Alumni Fellows Award

2020 Recipient: Dave Relling, PT, Ph.D. ‘94

David Relling is a professor and chairman for the Department of Physical Therapy in the School of Medicine & Health Sciences at the University of North Dakota. UND PT is the only state-funded physical therapy program in North Dakota with over 1,900 physical therapy alumni. Relling teaches courses in cardiopulmonary and acute care physical therapy with research interests in biomechanics and physical therapy workforce.

Relling is a licensed physical therapist and serves as a member of the North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy. As vice president for the board of directors of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, Relling has contributed to the national physical therapy examination, physical therapy licensure compact and minimum data set.

He and his wife Laura have three grown children: Paige, Zach and Drew.

Relling earned a master’s degree in kinesiology from K-State in 1994. He also earned a doctorate in pharmacology, physiology and therapeutics from the University of North Dakota.