News and Events
Outstanding Occupational Therapy Student Award
April 19, 2012
Each year, the Department of Occupational Therapy faculty, staff and students select one graduating student for the Outstanding Occupational Therapy Student Award. Criteria include academic excellence, a commitment to the ideals and values of the occupational therapy profession, demonstrated leadership while in the program, and a potential to make a difference in the lives of others as a professional occupational therapist.
The 2012 Outstanding Occupational Therapy Student Award goes to Gina Stires. Congratulations, Gina!
Previous Award Winners:
2000 Mary Ann Martinez
2001 Amy Rogers
2002 Elizabeth Clerk
2003 Teresa Lin Fry
2004 Susan Reider
2005 Zelda Hood
2006 Kimberly Imsdahl
2007 Rachel Louro
2008 Katrina Carleton
2009 Maya Fok
2010 Ann Ruderman
2011 Emmy Alexander
South Africa Trip
April 19, 2012
Occupational therapy students and faculty will travel to Port Elizabeth on the Eastern Cape of South Africa for four weeks in July and August this year. First year graduate students Emily Dodge and Martha Welderufael will join Dr. Janis Davis for the course: "Occupational Enrichment: Experiences of South African Youth in an Orientation." The trip will focus on working with high school students in townships schools to identify occupational and academic life choices, and research at-risk behaviors among South African high school students. This project is a collaboration between DUOC and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University students and faculty.
Research Publication
April 16, 2012
Congratulations to Occupational Therapy graduate students Adriana Garcia, Dagmara Marciniak, Lauren McCune, Erica Smith, and faculty mentor, Dr. Ruth Ramsey, on the publication of their research article, "Promoting Fall Self-Efficacy and Fall Risk Awareness in Older Adults." The research for the article was completed as part of the students' master's thesis. The article will appear in the upcoming issue of the journal "Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics."
OTAC Spring Symposium Research Presentations
March 31 - April 1, 2012
Dominican occupational therapy graduate students and faculty presented their research at the OTAC Spring Symposium in Anaheim, California, which drew record high participation of 500 OT practitioners and 150 students. Second year graduate students Simon Chi and Naoko Murai presented their thesis, "Clinical Reasoning in the Use of Slings for Stroke Patients with Shoulder Subluxation;" Kitsum Li, Advisor. Third year graduate students Dagmara Marciniak, Lauren McCune, and Erica Smith presented their thesis, "Promoting Fall Self0Efficacy and Fall Risk Awareness in Older Adults;" Ruth Ramsey, Advisor. Associate Professor Kitsum Li presented her research paper entitled, "The Integration of Evidences and the Practice Framework in a Home-based Fall Prevention Program." Congratulations to all!
International Listening Conference Research Presentation
March 23, 2012
Third year occupational therapy graduate students Michelle Asuncion and Jennifer Rabello were awarded a grant from the Dean of the School of Health & Natural Sciences to attend the 33rd Annual International Listening Association Convention in Bremerton, Washington, with Dr. Janis Davis, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy. At the convention, the occupational therapy graduate students presented their thesis research on “listening” in health care, entitled “A Qualitative Review of Occupational Therapists’ Listening Behaviors and Experiences when Caring for Patients in Palliative or Hospice Care.” The presentation was very well received. Michelle and Jennifer met other students and researchers from around the world, and attended several presentations on listening behaviors.
In photo (left to right):
Trevor Hannum, student member, International Listening Association, North Western State University;
Lori Joubert, member, International Listening Association
Jennifer Rabello, student member, International Listening Association, Dominican University of California
Michelle Asuncion, student member, International Listening Association, Dominican University of California
Letter from an OT Alumnus: Ariel Richards
February, 2012
One of the rewards that our faculty members enjoy from their careers at Dominican is receiving letters and calls from former students. With permission, we’ll share here a recent email from Ariel Richards, Occupational Therapy Class of 2010.
Ariel writes:
“I have good news. I was accepted into the Baylor University Doctoral of Science in Occupational Therapy program as an active duty officer with the U.S. Army. My starting rank is 1st Lieutenant. I will be reporting to San Antonio, Texas, in less than a month, and will begin with training in OBLC (Officers Basic Leadership course) for 9 weeks. OBLS is designed to train me and other new Army Medical Officers in basic military skills, including classroom instruction, field training exercises, and leadership training.
Following completion of OBLC, I will be sworn into the Army as an officer, and will begin course work toward my Doctorate. This will include research and training in specialized occupational therapy practice areas (splints, hand therapy, wound care and burns). During my schooling I will also be treating a few patients. The Baylor Doctor of Science Program is a total of 18 months long.
After completion of all course work, I will receive orders for placement in a medical facility as an Occupational Therapist, under the guidance of mentors. This will serve as my final internship experience.
I am anticipating my experience in the program to be the start of a challenging and exciting adventure! I will be sure to let you know about the transition and my experiences in the program.”
We look forward to hearing from Ariel again, and will be sure to share the news!
Alumni Profile: Mohammed Khalifa, Class of 2002
February 28, 2012
Mohammed Khalifa, Regional Vice President for CareMeridien in charge of Operations for Northern and Central California and Nevada, earned his bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Dominican University of California in 2002, and later his OTD from Rocky Mountain University. He is a board certified and licensed Occupational Therapist who serves as a clinical instructor to OT students at Dominican. Mohammed’s academic and professional experience make him a valuable mentor as he supports students working on graduate thesis projects and research.
Though accepted as an undergraduate at the University of Southern California, Mohammad committed to Dominican because of the OT program, and the small class size and individual attention it offered. He helped himself through Dominican by working full-time as a waiter six nights a week, and began his OT career with an internship at Kentfield Rehabilitation and Specialty Hospital. He was eventually hired full-time on staff there before starting his own business, Progressive Steps. He began working with CareMeridian as a consultant in 2002, working his way up to Vice-President.
With CareMeridien, Mohammed is responsible for the overall direction and leadership of the company’s northern and central California facilities. As senior leader, Mohammed promotes a culture of teamwork, problem solving, creativity and commitment, resulting in continuous delivery of excellent quality health care to patients and compassion to their families.
Dominican OT Faculty & Students Present at OTAC Conference
October 25, 2011
Dominican University’s Department of Occupational Therapy was well represented at the annual state conference of the Occupational Therapy Association of California, recently held in Sacramento, CA, on October 13-16, 2011. Dr. Ruth Ramsey gave a poster and presentation on "Healthy Seniors, Phase One: Development and Implementation”. Dr. Janis Davis and adjunct faculty Thais Mazur presented on “Mindfulness in Therapy”. Students also presented academic eight posters, the most from any OT program in California. Congratulations all, on your hard work!
Student posters presented were: “Impact of Weight Status on Leisure in Children”, by Cappa, Dabbs, Lee and Murray, Stacy Frauwirth, thesis advisor;” Facilitating Occupations of Readiness for Transitioning to Kindergarten”, by Freitas, Nguyen, and Tomsky, Janis Davis, thesis advisor; “Sensory Processing Disorders and Occupational Participation in School”, Stacy Frauwirth, thesis advisor; “ Transition to College and Occupational Balance”, by Chen, Santana, Steinhauer, and Tracy, Stacy Frauwirth, thesis advisor; “ The Well-Being Project for Older Adults with Memory Loss”, by Bodestyne, Escueta, and Nguyen, Janis Davis, thesis advisor; “Body Positions and Movements of Pediatric Occupational Therapists, by Conroy, Gates, and Jantz, Stacy Frauwirth, thesis advisor; "Increasing Fall Self-Efficacy in Older Adults," by Alexander and Kjelstrom, Ruth Ramsey, thesis advisor; and “Walker Use in Older Adults: Impact on Occupations”, by Navasca, Pillon, and Talcot-Fuller, Ruth Ramsey, thesis advisor.
Students Win Thesis Grant
October 5, 2011
Occupational Therapy students, Adriana Garcia, Dagmara Marciniak, Lauren McCune and Erica Smith, won a $250 scholarship from the California Foundation of Occupational Therapy to support their master's thesis "Promoting Healthy Occupations and Self-Efficacy in Older Adults: The 'Stepping On Program.'"
Congratulations on your hard work!
Successful Continuing Education Series
April 5, 2011
The occupational therapy department at Dominican University of California concluded its spring continuing education series on Saturday, March 26, 2011, with a presentation by Dr. Peggy Swarbrick on wellness and recovery in mental health practice. Dr. Swarbrick is an occupational therapist and the Director of the Institute for Wellness and Recovery Initiatives, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey. Dr, Swarbrick also presented to the Occupational Therapy Department at the University of Southern California and to the Psychiatric Service Department at the San Francisco Veterans’ Hospital.
Student Jennifer Rabello awarded an Aspelund Scholarship
May 28, 2011
In May, 2011 occupational therapy student Jennifer Rabello was awarded an Aspelund Scholarship for students completing a Level II Fieldwork in community mental health. The scholarship is in honor of Kim Aspelund, deceased occupational therapist who was dedicated to working with persons with mental illness and a committed member of the Psychiatric Occupational Therapy Action Coalition of California (POTAC). Jennifer had to complete an application and write an essay describing her desire to work in community mental health and is completing her Level II fieldwork this summer at Marin Brain Injury training clients in Mindfulness, Social and Communication Skills as well as Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living.
Thesis Honors
The Thesis Honor is given to completed master's theses which demonstrate excellence through originality and scholarship, and the importance of the thesis topic to the profession.
2012 Thesis Honors Recipients: Adriana Garcia, Dagmara Marciniak, Lauren McCune and Erica Smith, for their master's thesis entitled, Promoting Fall Self-Efficacy and Fall Risk Awareness in Older Adults, to be published this spring in the journal "Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics." Thesis advisor: Ruth Ramsey.
Healthy Seniors Program Meets Critical Need
October, 2010
Keeping senior citizens healthy and active in their own communities is the goal of a new outreach program offered by the Department of Occupational Therapy. The Healthy Seniors Program is a weekly clinic offered on campus in which occupational therapy faculty and students work with seniors on skills designed to maintain independent community living.
"We launched the program after hearing from the Marin County Division of Aging that there is a need for a program of this kind," said Ruth Ramsey, department chair. "The program helps to fill a gap, as many older adults in our community have chronic health conditions, but they may not qualify for hospital-based rehabilitation services or home health care."
Issues and topics addressed included: improving range of motion and muscle strength; recovering from cumulative trauma or upper extremity injury; coping with chronic physical conditions; fall prevention and home safety; and improving strength, flexibility, and endurance.
Meanwhile, Dominican's OT program is experiencing growth due to a nationwide shortage of OT practitioners combined with a rapidly aging population. The program started in 1996 with 40 students and today has more than 170 students. The Program saw a 75% percent increase in the number of graduate applicants this year over last year. And, a recent survey of OT alumni shows that 100 percent of Dominican's OT graduates get jobs within three to six months of graduating.
