Faculty Focus: Julie Quinlan, MPO, MS, CPO, ATC

When Julie Quinlan, MPO, MS, CPO, ATC, hears the word “challenging,” she thinks of it in positive terms. Challenges are exciting for her, because she knows it will take hard work and the end result will be worth the effort.

And, if a challenge is what Quinlan likes, then she’s right in the middle of a big one as the first faculty member hired for Salus University’s new Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P) program, directed by J. Chad Duncan, PhD, CRC, CPO, scheduled to kick off in the fall of 2022.

​“I’m really proud to be part of the development of the inaugural program under Dr. Duncan’s direction. He has many years of experience as a clinician, instructor and program director and is energized by sharing that knowledge with his faculty and students and watch them develop,” said Quinlan. “This program is going to help people move into the profession with a solid base of knowledge and experience of the field. We have the opportunity to change lives.”

She will be part of a faculty that plans to take a team approach to teaching.

“We’re not designating individuals for either orthotics or prosthetics. We’re working as a team to build the coursework,” said Quinlan. “Oftentimes faculty will be focused in either orthotics or prosthetics. In this case, since we’re creating the curriculum from the ground up, we’re taking the team approach so we can bounce ideas off of each other and make sure that we’re all on board with how the information is being disseminated to the students. This will help to make sure that the ideas are clear.”

Originally from Kutztown, Pennsylvania, Quinlan earned her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science from Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. She then went on to Ohio University where she earned her Master of Science in sports medicine. From that point, she worked in that specific area for 10 years before going back for a master’s in prosthetics and orthotics from Northwestern University. In high school, she played field hockey, basketball and softball, in undergrad she played tennis and was on the crew team while in graduate school.

“As a non-traditional student, I had a deep appreciation for the instructors and the effort and preparation they put into the program for the students. They became lifelong mentors for me and many other students. I want to be able to do the same for our students at Salus,” said Quinlan.

Although she calls teaching her “perfect job,” Quinlan didn’t think it was in her future. She was working as a prosthetist/orthotist at Hanger Clinic in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, a job she really enjoyed, when the Salus opportunity came up.

“I heard about the program at Salus opening and I saw the position posted and I said, ‘I have to go for this – it’s an incredible opportunity and I have to try,’” she said.

When she’s not concentrating on orthotics and prosthetics, Quinlan likes to work out, work in her flower garden and spend time with her husband, Keith, and stepson.

While the entire process of building a program from the ground up is challenging and exciting, the one aspect of the program particularly attractive to Quinlan is that Dr. Duncan is focusing on cultural humility — creating an inclusive environment for the faculty, staff and students andividual.

“This focal point really sets us apart from other programs,” she said.