Robin Zappin

Robin Zappin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Alvernia University’s College of Health Sciences, where she integrates her extensive clinical background in burn rehabilitation and home care into her teaching and mentorship. She is a licensed physical therapist since 1989 and plays a key leadership role in advancing interprofessional and global health education.

Her research and academic work emphasize health literacy, cultural humility, global citizenship, and community-based global learning (CBGL). She teaches courses in acute care physical therapy and patient-centered care, promoting a holistic view of patients and collaborative goal-setting.

Since 2020, Dr. Zappin has led the Alvernia University Allied Health Interdisciplinary Team (AU AHIT), an interprofessional initiative involving physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology students and faculty from multiple universities. The program operates in Belize, delivering sustainable, equitable rehabilitation services through partnerships grounded in local community needs and fair-trade learning principles.

Her scholarly focus includes student development in cultural humility and the ethical sustainability of international service-learning. Though no publications are listed, her work reflects a strong commitment to transformative, socially responsible healthcare education.

• Encourages whole-person patient care
• Advocates for health equity and social justice
• Promotes interprofessional collaboration

Dr. Zappin has not received any explicitly mentioned scientific awards.

She mentors students in clinical and global contexts and leads grant-like programming through AU AHIT, though specific grants or advisees are not named in the text.

She leads the Alvernia University Allied Health Interdisciplinary Team (AU AHIT), which functions as a dynamic, interprofessional lab and service team focused on global health outreach, education, and ethical rehabilitation delivery in Belize.