Lynn Allen Colby
Ralph Davenport Mershon Award
B.S. Physical Therapy, 1967
M.S. Allied Health Professions, 1972
What makes a great teacher? Albert Einstein said, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” By that criterion alone, Lynn Allen Colby, assistant professor emeritus, is surely an artist. For more than 35 years her contagious passion for learning has inspired students to combine professional innovation with community service.
Colby’s devotion to Ohio State’s School of Allied Medical Professions is legendary. She instills in students pride in their profession and in the fact that they are studying at one of the top physical therapy programs in the nation. “You’re part of something great!” she tells them. But Colby also teaches by example the value of “giving something back.” A nationally recognized leader in physical therapy, Colby demonstrates through community service her belief that it’s not enough to simply show up at work and do your job. “You need to share your time and skills with the community,” she says.
A member of the Alumni Association, the Presidents Club, and the American Physical Therapy Association, Colby has done pro bono work at Ohio State’s Nisonger Center for Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, where she coordinated the pioneering Parent-Infant Program. Her volunteer advocacy for parents and children with atypical development has contributed significantly to the center’s national reputation.
Colby officially retired from the university in 1995 after serving for three years as interim director of the physical therapy division. During that time, she laid the groundwork that helped turn the division from a small unit into a vibrant group of nationally known leaders in the field. Even after leaving the director’s position, she has taught courses on a pro bono basis and retained membership on the graduate faculty, acting as an occasional fund-raiser and going the extra mile to advise and mentor students.
A former student and current faculty member, Deb Kegelmeyer, expresses her appreciation this way: “Lynn Colby recognizes the value of encouraging the best in all those she encounters and lives that ideology each and every day of her life. She serves and uplifts others, and that is perhaps her greatest accomplishment as a leader. You will find few individuals within the profession of physical therapy who do not know of Lynn Colby and, because of that, hold Ohio State in the highest esteem.”
In 2001 Colby was named Physical Therapist of the Year by the Ohio Physical Therapy Association. She also has received a teaching award from the School of Allied Medical Professions. In 2002, she and her husband, Richard D. Colby, established the Lynn A. Colby Service and Leadership Award to recognize outstanding student service.
But Lynn Allen Colby’s continuing legacy can best be seen in the daily efforts of the many students she has inspired. Their work in helping transform the lives of people with disabilities is a testament to Colby’s lifetime of teaching artistry.
