Furthering the Field: Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders in Physical Therapy

As a pioneer in physical therapy for more than three decades, Sherrie Glasser Mayrsohn, PT ’77, MS did more than pave the way for female physical therapists hoping to enter this male-dominated field — she inspired a passion that is multigenerational.

Along with her son, Michael Mayrsohn, DPT ’12, OCS, Sherrie owns Metro Physical & Aquatic Therapy, which has evolved to become Long Island’s largest family-owned and -operated rehabilitation practice and the only comprehensive outpatient company offering physical, occupational and speech therapy, with over 400 employees across multiple locations.

Now, Sherrie’s impact has expanded once again — this time, beyond her colleagues, patients and even her own family — thanks to the establishment of three scholarships that will benefit a new generation of aspiring therapists for years to come.

In 2021, Michael established the Sherrie Glasser Mayrsohn Metro Physical Therapy Scholarship, the Sherrie Glasser Mayrsohn Speech-Language Pathology Scholarship and the Sherrie Glasser Mayrsohn Metro Occupational Therapy Scholarship to honor both his mother and the place that led to such rewarding careers for the two of them.

“My mom is a pioneer in our profession, and the goal of these scholarships is to identify and support leaders in this field,” says Michael. “As Stony Brook graduates, it felt like an obvious decision

to give back to the school that gave us the opportunity to be in the profession and trained us so well.”

Attracting leaders to Stony Brook’s School of Health Professions remains a top priority for the school, according to Dean Stacy Jaffee Gropack, PT, PhD, FASAHP, and generous contributions like Michael Mayrsohn’s help to achieve this goal.

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, 93 percent of recent physical therapy graduates have student loan debt, with an average balance of more than $142,000. The prohibitively high cost is preventing potential leaders with the skills, talent and ambition to thrive in this field from obtaining a degree.

“At the School of Health Professions, we believe that future leaders who are ready to apply their passion, skills and expertise to navigate the evolving healthcare landscape hold the key to healthier societies,” Dean Gropack says. “We are truly grateful to generous alumni, like Michael and Sherrie, who share our belief that our students are those leaders.”

“This scholarship allows me to pay for my rent and gas while reducing the amount of student loans I have to take out. It also motivates me to continue pursuing the path I am most passionate about,” says Lenore Zhao, Class of 2024.

Not only are students like Lenore able to graduate with less debt, but they are also leaving Stony Brook University with a stronger chance of employment.

Within two years, Stony Brook PT graduates have a 100 percent employment rate. This, no doubt, is also due to the caliber of the Stony Brook doctoral program, which is now ranked third in New York state, trailing only those of New York University and Columbia.

As Michael and Sherrie look to the future, they know what their field needs in order to continue growing and evolving, and they believe Stony Brook graduates are an important part of that equation.

“It all starts with getting the right people in the field,” Michael says, “and that’s something we want to be a part of.”