Steven H. Tepper, PT, PhD, FAPTA
Photo courtesy of Rehab Essentials
February 2, 2026
The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research is excited to announce the establishment of the AIRE Endowment by Steven H. Tepper, PT, PhD, FAPTA, supporting research in cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy, as well as advancing physical therapy education. Its full name captures the spirit behind it: Angels or Anyone who Invest in people and the future of cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy through Research and Education. At its core, the endowment is about investing in people, ideas, and the future of the profession.
While in physical therapy school, Tepper discovered his passion for cardiovascular care. He went on to work with a cardiologist and nurse to build a hospital’s first cardiac rehabilitation center. Eventually, Tepper went to pursue his PhD in experimental pathology, and when it came time to seek support for his doctoral studies, he turned to the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research.
In 1987, the Foundation awarded him funding that helped cover the cost of electron microscopy and other essential research tools for his dissertation. That early support stayed with him throughout his career. “Receiving funding from the Foundation gave me a chance to grow,” Tepper says. “I would not have had that opportunity otherwise.”
Teaching soon pulled him in a new direction. Tepper found himself energized by helping students understand complicated physiology, histology, pathology concepts and then watching that knowledge come alive in management of patients with cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders. “Teaching is my passion,” he shares. “Seeing students recognize dysrhythmia (or other cardiovascular sign or symptom) in the clinic while they are working with a patient, to me is the highest level of learning.”
In 2005, Tepper launched Rehab Essentials with the goal of widening access to physical therapy education. He saw barriers that kept clinicians from advancing their degrees and responded with a hybrid, lower-cost, high-quality approach built with content experts from across the profession. Today, the company continues to meet the evolving needs of the physical therapy education community.
Now, more than 35 years after receiving the Foundation’s support, Tepper has donated $250,000 to establish this endowment and has also planned a substantial estate gift that will expand its long-term impact. “I was given an opportunity, and now I want to give back much more than what was given to me,” he says.
“Gratitude is really what it is all about,” Tepper adds. “It has allowed me to take the research money that was given to me back in the eighties and bring it forward to now. The gratitude I have for the Foundation is why I want to give back.”
That gratitude is woven into the heart of the AIRE Endowment. For the Foundation and the broader physical therapy community, his generosity marks a meaningful milestone for research and education.
The endowment will support AIRE-designated research grants that advance evidence and strengthen clinical practice in these crucial areas, with award years alternating between the two core focus areas, cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy and DPT education. Funding from the AIRE Endowment will support researchers working across the continuum, including basic science, clinical outcomes, implementation, and education.