Our People | College of Health Professions

Nancy Carson, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, serves as associate dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs and professor in the Division of Occupational Therapy of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences in the College of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Dr. Carson completed clinical training in occupational therapy at MUSC and received a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health from the University of South Carolina.

As Associate Dean, she works with all programs within the College of Health Professions to ensure compliance with academic policies and procedures, supports faculty processes, and supports faculty development. As an academic educator and professor, she teaches occupational therapy and participates in interprofessional education initiatives. With over 25 years of academic experience, she was named to the Roster of Fellows by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) in 2016 for her significant contributions to the continuing education and professional development of its members.

Dr. Dave Fitzgerald is the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Associate Professor for the CVP Program at the MUSC College of Health Professions. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology and perfusion degree from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and Allegheny University of Health Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, respectively. He received his Master’s in Public Health from the University of Alaska in Anchorage, Alaska, and his Doctorate in Health Administration at MUSC in Charleston. Upon graduation, he was conferred the DHA Outstanding Quantitative Doctoral project and Dean’s Awards in 2019.

Currently, Dr. Fitzgerald serves as the Associate Editor of the Journal of Extracorporeal Technology and member of the International Consortium of Evidence-Based Perfusion. He is the current President of the American Academy of Cardiovascular Perfusion. In 2012, he served as President of the American Society of Extracorporeal Technology. Dr. Fitzgerald was conferred the Award of Excellence in 2009 and John. H. Gibbon Jr. Award in 2020 from AmSECT. As a member of the CVP Faculty, Dr. Fitzgerald’s research focuses on disparities among cardiac surgical blood transfusion practices and nontechnical skills assessment in clinical perfusion. He was awarded the MUSC College of Health Professions Teacher of the Year in 2018 and MUSC Foundation Developing Teacher Award in 2019. Dr. Fitzgerald remains an active clinician as member of the MUSC Clinical Perfusion Team.

Dr. Bob Rowe is the associate dean for clinical affairs for the MUSC College of Health Professions and the chief of MUSC Health Therapeutic and Rehabilitative Services Integrated Center for Clinical Excellence (ICCE).

Dr. Rowe is the founder of the Brooks Institute of Higher Learning (Brooks IHL) within the Brooks Health System, located in Jacksonville, FL, and has served in multiple leadership roles at Brooks IHL over the past 18 years, including executive director of Brooks IHL. One of the primary achievements in this role was the implementation of 10 residency and fellowship programs, which, over the 18-year period, served as an example of best practice in residency/fellowship programs, and also assisted in the development of multiple residency/fellowship programs around the country.

Dr. Rowe received his Doctor of Physical Therapy at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) in 1985 and completed his Master of Health Science in Physical Therapy in 1994 at LSUHSC. He completed an Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship through the Ola Grimsby Institute (OGI) in 1999 and subsequently earned his Doctor of Manual Therapy degree through OGI in 2001. In May 2007, Dr. Rowe completed his t-DPT through MGH IHP. Dr. Rowe was recognized as a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT) in 2001.

Dr. Rowe is a nationally recognized speaker in the areas of musculoskeletal patient management, professional advocacy, residency/fellowship value and development, and professional issues/leadership. He served as the president of the AAOMPT for six years (2009-2014). Dr. Rowe served on the APTA Board of Directors as a director from 2015 to 2021 and began a three-year term as president of the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy in 2022.

Previously, Dr. Rowe served a four-year term on the APTA American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) that began in July 2008 and continued to serve as a site reviewer for the Accreditation Services Committee, a subcomponent of the ABPTRFE, until June 2015. He served as chair of the Orthopaedic Section's Practice Committee from 2004 to 2010. He has served for 22 consecutive years as a delegate to the APTA House of Delegates for the Louisiana Chapter (2001-2004), the Orthopaedic Section (2004-2010), the Florida Chapter (2010-2015), the APTA Board (2015-2021), and AOPT (2022-2023). Dr. Rowe served on the APTA Manipulation Task Force from 2001 to 2015 and served on the APTA POPTS Task Force from 2004 to 2007. In 2009, Dr. Rowe completed five years of service as an appointed member to the APTA Advisory Panel on Practice and served as chair for the final year. Before serving as president of AAOMPT, he served as co-chair of the Standards Committee (2002-2006) and as vice president for a term (2006-2009). Dr. Rowe has served on the LPTA Board as vice president (2004-2006) and on the FPTA Board as Regional Director (2007-2010) and Speaker of the FPTA Assembly (2010-2014). He began service as a member of the APTA Awards Sub-committee for selection of the McMillan and Maley Lecture awards in 2013 and completed that service in 2015.

In 2023, Dr. Rowe was recognized by APTA with the distinguished honor of being a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA. Dr. Rowe is a recipient of the APTA Lucy Blair Distinguished Service Award (2011 - American Physical Therapy Association award); the Dave Warner Distinguished Service Award (2006 - Louisiana Physical Therapy Association); the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Award for Excellence in Research, Education, Patient Care, and Community Outreach (2004 - LSUHSC); the Arcadia University Charles Magistro Award (2017 – Arcadia University); and the AAOMPT John Mennell Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Rowe was recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Practice (FNAP) in March 2024.