APTA Iowa is excited to announce the 2021 scholarship and award recipients. These recipients were recognized at the 2021 APTA Iowa Spring Conference.

Max Shelton Friend of APTA Iowa Award

The Max Shelton Friend of APTA Iowa award recognizes individuals or organizations other than PTs/PTAs for exceptional service to the physical therapy profession in Iowa. It is named in honor of Max Shelton who was the founder of what is now the Shelton-DeHaan Company. Max was a vendor of physical therapy supplies for many years, he became a friend and supporter of our profession and played an active role in the development of the physical therapy profession in Iowa as both a patron and benefactor.

Max Shelton Friend of APTA Iowa Award 2021 Recipient: Rep. Shannon Lundgren

Lundgren was nominated by Jason Putz, PT. According to Putz, “Shannon has been an active listener to physical therapists in her district since being an elected official. She was instrumental in keeping MPPR out of the Iowa Medicaid payment system. She is very responsive to our questions and works well with APTA Iowa lobbyists.”

Shannon grew up in Dubuque Iowa raised with three younger sisters, by her parents Lynne & Rich Fluhr. She Graduated from Wahlert Catholic High School and then attended Midwest Travel Institute in Davenport Iowa and graduated with a certificate in Tourism Management. Shannon and her husband Charlie live in Peosta, Iowa and they have two grown daughters. Alexis is a business partner and the Operations Manager at their family owned restaurant, Trackside Bar & Grill. Sydney resides in Cedar Falls with her Husband Tony; and she works for Dupaco Community Credit Union. Shannon is also a certified Travel Agent and owns and operates Lone Palm Travel Co. 

Shannon was first elected to the Iowa House in 2016 and is serving in her second term. As a member of the Iowa House, she has a proven track record of standing up for her constituents in District 57, and her voting record shows that she has their best interest at heart. 

Shannon managed several complex bills early in her tenure including; the Ban on Abortions after 20-weeks, the Fetal Heartbeat bill, both an Adult and Children’s Brain (Mental) Health bills and addressed the states opioid epidemic with legislation that has had an immediate impact on those suffering with opioid addiction. Her work on complex bills along with her leadership skills has earned her the Chair seat for the House Human Resource Committee, a committee that works on health policy issues for the state. She continues to work on lowering the cost of prescription drugs, transparency in the states Department of Human Services and the Department of Public Health and works tirelessly on affordable access to healthcare for Iowans. 

Shannon also serves on the Commerce Committee, State Government Committee, as well as the Health & Human Services Joint Budget Sub-Committee, advocating for access to care and fair reimbursement for providers. 

Olive C Farr Scholarship

The Iowa Physical Therapy Foundation established an annual $500.00 physical therapist student scholarship in 1983. An annual $250.00 physical therapist assistant student scholarship was established by the IPTF in 1995 which was initially funded by a contribution from physical therapists Steven and Susan Bell. In 2010 the IPTF increased these awards so that each year four physical therapist student scholarships and one physical therapist assistant student scholarship are awarded. The scholarships are made possible by a bequest to the Foundation from Olive C. Farr, PT, the first director of the physical therapy education program at the University of Iowa.

The scholarships are awarded to student members of the American Physical Therapy Association enrolled in accredited Iowa PT/PTA education programs who have concluded the first year of their accredited entry-level Iowa program. Award of the scholarships is based on demonstrated scholarship, potential for professional contributions and leadership qualities.

Olive C Farr Scholarship 2021 Recipients:

• Benjamin Mardis: Ben’s fascination with human movement began with a back injury in high school that led to his first experience with Physical Therapy. From 2015 to 2019, he took a deeper dive into the world of movement at Drake University as a Kinesiology major and Student Intern with the Sports Medicine Team. His ambition to positively impact the community around him by enhancing the health and motor performance of individuals in medical need led him to pursue a Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Iowa. Pre-Covid you might find him working through material for his next test at a local coffee shop. When he is not studying, he enjoys being active outdoors with family and friends, playing golf, sand volleyball and exploring local bike paths or hiking trails. Today, he is grateful to his faculty and classmates at University of Iowa for challenging him to grow in new ways throughout his DPT journey. He is also humbled and very thankful to be the 2021 Olive C Farr Scholarship Recipient.

• Sarandyn Curtis: Sarandyn Curtis grew up in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Growing up she enjoyed playing sports, spending time with her family and friends and attending and volunteering for school and community functions such as sporting events and fundraisers. At a young age she became interested in the field of physical therapy, as she tore her knee and fractured her ankle while playing sports. She went to physical therapy for both injuries and her experience was so memorable and positive that she wanted to pursue it as a career. After high school she attended Iowa State University where she attained a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and a Minor in Psychology. From here she moved to Des Moines and started to attend Mercy College of Health Sciences where she is currently in the process of attaining an Associates of Science Degree to be a physical therapist assistant. She has many interests and hobbies. She enjoys cooking, baking, weightlifting, listening to podcasts, playing tennis and cheering on the US Women’s National Soccer Team and the Iowa State Cyclones. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends playing plenty of board games in the winter and spending as much time outdoors during the summer.