Position: Associate Professor
Department: College of Healthcare Professions
Phone: 610-282-1100, x2147
Office: 212 Wills Hall
Education
Dr. Stephen Carp is an Associate Professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at DeSales University and a clinician‑educator with recognized expertise in geriatrics, motor control, and professional ethics. He maintains an active acute care clinical practice in a Philadelphia‑area hospital, integrating current clinical perspectives into his teaching.
At DeSales, Dr. Carp teaches courses in Geriatrics, Clinical Medicine, and Physical Therapy Practice Management, with an emphasis on clinical reasoning, ethical decision‑making, and service‑oriented care.
Dr. Carp is highly engaged in professional leadership and service. He serves on the Board of Directors of APTA Pennsylvania and is a member of the APTA Judicial and Ethics Committee and the APTA Judicial and Ethics Committee. His commitment to service extends to community leadership through board membership with the Norristown Multidisciplinary Immigration Clinic, Generations of Indian Valley, the Alliance for Hope, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and St. Catherine’s Home for Retired Priests.
He is an active contributor to professional scholarship and peer review, serving as a reviewer for multiple journals, including the Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association, and as a grant reviewer for federal agencies, including the U.S. Army, the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Dr. Carp has authored more than 25 peer‑reviewed publications, contributed to multiple textbooks, and co‑authored Foundations: An Introduction to Physical Therapy (Thieme, 2019). He has also delivered over 30 peer‑reviewed professional presentations.
His contributions to the profession have been recognized with the Distinguished Educator Award from the APTA Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy (2019) and the Rebecca L. Craik Award for Critical Inquiry (2024). He delivered the APTA Pennsylvania MOVE PA Conference keynote address in 2020 and has been invited to deliver the keynote again in 2026.
Through his combined roles as clinician, educator, and professional leader, Dr. Carp advances the program’s commitment to clinical excellence, ethical practice, and service‑oriented physical therapy education.