Craig H Neilsen Foundation Grant 

Jefferson’s Department of Occupational Therapy’s (OT) Dr. Grampurohit (PI), Dr. Potvin (Co-I), and PP-OTD student Ms. Rajauski were awarded a Research Inclusion Supplement grant from the Craig H Neilsen Foundation. The grant will provide Ms. Rajauski with the unique opportunity to develop her research skills by leveraging her background as an OT, her coaching training, and her lived experience. Ms. Rajauski will support current coaching studies.

Congratualtions to Dr. Michelle Marshina

Congratulations to Dr. Michelle Marshina (Jefferson PPOTD Class of 2013 and Coaching in Context Certificate Fall 2022) for her promotion to Program Director of Jefferson Moss Magee Rehabilitation Inpatient Brain Injury and Stroke programs. Dr. Marshina has a long history in the field of acute rehabilitation, and she has the opportunity to promote rehabilitation at a higher level.  

Judy Hamby, OTD, OTR/L, Received the AOTA Award for Excellence in the Advancement of OT in Acute Care

Congratulations to Dr. Judy Hamby (Jefferson PPOTD Class of 2021) for receiving th 2024 American Occupational Therapy Association Award for Excellence in the Advancement of OT in Acute Care. Dr. Hamby credits her education at Jefferson for its transformative power on her career. She wrote, “The doctoral program at Jefferson was instrumental in facilitating my work in acute care at a higher level than just working day-to-day.”

Cristina Reyes Smith, OTD, MSRS, OTR/L, FAOTA Elected Vice President of the AOTA 

Congratulations to Cristina Reyes Smith, OTD, MSRS, OTR/L, FAOTA (TJU PPOTD Class of 2010), on being elected Vice-President of the American Occupational Therapy Association during the 2024 election cycle.  Dr. Reyes Smith has showcased exemplary leadership and dedication to our profession as a distinguished faculty member at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Her previous tenure as an AOTA board member (2020-2023) highlights her commitment to advancing occupational therapy.  This is a remarkable achievement, and she continues to make a significant impact on our profession and its constituents. 

Congratulations to Dr. Ebonee Cole 

Congratulations to Dr. Ebonee Cole (Jefferson PPOTD Class of 2023), whose doctoral work, Hemiplegic Should Pain Prevention: A Collaborative Approach with Nursing and Occupational Therapy in Acute Care, was published this month in the Journal of Acute Care Occupational Therapy. Dr. Cole and her doctoral mentor Dr. Bell’s article describes the results of a 10-week quality improvement project intended to modify nurses’ behaviors to prevent shoulder pain in hemiplegic stroke patients. 

Alumni AJOT Publication: “Leadership Development of Women of Color in Occupational Therapy: A Qualitative Intersectional Analysis"

Jefferson’s PPOTD Alumni Ushentha Nirmul (’22), Pamela Talero Cabrejo (’13), and Cristina Reyes-Smith (’10) groundbreaking publication in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy- AJOT is now available in open-access. The journal also invited them to the AJOT’s Authors and Issues podcast, where they share some insights about their research. 

The publication “Leadership Development of Women of Color in Occupational Therapy: A Qualitative Intersectional Analysis” resulted from Dr. Nirmul’s doctoral capstone project under Dr. Talero Cabrejo’s faculty mentorship and Dr. Reyes Smith’s content expertise. The study explores which intersecting patterns of social identity categories have shaped the leadership development of women of color leaders in occupational therapy in the United States and how they do so.