Teagan Devoe ‘22 has been interested in the medical field for a long time. Looking for a career on “the positive side of medicine,” as she puts it, led her to physical therapy. Teagan will graduate in May with a BS in Health Sciences and a minor in Psychology and will move directly into UHart’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program this summer. “After earning my DPT in 2025, I intend to focus on athletic physical therapy in the hopes of one day having my own practice,” she says.
An honors student, Teagan has balanced academics with athletics, playing on UHart’s women’s golf team. She excelled at both and has been named a Senior Regents’ Honor Award Winner, the highest academic honor the University bestows on undergraduates.
“Traveling and competing as an NCAA Division I golfer while studying to be a health care professional has been amazing,” she says. “The bonds I have made with my teammates and the life of being a student-athlete has only strengthened my skill set for the future.”
During her time at UHart, Teagan worked as a research assistant studying neuromuscular deterioration due to microgravity environments as part of UHart’s NASA Space Grant Consortium. “To be able to work with such elite researchers, while providing our own research to find a way to strengthen muscles when in space, was an incredible opportunity,” she said.
Teagan applied her love of golf to her senior honors project titled “The Effect of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Isometric Exercise on Golfers’ Strength.” She was among a group of UHart honors students who presented their research at the Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference in Philadelphia in April and the UHart Undergraduate Colloquium.
Her favorite part of UHart is how close-knit the community is. “There was not a day where I walked across campus without seeing a face I knew. The events, games, and other on-campus socializing opportunities led me to meeting an abundance of terrific people, forming lifelong connections,” she said.
Teagan also credits Dr. Claudia Oakes, the Honors Program director, and Dr. Mary Gannotti, professor of Physical Therapy, for her success. “I have made connections with so many professionals while at the University of Hartford, which isn’t as easy to do at larger colleges. My connections with Dr. Oakes and Dr. Gannotti have led me to my successes. Their ongoing support and advising has made my love for physical therapy, as well as the University of Hartford, even deeper.”
Her advice to incoming students is, “Take the leap! Join the club, make the connections, and don’t hold back. These opportunities are bound to let you make bonds that will last a lifetime.”
Teagan Devoe ‘22, Physical Therapy, Health ScienceI have made connections with so many professionals while at the University of Hartford, which isn’t as easy to do at larger colleges. My connections with Dr. Oakes and Dr. Gannotti have led me to my successes. Their ongoing support and advising has made my love for physical therapy, as well as the University of Hartford, even deeper."