Palmer College’s Alumni Awards shine a light on graduates whose work is shaping chiropractic and strengthening communities around the world. Each honoree brings a distinct story of leadership, service, discovery, entrepreneurship or professional achievement, yet all share a deep commitment to the people and profession they serve.
This year’s recipients represent the enduring impact of a Palmer education. Through their practices, research, advocacy, innovation and service, they’re expanding what’s possible for chiropractic and creating meaningful change in the lives of others. Their accomplishments are a reflection of their individual journeys and of a global alumni community that continues to learn from, support and inspire one another.
Distinguished Achievement Award
Sherry McAllister, D.C. (`96)
Every profession depends on people who can advance its work and explain its value to the world around it. For nearly three decades, Sherry McAllister, D.C. (`96), has dedicated herself to that responsibility — teaching, writing, speaking and advocating for a broader understanding of chiropractic and its potential to improve lives.
As president of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, Dr. McAllister has been at the forefront of conversations about the future of the profession, helping shape how patients, health care leaders and the public understand chiropractic’s role in spinal health, the nervous system, and whole-person care.
Her work has taken many forms: classrooms filled with future chiropractors, conference stages around the world, and most recently, the pages of the book Adjusted Reality. The purpose behind each effort remains the same: sharing knowledge and encouraging passionate people. “I love helping people recognize their own potential and guiding the trajectory of our profession,” Dr. McAllister says. “I’ve done nothing more in my life that’s more rewarding or more fulfilling.”
Her role with the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress grew from a conviction that education can create change. What began as a volunteer opportunity became a calling after she saw the misconceptions surrounding chiropractic in public conversations. Over time, she helped transform that question into a mission, moving the conversation beyond the limited perception of chiropractic as simply a treatment for spinal pain and toward a deeper understanding of the profession’s ability to change lives.
Her passion is rooted in personal experience. Before becoming a chiropractor, Dr. McAllister was a young laboratory researcher recovering from a serious car accident. Persistent headaches made her work over a microscope increasingly difficult, and traditional treatment offered little relief. A colleague introduced her to chiropractic. After her first adjustment, she saw the profession differently. “That first adjustment changed my life,” she says. “It made me consider becoming a chiropractor and ultimately led me to Palmer and the path I’ve been on ever since.”
Receiving Palmer’s Distinguished Achievement Award represents recognition from the institution that helped shape her path. Yet for Dr. McAllister, the honor is less a conclusion than a renewed commitment. “It’s humbling,” she says. “And it gives me even more desire and passion to advance the profession.”
Distinguished Service Award
Honoring alumni who have shown exceptional dedication and service to Palmer College over time
Michael Cafaro, D.C. (`04)
Long before he became a leader in chiropractic, an alumni ambassador, and one of Palmer College of Chiropractic’s most visible champions, Michael Cafaro, D.C. (`04), learned a lesson that continues to shape everything he does. It was when Palmer’s then-President Guy Riekeman, D.C. (`72), walked a young Dr. Cafaro through the Palmer Clinic and pointed to the words carved above its entrance: “Enter to learn how.” Then, at the exit: “Go forth to serve.”
“For me, that’s Palmer,” Dr. Cafaro says. “You come here to learn, but your purpose is what happens after you leave.”
More than two decades later, he is still living those words.For Dr. Cafaro, service has never been something reserved for the
latter part of a career or measured by titles held. It is woven into the way he practices, leads, and stays connected to the institution that shaped him. Whether caring for patients at Meridian HealthCare in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, representing Palmer at chiropractic conferences across the country, or mentoring future chiropractors, he approaches each role with the same belief: that a Palmer education carries a responsibility extending well beyond the clinic. “I live and breathe Palmer purple,” he says. “I fell in love with the College, the community, and what Palmer stands for. It’s why I’m so proud and happy to represent the school, build bridges with alumni, and bring new people to our mission.”
After graduation, the connection never faded. Dr. Cafaro returned for Homecoming, volunteered whenever he could, and eventually became an alumni ambassador, representing Palmer at state association meetings and professional conferences throughout the country. Those experiences have given him a unique perspective on the profession and reinforced what he values most about his alma mater. “You hear people say they’re Palmer docs,” he says. “It’s a universal language. It’s a family.”
His commitment to service extends to his work as president of the Ohio State Chiropractic Association, where Dr. Cafaro has worked alongside colleagues to strengthen and advocate for the profession, believing that chiropractic continues to move forward because practitioners are willing to invest in something larger than their own practices.
The call informing him that he had been selected for the Distinguished Service Award came while he was attending a chiropractic conference alongside the Palmer team. Chancellor and CEO Dennis Marchiori, D.C., Ph.D. (`90), couldn’t resist pointing out the timing. “He said, ‘It’s fitting that I’m calling while you’re doing exactly what you’re being recognized for,’” Dr. Cafaro recalls.
The honor was unexpected but meaningful because it came from the institution that shaped his career and from colleagues who understand why he has remained so deeply involved. “I never expected anything like this,” he says. “I do it because I love Palmer and I love chiropractic. Palmer has given me so much, and giving back has always felt like the natural response.”
Entrepreneurship Award
Celebrating alumni who have achieved success as entrepreneurs in chiropractic or related fields, locally or globally.
Steven Capobianco, D.C. (`03)
Receiving Palmer’s Entrepreneurship Award is a meaningful recognition of a journey that Steven Capobianco, D.C. (`03), never expected to take. “I’ll be honest, I don’t think of myself as an entrepreneur,” Dr. Capobianco admits. “What I am is someone who was embraced by a community of chiropractors who believed in our vision early and never let go. Those relationships, and that kind of support, changed everything. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Entrepreneurship often begins with recognizing what others have overlooked. For Dr. Capobianco, the need was clear. He noticed that clinicians understood how to create change through treatment, but many lacked the tools to help patients sustain those improvements through movement.
That insight became the foundation for RockTape, the global education and performance brand he cofounded to help clinicians and athletes better understand kinesiology, movement, and recovery. Dr. Capobianco says the company’s success has never been about business alone. It has always been about relationships, education, and advancing the profession that shaped him.
“We built RockTape through chiropractic,” Dr. Capobianco says. “That’s not a footnote in our story; it’s the whole story.”
His path to chiropractic began with curiosity. While completing his master’s degree in kinesiology and health sciences, Dr. Capobianco was studying ways to help people move better, particularly those affected by neurological and muscular conditions. A chance encounter with a chiropractor working with patients in a pool challenged his understanding of what was possible.
That curiosity led him to Palmer College of Chiropractic, where he found a profession centered on the relationship between doctor and patient, a philosophy that would define his approach to care and innovation. “Relationship building was the first thing I recognized,” he says. “Palmer taught me about listening and creating trust with patients. That mindset has guided my practice and my business.”
RockTape began as a solution to a clinical challenge and quickly grew into a worldwide educational platform. What starteas an idea is now a company that has helped teach movement-based strategies to clinicians and athletes across the globe.
Dr. Capobianco continues to invest in the future of chiropractic through professional education, student engagement, and mentorship. When speaking with future chiropractors, he encourages them to approach every opportunity with curiosity. “Start every opportunity with a curious mindset that lets you take in as much information as possible,” he says.
A Familiar Face Joins the Fellows
The Palmer Academy of Chiropractic Fellowship recognizes individuals who exemplify the four principles of leadership, recruitment, philanthropy, and service to Palmer College.
Barbara Melbourne, J.D.
During nearly a decade as Palmer College’s vice chancellor for institutional advancement, Barbara Melbourne, J.D. transformed the College’s culture of philanthropy and led the historic Daring and Driven campaign, the most successful fundraising effort in Palmer’s history, raising more than $30 million. Through her leadership, she helped deepen alumni engagement and student recruitment and elevated the College’s philanthropic vision. She and her husband, Steve, are also steadfast supporters of Palmer College behind the scenes, and have established an endowment to support Palmer’s future.
View the 10-under-10 winners and bios on the Alumni Awards page.
