The American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Patricia L. Davies, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA,  as its new Board Chair. Dr. Davies is a distinguished professor at Colorado State University, where she leads the Brainwaves Research Laboratory. Her research focuses on understanding the neurological basis of cognitive, sensory, and motor functions, particularly in children with developmental disorders.

Davies' accomplishments include: 

• Over four decades of experience in occupational therapy
• Significant contributions to the field through research and education
• Extensive global collaborations and presentations
• Recipient of substantial funding from organizations like the NIH and NSF

Other Board Changes

We are honored to welcome Timothy Reistetter, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, as the new Secretary of our Executive Board for 2025, while Janet Poole, PhD, OTR/L, will continue as Vice Chair, and Anne Bryden, PhD, OTR/L, as Treasurer.

Furthermore, we are delighted to announce the inclusion of Shawn Roll, PhD, OTR/L, Brent Braveman, OTR, PhD, FAOTA, Megan Chang, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Lisa Juckett, PhD, OTR/L, CHT, and Rebecca Martin, OTR/L, OTD as Trustees.

Outgoing Board Members

The AOTF extends its profound gratitude to the outgoing Board members: Mary Jane (MJ) Mulcahey, PhD, OTR/L, our immediate past Chair, and Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, BCTS, our former Secretary, for their dedicated service and invaluable contributions.

We also thank Kathleen Lyons, SCD, OTR/L, Pamela Talero Cabrejo, OTD, OTR/L, CPAM, and Antoinette Shaw, OTR, for their dedicated service as Board Trustees.

Celebrating 60 Years of Impact

As we celebrate our 60th anniversary, the AOTF remains committed to advancing occupational therapy through research, education, and advocacy. We look forward to continuing our mission with the support of our dedicated Board members and the entire occupational therapy community.

2024 has been a year of continued growth and innovative change for our quarterly research publication OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research. This continued growth represents the contributions of quality data-driven research from authors and the rigorous processes of OTJR’s Editor-In-Chief, Timothy J. Wolf, OTD, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Assistant Editor, Associate Editors, Editorial Fellows, Review Board Members, and SAGE Publishing. 

Check out the Top 10 Most Downloaded OTJR Articles in 2024 (published in 2024):

Application of the Person–Environment–Occupation–Performance Model: A Scoping Review
Julie D. Bass, Stephanie L. de Sam Lazaro, Josephine K. Marchant, Carolyn M. Baum
Volume 44 Issue 3; 10.1177/15394492241238951

Editorial: The Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) Model—An OTJR Focused Issue
Julie D. Bass, Josephine K. Marchant, Stephanie L. de Sam Lazaro, Carolyn M. Baum
Volume 44 Issue 3; 10.1177/15394492241252578

Autistic Adult Perspectives on Occupational Therapy for Autistic Children and Youth
Erin Gustafson, Lindsay Eisenmenger, Julia Sterman, Lizzie Hamm, Jules Edwards
Volume 43 Issue 2; 10.1177/15394492221103850

The Effect of Sensory Integration Therapy on Occupational Performance in Children With Autism
Meral Huri, Hülya Kayihan, Babak Kashefimehr
Volume 38 Issue 2; 10.1177/1539449217743456

The Distinctive Features of a Feasibility Study Objectives and Guiding Questions
Ellen S. Cohn, Gael I. Orsmond
Volume 35 Issue 3; 10.1177/1539449215578649

Scoping Review of Self-Advocacy Education Interventions to Improve Care
Julie Faieta, Elizabeth K. Schmidt, Kelly Tanner
Volume 40 Issue 1; 10.1177/1539449219860583

Effectiveness of Transition Readiness Interventions by School-Based Occupational Therapy Personnel
Amy Spence, Lisa Sakemiller, Tony LoBianco, Doris Pierce
Volume 40 Issue 1; 10.1177/1539449219850129

Occupational Therapy and Public Health: Advancing Research to Improve Population Health and Health Equity
Nancy A. Baker, Julie D. Bass
Special Issue: Occupational Therapy and Public Health; 10.1177/1539449217731665

A Systematic Review of Interventions to Improve the Occupation of Play in Children With Autism
Susan L. Spitzer, Heather Kuhaneck, Stefanie C. Bodison
Volume 40 Issue 2; 10.1177/1539449219880531

Community-Based Interventions for Childhood Trauma: A Scoping Review
Gabriella Mazzeo, Roxanna Bendixen
Volume 43 Issue 1; 10.1177/15394492221091718

Did you know AOTA members receive a discounted subscription rate to OTJR? Subscriptions for non-members are available as well.
 

Lisa Juckett, PhD, OTR/L, CHT, is an Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at The Ohio State University. She leverages her prior clinical experiences in physical rehabilitation and her doctoral training in implementation science to identify solutions that narrow the “research-to-practice” gap.

Dr. Juckett and her team have developed and tested strategies to expedite the use of innovations (e.g., standardized outcome measures, fall prevention interventions) in real-world practice settings, including stroke rehabilitation units, community-based organizations, and aging service agencies.

Her work has been funded by entities such as the NIH, PCORI, the Administration for Community Living, and the National Science Foundation, and she is actively involved in local and national service initiatives to improve the health outcomes of vulnerable aging communities. 

Harlan and his wife Rita were longtime donors to AOTF and passionate about supporting the University of South Dakota students.

In 2011, Harlan and Rita, working with AOTF and the South Dakota Occupational Therapy Association, created the Harlan and Rita Temple Scholarship, which provides financial aid to occupational therapy students enrolled at the University of South Dakota. That same year, they also established their annual fundraiser to bolster the scholarship: the Harlan and Rita Temple 5K Run/Walk/Ride. This event brought together dozens of students, faculty, friends, and occupational therapists in Vermillion, South Dakota.

In the words of Lawrence Liff, AOTF Chief Development Officer, "Harlan will be greatly missed. He was always a joy to speak with and was always excited about the opportunity to support OT students and the vital work being done by AOTF. We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Rita, his family, and everyone at USD and SDOTA who was touched by his generosity. " 

Shawn C. Roll, PhD, OTR/L, RMSKS, FAOTA, FAIUM, is a Professor in the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California, where he combines his expertise as both an occupational therapist and a registered musculoskeletal sonographer to conduct impactful research. His scholarship aims to understand intersections among the built, social, and organizational environments with health, well-being, and flourishing as we engage in occupations, particularly within increasingly diverse and ever-expanding technology-enabled workplace contexts.

Dr. Roll has received over $7M in grant funding to support his research, including multiple federal grants from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Science Foundation; he has more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and has spoken extensively to national and international audiences.

He is a fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. He has been inducted into the American Occupational Therapy Foundation’s Academy of Research and received the Distinguished Sonographer Award from the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.