NewsLink Winter 2019

University of Pittsburgh
Department of Occupational Therapy

Winter 2019 - Volume 8, Issue 2

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE
PITT DAY OF GIVING

The School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) will once
again compete for the top spot during the 3rd annual Pitt Day of Giving
on February 28. This unique initiative gives every member of the Pitt
community an opportunity to make their gifts go further for SHRS on
one special day. As in the past, SHRS will compete against other Pitt
schools and colleges for cash prizes. Success will be determined by
overall participation, so every gift counts!

You will be able to make a donation to the Department of Occupational
Therapy Fund, which is used to support student activities. Or you can
choose from one of the new SHRS funds below that will also benefit
Pitt OT students.

• SHRS Experiential Education (SEEd) Fund: Replacing the Semantic Compaction Travel Fund,
the SEEd Fund will be a source of funding for students who wish to expand their educational
experience outside of the classroom. These “mini-grants” could be used to attend conferences,
participate in research projects, volunteer in the community or travel abroad.

• The Community Outreach Fund was created to fund the increasing number of SHRS projects
and initiatives that are serving our surrounding communities. These funds will support operations
at the Wellness Pavilion at the Community Engagement Center (CEC) and be available for other
community service initiatives and projects throughout the school. To learn more about the CEC,
please visit cec.pitt.edu.

Become a Social Media Ambassador!
Alumni, faculty, staff, and students have the opportunity to become social media ambassadors for the Day
of Giving to help us reach even more people by sharing content from personal social media accounts. All
social media ambassadors will be entered in the running for prizes.

Be sure to follow Pitt OT on all social media channels and visit pittdayofgiving.com on Thursday,
February 28 to make your gift!

FROM THE CHAIR...

The University of Pittsburgh seeks to embrace the world through education,
research, policy, and partnerships devoted to improving life in the world’s local
communities.

In the Department of Occupational Therapy, we are fortunate to engage in this
global plan through a variety of strategic partnerships. These educational and
research partnerships enrich the lives of our students, alumni, faculty, and
staff. They stretch us to integrate local and transnational perspectives that
have the potential to advance knowledge and ground-breaking innovation
while fostering worldwide awareness, rich collaborations, and life-changing
practices.

In this issue of the Pitt OT NewsLink, we feature current students and alumni of our Master of Science in
Occupational Therapy Program. We celebrate these individuals and their contributions to our global
community.

NEW YEAR, NEW SPACE

The Department of Occupational Therapy moved to Bridgeside Point I in December 2018, and we would
like to share some updated photos now that we are officially unpacked! Stay tuned for future updates in
the form of a virtual tour, an SHRS Snapchat Takeover, and an Open House in the coming months.

Thank you again to all of our donors who contributed to the "Help Pitt OT Students 'Occupy' Their New
Space" campaign last spring. Your support allowed us to enhance our students' space, providing a state-
of-the-art, occupation-based learning environment. We would also like to thank those of you who have
followed us during this journey for your continued support.

2ND ANNUAL PITT OT COLLOQUIUM

The Department of Occupational Therapy will host the 2nd Annual Pitt OT Colloquium on March 27,
2019, to discuss the newest OT research, education, and theory to create the best OT practice for the
future. This event brings together our OT students, alumni, fieldwork supervisors, educators, practitioners,
and community partners.
The keynote address, “Stakeholder Engagement in Occupational Therapy,” will be delivered by Janet L.
Poole, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA. Poole is Professor and Director of the Occupational Therapy Graduate Program
in the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. The keynote address will be followed by a panel
discussion, “Putting the Keynote into Practice.” Occupational therapists with expertise in various settings
will discuss the keynote address and applications to occupational therapy practice.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Catching up with the Master of Science (MS) in OT Class of 2019

Hussain Alibrahim: Throughout my time in the MS in OT Program, I have advanced
my skills in course-based learning and research in addition to practicing in several
different clinical settings. I even received an award from the Saudi Cultural Bureau for
my academic achievement during the fall term. I took advantage of many opportunities
this past semester including attending the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy
Association (POTA) Annual Conference and 2018 Pitt OT Student Conclave, participating
in the CarFit training as part of my productive aging coursework, and representing Saudi
Arabia at the SHRS Celebrates U event. I also plan to attend the 2019 AOTA Annual
Conference in New Orleans. My studies as an MS in OT student have helped shape my
interest in rehabilitation and the application of evidence-based practice in older
populations. After graduation, I plan to expand my clinical experience in this field, either
in the United States or Saudi Arabia.

Abdullah Alsaeed: Studying as an MS in OT student at Pitt has not only provided me
with more detailed knowledge about occupational therapy but also provided me with a
solid foundation for a career in the field. The program has helped me practice and
engage in research to advance the profession in a variety of settings. One of my most
memorable experiences as a student was the opportunity I had to participate in the
Performance Assessment of Self-care Skills (PASS) Workshop where over 30
practitioners learned more about the administration and scoring of the PASS. During the
workshop, I portrayed a client and gained further knowledge on how to implement the
PASS in different practice settings. I am so delighted that I became a member of POTA
and attended the 2018 POTA Annual Conference this past fall. At the conference, I was
able to participate in high-quality educational sessions while engaging with my peers
and interacting with fellow OTs. After graduation, I plan to pursue a Doctor of
Philosophy degree and am particularly interested in neurological and geriatric settings. I
believe that my experience at Pitt has prepared me well for the rigors of what is coming
next!

Yeook Kim: I truly appreciate the opportunity to study occupational therapy as an MS
in OT student at Pitt. Specifically, I really enjoy the clinical preceptorship experiences
which have helped me understand more about the U.S. health care system and identify
the distinct role of OT in a variety of areas such as acute, mental health, and
rehabilitation settings. I am motivated by meeting new clients and working with
professional, passionate supervisors. My goal is to become an educator so that I can
contribute to the advancement of rehabilitation in developing countries through God’s
love and my profession. I am thankful for my Pitt OT professors and peers who have
encouraged me along the way and have helped me take one step closer to my goal.

Asari Yahata: I have had so many amazing opportunities while enrolled in the MS in
OT Program, including clinical simulation with standardized patients which helped me
gain additional insight into different case settings while working cooperatively with my
peers. My clinical preceptorship provided exposure to the U.S. health care system and
my research preceptorship taught me how to answer my personal research questions
with assistance from knowledgeable lab members. I have been able to enhance my
perspective through these experiences, which may not have presented themselves in
my home country of Japan. I greatly appreciate the passion that Pitt OT faculty have for
the profession and the flexibility that they offer for international students. I am truly
happy that I chose Pitt OT. It is going to be difficult to leave campus in just a few short
weeks, but I look forward to my next step - passing the NBCOT exam!

Chris Yeh: Pitt OT has helped me hone my interests and enhance my knowledge in the
field! Over the last two terms, I participated in clinical preceptorships in diverse clinical
settings within two different hospitals. These experiences helped me understand more
about OT’s role in a variety of clinical settings and what services are provided
throughout different units.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Young Joo Kim, PhD, OTR/L (MS '09, PhD '11): Throughout my time in the
MS Program at Pitt, I worked as a research assistant which sparked my interest
in the research process and eventually led me to continue my studies through
the PhD Program in Rehabilitation Science at Pitt. Thanks to my experiences as a
Pitt OT student, I learned to work with individuals who have chronic conditions
using a holistic view.

As a student, I benefited from the unique, close relationship between the
Departments of Occupational Therapy and Emergency Medicine. I was involved
in a research study for cardiac arrest survivors and later worked with cardiac
arrest survivors with fatigue for my dissertation. My recent research focused on
physical activity levels in people with chronic cardiac conditions with the goal of
increasing their occupations.

Four years ago, I accepted a faculty position in the East Carolina University Department of Occupational
Therapy in Greenville, North Carolina. In my role as assistant professor, I teach and conduct research
studies in addition to serving as the Student Occupational Therapy Association advisor. The balanced
education that I received from Pitt OT taught me the importance of clinical and evidence-based practice
which affects my teaching and research philosophies to this day.

PITT OT ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS

Have you recently received an award or grant, published a manuscript,
given a presentation, or been appointed to a leadership position?
We want to know about YOUR accomplishments!

Tell us more about it by completing a brief survey.

PROGRAM FEEDBACK FOR THE FUTURE

Thank you to the alumni who participated in our recent survey to provide feedback
regarding our educational programs. We truly appreciate the time and thought that
you put into your responses!

The winner of the drawing for a one-year AOTA membership is Kristin Robbins (BS
in OT '01)! Robbins is employed as a pediatric occupational therapist for the Bucks
County IU in the Philadelphia suburbs where she works with preschool-aged children
with special needs in various community preschool settings. In her free time, she
enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, ages 10 and 12.
Congratulations, Kristin!

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

February 18 - 22, 2019 March 23, 2019
SHRS Virtual Open House Pitt OT Open House
Anywhere with internet access Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR CURRENT STUDENTS,
ALUMNI, AND CLINICIANS

March 27, 2019 April 4, 2019
Pitt OT Colloquium Alumni & Friends Reception
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
New Orleans, Louisiana

SHARE YOUR STORY

Pitt OT Alumni, we would like to highlight YOU in a future issue of the Pitt OT NewsLink.
Please e-mail us to share your stories!

Also, don't forget to contact us with changes to your mailing and/or e-mail address(es).

Copyright © 2019 University of Pittsburgh Department of Occupational Therapy, All rights reserved.
Your e-mail address is listed to receive correspondence from the University of Pittsburgh Department of

Occupational Therapy.

University of Pittsburgh
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Department of Occupational Therapy
Bridgeside Point 1

100 Technology Drive, Suite 350
Pittsburgh, PA 15219