KU Occupational Therapy Education
Spring 2025 Newsletter

The past year has been both exciting and incredibly impactful for the Department of Occupational Therapy Education. We have had so much to celebrate, not only within our department, but also within the wider community. Our students and alumni are finding success despite our current challenges, achieving remarkable milestones and making a lasting impact in the field.

We warmly invite our alumni and community partners to engage with the department in meaningful ways. You are the heart and soul of the profession, and the impact you make resonates far beyond the classroom. Your continued involvement plays a crucial role in shaping the future of occupational therapy, and we would be thrilled to collaborate with you as we move forward, building on our shared commitment to excellence and innovation in the field. If you're interested in serving on the Alumni Event Planning Committee for 2025, please reach out to Hannah Schuh at hschuh@kumc.edu.

Dory Sabata, Ph.D.
Department Chair

Alice Zhang, Ph.D., assistant professor, was awarded a faculty practice grant from the KU School of Health Professions for a project titled "Exploring the Experiences of Older People Taking Part in a Safe-Falling Training Program: A Qualitative Study." She also was selected for a KL2 Mentored Career Development Award supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health.

Therapeutic science program director Lisa Mische Lawson, Ph.D., was recently awarded an Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) by the National Institutes of Health. It will support her work investigating the effects of swim instruction on the swimming and water-safety skills of children with autism. Shee also received the American Therapeutic Recreation Association Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest award in her profession.

Class of 2022 graduate Sarah Behrens, OTD, joined the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Kansas Medical Center as a child/pediatric postdoctoral research fellow.

Class of 2015 graduates Lindsey Jarrett, OTD, and Kelly Trowbridge, OTD, presented at the Beyond Rehab: Succeeding at Life conference. Jarrett presented "AI in Healthcare: Balancing Risk and Opportunity." Trowbridge presented "Optimizing Psychotherapy for Individuals with Brain Injuries." In addition, current therapeutic science doctoral student Erica Bates moderated a panel titled "Kansas Strategic Plan for Brain Injury."

Two current therapeutic science doctoral students presented posters at the 2024 Occupational Therapy Summit of Scholars in Gainesville, Florida. Nida' Alworikat presented a poster titled "Mental Health and Quality of Life Among People with Multiple Sclerosis Living with Frailty." Makenna Snyder was awarded 3rd place among student posters for "Health Care Transition Experiences for Autistic Young Adults in Urban and Rural Areas: A Qualitative Study."

Have an update to share? We'd love to hear from you. Please send a message to Hannah Schuh, program manager, at hschuh@kumc.edu.

Our third annual capstone poster presentations were the best attended yet! The following highlight a few of the more than 40 posters presented last spring by students graduating from the entry-level OTD program.

The KU Department of Occupational Therapy Education offers free, one-hour informative programs designed for practicing occupational therapists and students currently in an occupational therapy program.

Upcoming sessions include topics such as home-based feeding interventions, Parkinson's "Art of Expression" and stroke recovery. Register online.

If you are employing or supervising a graduate from KU’s occupational therapy program, please consider completing this very short form (2-3 minutes). It will provide us with help insight into the work our former students are doing.

Last June, Jeff Radel, Ph.D., associate professor emeritus, retired after nearly 32 years with the Department of Occupational Therapy Education at KU Medical Center. The neuroscientist embraced occupational therapists and spent his career with us. 

The department honored him by wearing Hawaiian shirts at his retirement party. [photo] Friends, family and colleagues came to share stories of his impact upon the program and school.

We are grateful Jeff will serve as emeritus faculty and continue to work with students at CHAMPS, a martial arts program for persons with different abilities.  

On July 12, 2024, Bonnie Danley passed away at age 84. Serving our department for 22 years, many alumni and former faculty had the pleasure of working with Bonnie. Others have received the award in her name.

If you would like to share a message with her family, please visit her obituary.