Colonel Thomas Louis Duquette ’91 and Dr. Sherri Rene Maxwell have established an endowed fund with a gift of $100,000 to provide scholarship support for students who are on track to receive a PhD in Human Movement Science within the Division of Physical Therapy. The PhD program is offered jointly between the division and the Department of Exercise and Sport Science.
The scholarship is named in memory of Duquette’s parents, Louis and Eleanor, to honor their lifelong commitment to higher education. Duquette, a longtime physical therapist with the U.S. Air Force, graduated with a master of science in physical therapy from the UNC School of Medicine Department of Allied Health Sciences. He is a member of the UNC PT Advisory Board; he and his wife live on their ranch in Texas where they raise more than two dozen alpacas. It’s their hope this donation might inspire other physical therapy alumni to consider giving back to the program which indelibly shaped their professional lives.
Prospective graduates who will benefit from this fund will be at the forefront of unlocking critical research and health initiatives such as disability prevention and human movement patterns linked with development and aging. This gift will provide measured impact for generations to come. We are grateful for their unwavering support to the Division and we are thrilled at this opportunity for our students.
Erin Kinney, the director of development for the DAHS at UNC Medicine, visited the Duquette and Maxwell in Texas.
“I do what I do because I love being able to work with individuals who want to impact lives by giving back,” Kinney said. “I love being the person who can help bring that to life, and I love doing it here at UNC.”