Sue Wenker is the program director and an associate professor with the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, with a joint appointment in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. She is a board-certified clinical geriatric specialist-emeritus and an advanced credentialed exercise expert for aging adults. She teaches Introduction to the Physical Therapy Profession and Professionalism (PT 538) and Professional Practice Issues in Physical Therapy (PT 543).
Wenker serves on multiple committees for the Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education and is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and APTA WI. She is passionate about program development and serves as an instructor for the APTA Credentialing Clinical Instructor Program as well as for the Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults series offered by the Academy of Geriatrics. Wenker’s scholarly work centers around aging adults with dementia and other related diseases and interprofessional education.
She earned a bachelor of science degree in physical therapy from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1991, a master of science degree in continuing vocational studies from UW–Madison in 2002, and a PhD with a distributive minor in aging, also from UW–Madison, in 2016.
In 2020, Wenker received two awards through the Academy of Geriatrics: the Joan Mills Award, the highest award in the Academy, and the Distinguished Educator Award. She was a recipient of the SMPH Dean’s Teaching Award in 2021.