New director joins KCU to expand clinical partnerships

Driven by a commitment to meaningful impact, Brandy Palacios, PT, DPT, MS, brings her leadership in clinical education to Kansas City University (KCU) as the new director of Clinical Education Development and Strategic Initiatives. In this role, Palacios will serve as a liaison with core clinical sites and lead efforts to develop new partnerships and training opportunities for students.

“My goal is to leave a mark at KCU,” Palacios said. “I want to make a meaningful impact on the future of health sciences education.”

Palacios brings a strong background in both clinical practice and higher education. She joins KCU from the Physical Therapy Assistant Program at Concorde College, where she served as director of Clinical Education. Her experience also includes faculty roles at Metropolitan Community College, Midwestern University and the University of Kansas, as well as more than a decade of clinical work as a physical therapist and physical therapist assistant.

A graduate of the University of St. Mary with a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Palacios also holds a Master of Science in Exercise Science from the California University of Pennsylvania,  a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tuskegee University, a place she says helped shape her professional foundation and an Associate of Applied Science as a Physical Therapy Assistant from Kansas City Kansas Community College.

In addition to her extensive experience, Palacios is deeply engaged in community service, including serving on the board of the Heart of America Alzheimer’s Association. She looks forward to bringing that spirit of service and collaboration to KCU.