Associate Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy

1540 Alcazar St., CHP 155
Los Angeles, CA 90089-9006

Dr. Elizabeth Ruckert is a board-certified clinical specialist in Neurology through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Dr. Ruckert practices clinically at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC, where she specializes in rehabilitation of individuals following stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury.

Dr. Ruckert has a passion for teaching and educational research. Her research interests relate to education pedagogy, instructional design in both online and face-to-face environments, clinical reasoning and mindset. She has over 10 years of experience in entry-level physical therapy programs related to neurology, aging, clinical reasoning and differential diagnosis.

Dr. Ruckert also has extensive physical therapy residency education expertise. She is a graduate of the USC-Rancho Los Amigos neurlogic residency program in 2008. She later created and directed the MedStar-George Washington University neurologic physical therapy residency program for 7 years. She served on the Accreditation Services Council of the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency & Fellowship Education for over 5 years. Currently, she also serves on the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy’s Online Education Committee.

Dr. Ruckert teaches in the second year of the DPT curriculum in the neurologic course content.

• Doctor of Education, Organizational Change and Leadership, University of Southern California, 2024
• Graduate Certificate, Leadership Development & Adult Learning, George Washington University, 2013
• Graduate Certificate, Neurologic Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, 2008
• Doctor of Physical Therapy, Ithaca College, 2006