Newsletter

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER

MAY ISSUE

EKU Faculty participate in assembly of student delegates fun run in chicago

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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER

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This year the annual conference of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) was held in Chicago, IL, the windy city. This year was the largest conference ever, with close to 11,000 occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and students present. Twelve of our faculty attended, with six presenting their scholarship. We also had large contingent of EKU’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy students attend. A major highlight of the conference this year was the Welcome Celebration and Keynote Address by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, who were both critically injured in the Boston Marathon Bombing. They discussed their recovery as blast trauma amputees and how occupational therapists aided the in this journey. They gave a funny and moving presentation while highlighting the importance of occupation in recovery and living meaningful lives.

This year marks the 99th anniversary of the beginning of the occupational therapy profession. Excitement is starting to build for the 100th anniversary of the first meeting of occupational therapists in 1917, culminating in a centennial celebration at the 2018 conference in Philadelphia, PA. We hope to see you all there to celebrate this amazing profession helping individual’s live life to its fullest.

Dr. Jennifer Hight presented her capstone project completed as a requirement for the OTD program at EKU

2016 AOTA CONFERENCE

by Dr. Julie Batisberger

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Department at Eastern Kentucky is launching a new online journal entitled Journal of Occupational Therapy Education (JOTE).

The journal will be devoted solely to disseminating open access, high quality, peer-reviewed research about teaching and learning as it relates to occupational therapy and occupational science.

Dr. Dana Howell, Editor, along with Dr. Cindy Hayden and Dr. Renee Causey-Upton, Associate Editors, will launch the first issue of JOTE in April 2017 to coincide with the American Occupational Therapy Association’s centennial celebration.

For further information, please email jote@eku.edu.

Transitions from School to Adulthood

Dr. Doris Pierce and collaborating therapists presented a three-hour workshop titled, Transition Services to Secondary Students: Evidence, Assessment, Group-based Intervention, and Meeting Key Challenges. This was the first presentation of the highly significant outcomes of occupational therapy services to 14 to 16 year old students with disabilities in ten Ohio school districts.

Students with Dr. Schneck at the AOTA conference

Dr. Shirley O’Brien Awarded EKU Foundation Professorship

Dr. O’Brien has received the 2016-18 EKU Foundation Professorship, the university’s highest honor for teaching excellence. The annual honor recognizes someone who demonstrates outstanding abilities in the three primary roles of a faculty member: teaching, service and research. Congratulations Dr. O’Brien.

Dr. Thompson using the Mets services.

Sidewalk University Students Visit New York CityIn January of 2016, Sidewalk University students investigated disability and art with New York City as the classroom. Sidewalk University is a week long, site-specific course with rotating cities and topics. It is an experiential, reflective, and proactive immersion course that focuses on relevant topics in a different city annually. New York City offered an ideal landscape for concentrated examination on disability, art, and aesthetics. New York City permitted first hand observation on how art can empower the disabled, but moreover, how the disabled can empower art. Exhibiting Students: Heather Amos, Katherine Anneken, Daniel Bevins, Meagan Cochran, Katelyn Craft, Shelby Davis, Sarah Franklin, Angelica Graham, Madison Harris, Savannah Huff, Mandie Peterman, Kaitlyn Ralston, Heather Ramsay, Jade Rauen, Alexandra Rice, Haley Sizemore, Abigayle Witt.

Special thanks to Patrick Carter, our student teacher, and the EKU Libraries, EKU Honors, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, and Department of Art and Design.

Dr. MaryEllen Thompson has been accepted to present her Sidewalk University teaching experience at the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) Conference, October 12-16, 2016 in Seattle, Washington.

Students Exhibit in the Library.

SCHOLARS DAY

The 2nd annual College of Health Science’s Scholars Day, “Colonel Scholars: Building a Foundation for a Healthier Kentucky,” took place April 19th, 8:30 - 12:00 noon, at the Center for the Arts building on EKUs main campus. Approximately 130 student posters were presented and a nationally renowned keynote speaker, Dr. David Dyjack, presented on inter-professional collaboration in a context of environmental health sciences. Outstanding student poster award winners from the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy were occupational science major Spencer Thomas Hammond for his work, Reconnecting With Our Roots: Farm-Life and Therapy, and occupational therapy graduate students, Sara Durham, Emily Coleman, and Emily Eicher, for their research, Exploring a Dance Program for Children with Sensorimotor Deficits.

This was an excellent venue for sharing College of Health Sciences faculty-mentored student research and a chance to network with other students and faculty in the college. Thank you to all participants!

Junior OS students and Spencer Hammond, who won undergraduate award.

Senior Mary Wagner

Mary Wagner successfully presented her Honor's Thesis on April 12. Her research examined the impact of perfectionism on occupation for junior Occupational Science Students. Her family and friends were there in full force to support her during her defense, filling the entire room without an empty seat in the house! Mary also presented her research at the EKU University Showcase on April 15. We are so proud of Mary's research and all of her presentations to disseminate her results.

AOTA 2016 POSTER PRESENTATION

Dr. Cindy Hayden presented a poster at the 2016 American Occupational Therapy conference in Chicago, IL in April. Her poster Occupational Disengagement and Reengagement for Individuals with Chronic Pelvic Pain highlighted her ongoing research with Karen Gilbert, Assistant Librarian and Library Liaison to the College of Health Sciences, and Dr. Phyllis Bryden, Associate Profession in Public Health. The research team is analyzing data from two national surveys. The first study is examining predisposing factors for painful bladder syndrome, also known as Interstitial Cystitis. The second study concentrates on daily decision-making concerning occupations that may increase symptoms or flares in women with painful bladder syndrome.

PIE YOUR PROFESSORS

SOTA raised $244.26 money by pieing the

Professors in the face fundraiser. Great job SOTA. Thank you to all professors who participated.

PLEASE DONATE TO OUR DEPARTMENT SCHOLARSHIPS TODAY!

http://ot.eku.edu/scholarships-os-and-ot-students

alumni highlight

Dr. Mallory D. Ratliff, OTR/L, CLS

Since graduation, I have been continuing the work of my OTD and expanding occupational therapy's role in breastfeeding support services. I have been assisting with the Lactation Improvement Network of Kentucky's Board of Directors' efforts toward expanding and passing breastfeeding-friendly legislation in Kentucky. I was a guest lecturer at Eastern Kentucky University with two classes of occupational science undergraduates, discussing the importance and benefits of breastfeeding to infant development. I have also met with the Human Services Program Advisory Board at Big Sandy Community and Technical College in Prestonsburg, KY, assisting with future program development. In current production is my goal to get my OTD capstone research published within the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, as well as becoming Board-certified in Pediatrics through the American Occupational Therapy Association.

“After going to the capitol and completing our project, I have gained a lot from the overall experience and have learned that anyone can submit a bill they strongly believe in, as well as schedule meetings. I was nervous about speaking with professionals and I was surprised on how well talking with legislators went. I loved how this experience really opened my eyes to our legislative process and learn how bills are passed. I learned that there are differences between certain bills and how they are passed within committees. I also loved how this experience gave my team and I confidence, and showed each other how we can professionally conduct a meeting with a professional legislator.”OTS 402 VISIT THE CAPITAL BUILDING IN FRANKFORT ON MARCH 2ND, 2016

Leah Sizemore, Ben Turner, Nick Cross, Lacey Russell, and Natalie Field take a picture before the fairness rally in the Capitol's rotunda after meeting with three legislators about bills regarding student athlete safety, interscholastic school activities, and indoor tanning regulations for minors.

Students Natalie Field, Ben Turner, Leah Sizemore, Lacey Russell, and Nicole Foright take a picture with Representative Jim Stewart III prior to discussing thoughts on HB 217 regarding student athlete safety. 

Lacey Russell, Natalie Field, Leah Sizemore, Ben Turner, and Nicole Foright discuss HB 217 regarding student athlete safety with Representative Jim Stewart III. 

Students Jen Caudill, Rachel Green, Lacey Russell, Mallory Shoukletovich, and Beth Mueller take a picture in the Capitol's rotunda before the Fairness Coalition Rally begins. 

“Third, I was enlightened about what a difference legislative advocacy can make. Prior to this experience, I was not sure legislators would take us seriously, let alone consider what we had to say. We met with Representative Stewart about HB 217 regarding student athlete safety and he initially admitted supporting the bill in its current state. After hearing about our group’s concerns regarding referee training and discussing it with us for about a half hour, he admitted that the bill appeared to be missing that component and took us directly to a meeting with the sponsor of the bill to discuss referee training. It occurred to me that when enough people support something or create a new perspective for someone, change happens. The KY Fairness rally was the perfect example of the result of hard work and legislative advocacy. Even though fairness is still being achieved, they can celebrate the achievements they have made as a group.”