic and as an adjunct faculty member for the school of physical therapy.

In the university’s outpatient clinic, Troy specializes in treating patients who have neurologic impairments and those with complex medical diagnoses.  He is a certified LSVT Big practitioner as well as a trained therapist in body weight support treadmill training.  He is a level two certified clinical instructor, and mentor’s students in the clinic 7 months out of the year.  The main patient population that he serves are those with spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, TBI, and MS.

His contributions to The University of Montana’s physical therapy program include laboratory instruction in Anatomy, Musculoskeletal Examination and Evaluation, Foundations of Physical Therapy, Cardiopumonary System, Exercise Physiology, Physical and Electrophysical agents, and Physical Therapy and the Healthcare System.

Jaclyn Carson, DPT, LSVT BIG Certified

Jaclyn Carson is a Clinical Physical Therapy Instructor at the University of Montana in the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science and Clinician at the University of Montana Physical Therapy Outpatient Clinic.  Dr. Carson completed her undergraduate training at The University of Montana in Health and Human Performance – Health Promotion.  She finished her DPT at the University of Montana School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science.  Dr. Carson’s current teaching responsibilities include documentation, fundamental skills, neurologic rehabilitation, electrophysiological agents, clinical reasoning III, PNF and primarily treats patients with neurologic deficits and complex medical conditions at the on-site clinic independently in the mornings and in a 1:4 preceptor to SPT ratio in the afternoons in the Integrated Clinical Experience model.  She has also worked in a variety of settings in 1:1 and 1:2 models.  She specializes in Parkinson’s Disease and is a Physical Therapy Faculty Scholar at Parkinson's Foundation in addition to being involved in the root efforts of addressing the needs of women with Parkinson’s Disease through the Parkinson’s Foundation.  She is also serving a two year term as Clinical Director at Large for the National Consortium of Clinical Educators addressing the needs of the institutional pairings.

Audrey Elias, PT, PhD, OCS

Audrey Elias is a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and clinical researcher. Following her DPT in 2009, she completed her orthopedic residency with a focus on manual therapy with Therapeutic Associates, Inc. in Port Angeles, WA. She returned to Missoula in 2012 to begin work on her PhD, exploring adaptations in muscular control associated with re-training force absorption following knee injury, completed in 2015 under Dr. Ryan Mizner. She then completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada before returning to the University of Montana as clinical faculty in 2017. She is passionate about pushing the envelope of physical therapy, and understanding how the mind and body interact to create dysfunctional motor patterns after injury. She is primarily involved in clinical mentorship through the Integrated Clinical Education program, and teaches Clinical Reasoning, Imaging, Pharmacology, and Soft Tissue Mobilization in the DPT program. Her clinical specialties include return-to-sport following lower extremity injury, performing arts physical therapy, and occupational health. She also serves as Associate Director of the University of Montana Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency program and teaches in the Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy continuing-education series. Audrey is a member of the Specialization Academy of Content Experts of the Orthopedic Section of the APTA and an Item Writer for the Orthopedic Specialist examination, a Yale Scientific Teaching Fellow, and a mentor through the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy mentorship program. Awards include the APTA Research Section Traveling Fellows Award funding training in best practices utilizing dynamic ultrasound for research with Dr. Jason Franz at UNC-Chapel Hill, and the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Clinical Research Grant - New Investigator Award. Outside the clinic, Audrey can be found running trails, alpine and cross-country skiing, biking, or tap dancing—stomping on a floor is good for the soul!

Celine Valentin, PT, DPT, MSc, CSCS

Celine Valentin is a sports and orthopedics physical therapist working with the University of Montana Physical Therapy Clinic and University of Montana NCAA Division I Athletics. She graduated with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Regis University in Denver, Colorado and then completed a Sports Physical Therapy residency program at the University of Utah. Prior to obtaining her DPT, Celine earned a Master of Science degree at Montana State University in Exercise and Nutrition Science, focusing in applied exercise physiology and biomechanics research. At Utah, Celine treated a wide range of individual and team-sports athletes, working with the University of Utah Division I Athletics Department, the US Ski and Snowboard Team, the Salt Lake City Stars (G-League professional basketball), Real Monarch (MLS Next Pro Soccer), USA Climbing and Paraclimbing, and high school athletics at Herriman High School. Celine is currently a medical pool provider for the US Ski and Snowboard team, traveling internationally to help treat athletes during competition and training. At the University of Montana, she treats UM athletes, students, recreational athletes, and community members with a wide range of chronic and acute injuries in addition to post-operative rehabilitation. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and is also certified in level 1 and 2 dry needling and bike fitting. In her free time, Celine enjoys backcountry snowboarding, mountain biking, climbing, and hiking with her dog.