Jun 8, 2026
New Physical Therapy Faculty member discusses experience, what she wants to bring to the college
One of the newest faculty members at the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions is Alicia Flach, DPT, PT, EdD, who serves as an associate professor and assistant director of clinical education in the Department of Physical Therapy. Flach, who joined CHP last November, has been instructing physical therapy programs since 2014.
“[In] all of those roles, it's primarily been teaching neurologic physical therapy with a small sub specialty of orthotics, prosthetics and cardiopulmonary physical therapy, which matches my clinical training,” Flach said. “From a clinical perspective, I'm a neurologic specialist, and I primarily work with people with neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.”
Flach’s clinical practice has mirrored her research, primarily using sensors to examine walking and balance in people with neurodegenerative diseases.
“As I've kind of emerged into this educator world, I've also taken an interest in getting more training in the education research space, and so I just completed my educational doctorate (EdD) in 2025,” Flach said.
Flach also added that while she will remain focused on clinical research, she also intends to grow her educational research agenda to help support her role as an educator and PT education overall.
A long journey to Richmond
Flach’s journey to CHP has taken a winding path across the country, beginning as a first-generation college student graduating from the University of Illinois in 2004. She later attended the University of South Carolina for her Doctor of Physical Therapy.
She practiced in the Windy City at Our Lady of Resurrection Medical Center and the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab (formally Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) before joining the faculty at Saint Louis University as an assistant professor. Flach returned to the University of South Carolina to join its physical therapy program, where she worked for nine years and earned her doctorate in education before joining Virginia Commonwealth University. However, having students as a clinical instructor while in the clinic, she knew from those early experiences that this was something she wanted to pursue further.
“That one-on-one teaching experience was really impactful, but I knew that I wanted to do it on a bigger scale,” she said. “And so that's what drew me to academics,” Flach said.
She also noted that one of the draws to VCU and CHP is the infrastructure and collaborations with the health systems.
“Having a College of Health Professions where there's a clearly understood aspect of training of future health care providers, while also having the collaboration with the health system, was highly attractive to me to be able to grow in that next step,” she said.
Her future at CHP
Flach’s favorite part of CHP so far has been the students and the faculty who have really welcomed her with open arms.
“I love coming to work, I love doing what I do, and it's been a really great start,” she said.
In the future, Flach plans to continue working with individuals using sensors to measure walking and mobility in people with chronic conditions. She is also working with colleagues in the DPT department to develop a Community of Practice in Education, which aims to be a hub for collaboration in education research, scholarship of teaching and learning, and innovative teaching practices.