Lori Michener has been named interim associate dean and chair for a year, until a permanent leader is installed.

BY JAMIE WETHERBE MA ’04

LORI MICHENER WAS RECENTLY NAMED ASSOCIATE DEAN/CHAIR of the Division, taking over for James Gordon, who had helmed the program since 2000.

“I felt I could provide a valuable perspective in leading the Division in this interim time,” Michener said. “We have a very large and diverse Division, and I have an understanding of what the needs are for our three key pillars — education, research and clinical practice. Someone stepping in from outside could have a steep learning curve, especially for an interim position. That’s part of what I considered before accepting this role.”

During her more than 11-year tenure at USC, Michener has worked across all three major foci of the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy — education, research and practice — from teaching multiple classes in both the DPT and biokinesiology programs to leading her lab, the Clinical Biomechanics Orthopedic and Sports Outcomes Research Laboratory to providing treatment at USC Physical Therapy, the Division’s patient care clinics.

Michener has also made significant contributions to the broader physical therapy community. Last year, she received the Paris Distinguished Service Award from the Academy of Orthopedics (APTA) for her dedication to advancing volunteerism in the physical therapy profession. She has also received fellowships from both the National Athletic Trainers’ Association as well as APTA (fun fact: the Divison has the largest concentration of Catherine Worthingham Fellows of any of the nation’s educational institutions). Additionally, she has earned several prestigious research awards and has been recognized nationally and internationally — particularly for improving treatments for patients with musculoskeletal shoulder disorders.

Despite her depth of experience in and outside of USC, leading the Division one day was not on Michener’s radar. “When Dean Chai reached out to ask me if I’d consider the interim position, I was surprised! It was certainly unexpected,’” she says, with a laugh.

After careful consideration, Michener decided not only to step up and lead the Division, but also to make sure it didn’t stagnate during this year-long interim period.

“I discussed with Dean Chai that I don’t intend to just keep the car running, if you will,” she says. “I’d like to accomplish two major things: To keep the Division moving forward in the positive direction that it already is, and to take on some new initiatives that can help accelerate our growth and development even more than its current trajectory.”

Like her predecessor, Michener plans to prioritize passion and excitement, along with honesty to lead and support the Division. “As a leader, Jim did that exceptionally well,” she says. “I feel it’s also vital to show care and compassion — that’s certainly one of my most important goals in this role.”

Unexpected Opportunities

While the chance to serve as Interim Associate Dean came as a surprise, Michener has experience with unexpected career turns.

“I wasn’t the person who graduated high school knowing what I wanted to do,” she says. “I think opportunities have presented themselves across my career, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have the support to step into new roles that have allowed me to grow and develop leadership skills.”

After Michener started practicing as a clinician, her curiosities about the lower extremities and spine lead her to pursue her PhD.

“But my PhD mentors were interested in the shoulder, so I switched direction for my dissertation to the shoulder,” she says. “Once I finished my PhD and worked to develop my own research agenda, I had a lot of questions that still needed answered about the shoulder, and I decided to stay on that path — identifying mechanisms, developing novel treatments and defining optimal treatment pathways for shoulder pain.”

This trajectory in her pursuits and her openness to others has influenced her as a learner and a leader.

“Coming to USC over 10 years ago, I never thought of being the interim chair,” she says. “But I’ve learned it’s important to be open to growth and development, and to keep an eye toward unique opportunities that may allow you to expand into areas that you have strengths for or interest in.”

As Michener prepares for the challenge ahead, her favorite aspect of the Division is an easy answer.
“The people — both the faculty and staff who are engaged and committed to making this the best Division possible,” she says. “It makes you want to be better as well.”

The search for an associate dean and chair will continue in October, at which time there will be an announcement.