Emile Tonas Kalil

Emile Tonas Kalil, PT, DPT, MGA, RT is an Instructor (Adjunct Faculty II) in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science (PTRS) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Since 1995 he has served continuously as volunteer, guest, and core teaching faculty, contributing more than 200 contact hours annually to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program while maintaining clinical practice and national burn-rehabilitation leadership roles.

Education

• B.S. Therapeutic Recreation, University of Southern Mississippi (1978)
• B.S. Physical Therapy, University of Maryland, Baltimore (1985)
• M.G.A. General Administration (Health Care), University of Maryland, College Park (1994)
• D.P.T. Doctor of Physical Therapy, University of Montana, Missoula (2010)

Research & Clinical Focus

Kalil’s scholarly and clinical work centers on burn rehabilitation, wound care, and evidence-based practice education. He has published extensively on early ambulation after lower-extremity skin grafting, psychosocial adaptation of burn-injured youth, novel technologies such as Wii-based balance training, and curricular strategies that embed case-report writing into DPT training. His investigations integrate quantitative functional outcomes with qualitative measures of body image, shame, and quality of life, reflecting a holistic approach to complex trauma and chronic disease.

Awards & Honors

• Alumni of the Year, UMB PT Alumni Association (2001)
• Health Care Hero Finalist, Maryland Daily Record (2009)
• Barbara Knothe Burn Therapist Achievement Award, American Burn Association (2009)
• Unsung Hero Award, Burn Foundation of Philadelphia (2009)

Teaching, Advising & Service

Within the DPT curriculum Kalil leads laboratory and lecture sessions in cognition/mental-status assessment, sensation testing, balance, biomechanics, wound care, burn rehabilitation, and cardiopulmonary rehab. He has chaired the Curriculum Coordinating Committee (2012–2014) and served on Admissions, Strategic Planning, and Device Task-Force committees. Nationally, he is Co-Director and Secretary-Treasurer of the Mid-Atlantic Burn Camp Fund and a founding officer of the International Association of Burn Camps, underscoring his commitment to service learning and community re-integration for burn survivors.

Labs & Teams

Kalil mentors DPT students in case-report research disseminated at University of Maryland Research Day, APTA’s Combined Sections Meeting, and the American Burn Association Annual Meeting, fostering inter-professional collaboration among physical therapists, nurses, physicians, and psychologists.