Timothy J. Wolf, OTD, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, was named editor in chief of OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, the official scientific publication of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation. He is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Missouri and will officially begin his new responsibilities April 2021.

He is currently the Director of the Performance, Participation, and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory at MU. The goal of Dr. Wolf’s lab is to generate knowledge that will guide intervention aimed at improving participation in work and community activities post- neurological injury. The majority of the current research in this laboratory is with individuals with stroke and cancer-related cognitive impairment. His current NIH-R01 funded study is evaluating the use of CO-OP to improve occupational performance in individuals with sub-acute stroke. Dr. Wolf received his BS in Health Science-Pre Occupational Therapy from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, his Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) from the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis, and his PhD from the Rehabilitation and Participation Science (RAPS) Program in the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis. He lectures nationally and internationally regarding the topics of mild stroke and mild neurological injury, cognitive assessment and intervention, and chronic disease management. He has also served in multiple volunteer leadership roles in our profession including as a Director on the Board of Directors for AOTA, the Chair of the Volunteer Leadership Development Committee for AOTA, Chair of the Scientific Review Group for AOTF, and on the Editorial Board for OTJR.

“It is my sincere pleasure to accept the position as the new Editor-in-Chief of OTJR," Wolf said. "I am grateful to Dr. Classen, Dr. Scott Campbell, and AOTF for their confidence in me to take on this role. Under Dr. Classen’s leadership, OTJR has become a premier journal in the field of occupational therapy. The structural and organizational changes that have occurred under her leadership have positioned the journal to meet the challenges, opportunities, and threats facing peer-review publication in the upcoming years. I look forward to continuing on the work Dr. Classen and the editorial board started as we continue to pursue our vision to be the top journal in occupational therapy."

OTJR; Occupation, Participation and Health is the flagship scientific publication of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation. Established in 1980 and published quarterly, the research journal reflects the Foundation's commitment to advancing the profession through scientific inquiry. OTJR fosters interdisciplinary dialogue with contributions from disciplines such as psychology, neuroscience, economics, anthropology, sociology, geography, rehabilitation science, nursing, and social work. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health is indexed in MEDLINE/PubMed.

Congratulations 2021 PTE Chapter Awardees!

2021 President's Award
This award recognizes chapters who organize and implement outstanding scholarly activities developed to increase knowledge, develop professional skills, and contribute to the advancement of the occupational therapy profession.

Chapters: Gamma Pi at Russell Sage College & Beta Psi at Stony Brook University
Scholarly Activity: Virtual Research Mixer
Summary: These two chapters co-hosted a virtual event where students and faculty attended presentations of eight capstone and research projects. "The goal of the mixer was to promote research and scholorship between both programs in order to increase knowledge, develop professional skills and relationships, and contribute to the advancement of the occupational therapy profession." Four projects from each university were presented.
Attendance: 50 students and faculty members between both chapters.

2021 Award For Excellence In Inter-Chapter Collaboration
This award honor and recognize Pi Theta Epsilon chapters that have exceeded in creating interchapter collaborations which support the PTE mission. 

Chapters: Alpha Iota at Creighton University, Delta Gamma at College of St. Mary & Epsilon Eta at Nebraska Methodist College
Scholarly Activity: Virtual Research Symposium
Summary: These three chapters collaborated to co-host a virtual event that included three speakers - one PTE alum from each chapter. "The goal of the symposium was to create an event that included the following scholorship-driven components: current research or evidence -based research being utilized in current practice, alumni involvement, representation from each chapter, and an opportunity for discussions and questions from current members." Speakers included: Suzanne Holm, OTD, OTR/L, BCPR of Creighton University; Payton Reynolds, MOT, OTR/L of College of St. Nary; and Emily Barr, OTD, OYR/L, BCG of Nebraska Methodist College.
Attendance: 45 PTE members representing all three chapters

Congratulations to our 2021 Mary J. Bridle Awardee, Keri Kamphoff, University of South Dakota – Occupational Therapists Addressing Quality of Life Issues for Clients with Lymphedema.

The purpose of the award is to foster scholarship and first research efforts within the occupational therapy community of students, young practitioners, and early researchers. It supports Pi Theta Epsilon’s mission of promoting research and scholarly activities within the field of occupational therapy. The Mary J. Bridle Award provides an opportunity for Pi Theta Epsilon members to have a research manuscript reviewed by experts in the field and considered for publication in OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health. The PTE Executive Committee and National Coordinator review all submitted research manuscripts. The review is conducted by three anonymous reviewers offering expertise in the area of the manuscript subject. Publication is conditional on and will proceed in accordance with the policies of OTJR with final approval of its editor-in-chief. 

Additionally, the recipient will receive a cash award of $750. The Mary J. Bridle Award will be available annually but will be awarded only when manuscripts of sufficient caliber are submitted.