As an African American in a field that has lacked diversity, she says she has faced many challenges. She was the only African American student in her physical therapy programs as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh and in the master’s program at Temple. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in educational psychology at Temple. At her first job in physical therapy, Dr. Nixon-Cave experienced racial bias. She recalls a time when an older white woman would not speak to her and instead asked questions of the aide who was assisting her. “It’s tough when you have people who don’t want to work with you,” she says. Today, Dr. Nixon-Cave is determined to bring more diversity to her field. She realizes it is important for patients to have someone they can relate to who looks like them. As a professor of physical therapy, Dr. Nixon-Cave inspires African American students. They tell her that she makes them feel it’s possible for them to succeed in the field, too. “You don’t necessarily need to be the best student,” she says, “but you need to work really hard.” Dr. Nixon-Cave also is a national leader in the physical therapy profession. She has created educational programs for physical therapists and has a particular interest in caring for babies who are so small they can fit on her hand. These tiny Kim Nixon-Cave Inspiring others to achieve goals Growing up, Dr. Kim Nixon-Cave helped take care of her grandmother. A severe case of rheumatoid arthritis made it hard for the older woman to get around, and she needed a wheelchair. Dr. Nixon-Cave often encouraged her grandmother to do more for herself when she could instead of letting others wait on her. Inspired by her ability to help her grandmother, she planned on becoming a medical doctor when she went to college, Dr. Nixon-Cave recalls. However, once there, she took a different path—a path that would still enable her to help her grandmother. She realized she wanted a career that would allow her to work more closely with patients than she could as a medical doctor. Physical therapy, she discovered, was a natural fit for her. As a physical therapist, she spends 30 minutes to an hour at a time with patients, helping them regain movement following an accident or an injury. Their goal could involve learning to walk or ride a bike again. 20