OT students, faculty, and alumni represent ATSU-ASHS at ArizOTA conference
Posted: November 9, 2023
Several A.T. Still University-Arizona School of Health Sciences (ATSU-ASHS) Occupational Therapy (OT) students, alumni, and faculty members attended and presented at the recent Arizona Occupational Therapy Association (ArizOTA) conference from Oct. 20-21 at Midwestern University in Phoenix, Arizona.
The ArizOTA conference, which is generally held twice a year, serves as an opportunity for OT practitioners and students to connect with those in their field and attend and participate in inspiring informational sessions.
Jennifer Radziak, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, OT program director and assistant professor, and Tania Shearon, MOT, OTR/L, CHT, assistant professor, were both on this year’s conference planning committee.
Adam Story, PT, DPT, OTR/L, OTD, MTC, assistant professor, presented, “An Expo for Healthcare Professionals: From Networking to Networked.”
Briana Bonner, OTD, OTR/L, assistant professor and academic fieldwork coordinator, presented, “Finding Purpose Through Passion: An Exploration of Pediatric OT as a Global Practitioner for Children in Africa.”
Sue Dahl-Popolizio, DBH, OTR/L, associate professor, presented, “Primary Care OT: Diagnosis, Outcomes, Reimbursement and Physician Satisfaction,” and the ArizOTA Legislative and Representative Assembly update as well. Dr. Dahl-Popolizio serves alongside Rebecca L. Wolf, JD, MPH, OTR/L, chair, associate professor, on the ArizOTA Legislative and Representative Assembly.
Abbey Glenn, OTD, MS, OTR/L, CBIS, assistant professor, presented, “Best Practices and Emerging Issues in Fieldwork and Capstone Experiences,” as part of a group of capstone coordinators and fieldwork coordinators from various OT and OTA schools throughout the state.
Benjamin Gross MOT, OTR/L, instructor, presented a poster titled, “Mentorship Current Practices for Occupational and Physical Therapy Students and New Graduates: A Scoping Review.”
Recent ATSU-ASHS’ Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) graduates Melin Guerrero, MSOT, ’23, Faith Stoddard, MSOT, ’23, Anna McCreary, MSOT, ’23, Khadija Mardini, MSOT, ’23, and Danielle Brown, MSOT, ’23, presented a poster titled, “OT’s Role with LGBTQ+ Mental Health,” from their Evidence Based Practitioner course taught by Brandi Fulwider, PhD, OTR/L, assistant professor.
ATSU-ASHS’ Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) graduate Samantha Guess, OTD, ’23, presented her capstone poster, “An Exploratory Survey to Assess and Combat the Burnout Levels of UC Davis’ Therapy Staff.”
Second-year student Levi Lord, MSOT, ’24, won the Outstanding OT Student of the Year award for his role as an ArizOTA intern.
Second-year student Emma Lande, OTD, ’25, and Katherine Jones, MA, OTR/L, CLT-LANA, assistant professor, director of progression and retention, were scheduled to present at the conference but were unable to attend.