Archived News...

Colorado State University's Department of Occupational Therapy is a top program in the prestigious U.S. News and World Report "America's Best Graduate Schools" rankings. The department, part of the College of Applied Human Sciences, is ranked 8th in the nation.

"We are very pleased to be among the nation's best program. This is a recognition of our accomplishments in the areas of teaching, research and outreach as well as our on-going commitment to top-notch faculty, students and staff," said Karen Spencer, Interim Department Head. See news release for complete article.

The Provost's N. Preston Davis Award was recently presented to Cathy Schelly, PI, Co-PIs, Marla Roll and Patrick Burns along withProject Staff Craig Spooner, Patricia Davies, Julia Kothe and Cath Kilcommons for their work on the ACCESS project. This award is presented to CSU faculty in recognition of the use of technology to further or significantly encourage instructional innovation.

The ACCESS project will improve the quality and outcomes of postsecondary education for students with disabilities and a diversity of learners by developing a state of the art, replicable training program to provide technical assistance and professional development for Colorado State University (CSU) faculty, staff and administrators. This project will provide university educators with the skills and support they need to teach students with disabilities. See abstract for further details.

"This year's symposium entitled "Living with Traumatic Brain Injury: From Injury to Inspiration" will feature invited speakers, Kara Swanson and Jeanne Dise-Lewis. Ms. Swanson is the author of I'll Carry the Fork, a book which chronicles her journey back to health from a traumatic brain injury. Dr. Dise-Lewis is a child clinical psychologist and the author of Brain Stars, a manual for working with children and youth with brain injury. We hope that you can join us for this special event." -- Pat Sample, Professor and Symposium Chair

Please RSVP by April 15 to Barb Ball at 970-491-2183 or ball@cahs.colostate.edu. See schedule for a complete listing of the symposium events.

Dr. Matt Malcolm was recently invited to present at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal in Montreal, Quebec. The title of his presentation was "Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Applications in Rehabilitation Science. See the Neurorehabilitation Research Laboratory web site for further information regarding Dr. Malcolm's research.

Dettmer, J.L., Daunhauer, L., Detmar-Hanna, D., and Sample, P.L. (2007). Putting brain injury on the radar: Exploratory reliability and validity analyses of the screening tool for identification of acquired brain injury in school-aged children. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 22, 339-349.

Reichard, A.A., Langlois, J.A., Sample, P.L., Wald, M.M., and Pickelsimer, E. (2007). Violence, abuse, and neglect among people with traumatic brain injuries. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 22, 390-402.

Bill Gavin and Patti Davies received a research grant from the Wallace Research Foundation for a one year research project titled: "Demonstrating Why Deficits in Early Sensory Processing Leads to Excessive Cognitive Processing in Children with SPD".

Matt Malcolm received the Applied Human Sciences Tenure Track Scholarly Excellence Award. Congratulations Matt!

Colorado State University seeks experienced, innovative leaders to apply for the position of Professor and Department Head in the Department of Occupational Therapy. This is a 12-month tenured position targeted to start July 1, 2008. Colorado State University is a land-grant doctoral-extensive institution. It has a student enrollment of approximately 25,000 and a faculty numbering 1600. Please see position description for additional information.

Faculty members Lisa Daunhauer (Occupational Therapy) and Kim Bundy-Fazioli (School of Social Work) had a "Technical Report" accepted for publication in a refereed journal: The Occupational Therapy Journal of Research: Occupation, Participation, and Health. The Technical Report focused on the use of a publicly available database for researchers examining occupation, socioeconomic status and health on a large, nationally representative population.

Marla Roll, Cathy Schelly, Craig Spooner and Julia Kothe presented at the national conference for the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) in Charlotte, NC. They presented on their work with a US Department of Education grant titled: Access to Post-Secondary Education Through Universal Design for Learning.

Dr. Matt Malcolm, PI, Dr. Bill Gavin, Dr. Michael Thaut and Dr. Gerald McIntosh were awarded a two-year research grant from the National Institutes of Health entitled, "Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as an Adjunct to Constraint-Induced Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial". Dr. Malcolm and his colleages will investigate the potential benefits of combining brain stimulation (rTMS) with constraint-induced therapy for stroke survivors. See the NeuroRehabilitation Research Laboratory web site for additional information.

Dr. Patti Davies was named a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association at the 2007 annual conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Davies was recognized for her significant contributions to the field in promoting excellence in pediatric research and practice. Congratulations!

Dr. David Greene traveled to Yamagata, Japan in March as a guest lecturer at the Yamagata Prefectural University. Dr. Greene presented lectures on biomechanics to the Japanese occupational therapy students. Eight CSU occupational therapy students traveled with him to participate in Japanese classes and culture.

David Greene received the Provost's N. Preston Davis Award for instructional innovation. This award is presented to an individual from among CSU faculty in recognition of the use of technology to further or significantly encourage instructional innovation. Congratulations!

Cathy Schelly received the Distinguished Administrative Professional Award. This award is presented to CSU administrative professional staff for continuing meritorious and oustanding achievement in the areas of outreach, teaching, administration and/or research. Congratulations!

Davies, P. L., & Gavin, W. J. (2007). Validating the diagnosis of sensory processing disorders using EEG technology. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61, 176-189.

The Occupational Therapy Department at Colorado State University held its Sixth Annual Research Symposium entitled "Aging: Supporting Quality of Life" on April 25, 2007. This year's symposium included invited speakers, Dr. Manfred Diehl and Dr. Christine Fruhauf from CSU's Center on Aging.

The symposium was created to celebrate the students' research accomplishments. Devoted to evidence-based practice, students' research posters were presented during the poster session.

Dr. Karen Spencer is the Interim Head of the Department of Occupational Therapy, effective January 1, 2007. Karen has been a part of the OT program at Colorado State University since 1982 and has served in a variety of capacities, most recently as associate professor. Karen will serve in an interim capacity until a permanent Department Head is selected.

Dr. Jodie Hanzlik is the newly appointed associate vice provost for Graduate Studies at Colorado State University. Hanzlik is the first to fill the newly created associate vice provost position, effective January 15, 2007.

Hanzlik has been a faculty member since 1984 and has served as the head of the Occupational Therapy Department since 1997.

See complete story (PDF).

Pat Sample, Associate Professor, recently published the following article:

Pickelsimer, E., Selassie, W., Sample, P., Heinemann, A., Gu, J., and Veldheer, L. (2007). Unmet Service Needs of Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, Vol 1, No. 1, pp 1-13.

The Department of Occupational Therapy invites your application for our Professor and Department Head position for Fall 2007. Our highly ranked program attracts outstanding students and has an energetic and productive faculty. The Department's unique combination of successful service/outreach centers and research laboratories provide multiple opportunities for future program development and innovation. Colorado State University is located in Fort Collins adjacent to the foothills of the spectacular Rocky Mountains and provides an array of recreational, educational, and cultural opportunities. Consider joining us! For more information about the position, please review the description.

We are pleased that you are interested in Colorado State University's MSOT "Program of Excellence". Please contact me with any questions you have regarding our program (970-491-6243 or otinfo@cahs.colostate.edu). –Linda McDowell, Graduate Admissions Coordinator

Applications for Fall 2008 will be available on our web site after July 1, 2007

• Professional Program Application (for students with an undergraduate degree in a discipline other an OT)
• Post-Professional Program Application (for students with an undergraduate degree in OT)

The Department of Occupational Therapy is seeking applications from innovative scholars for a tenure-track position at the professor, associate professor or assistant professor rank in our Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and Interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs.  This nine-month position will begin August 16, 2007. Academic rank and salary are commensurate with experience.  Responsibilities include teaching/advising, research, and service. See position description.

Dr. Matt Malcolm, PhD, OTR is principal investigator of a $1 million study called project IMPACT. The goal with project IMPACT is to develop a better idea of how to design and carryout effective therapies for people with stroke. This goal fits well with the mission of Dr. Malcolm's NeuroRehabilitation Research Laboratory which is to establish the most effective therapeutic approaches to assist individuals with neurological damage to return to independent living and an enjoyable quality of life. IMPACT is a multi-center clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health, and is currently ongoing at CSU, University of Florida, and University of South Carolina. See complete story.

Marla, Roll, OTR, Director of the Assistive Technology Resource Center (ATRC), spearheaded the transition of CSU assistive technology from isolated stand-alone computers throughout the campus to a network-based server. Students can now access all their assistive technology applications from any machine on campus allowing them to work alongside their peers in the library, their departments and labs. Library staff: Brian Gilbert, Ryan Alvarado, Lindsey West, Erik Meakins and ATRC staff member, Doug Borg, were instrumental in the success of this effort.

Dr. Pat Sample, Associate Professor and research assistant, Nikole Johns, MS, OTR, presented their follow-up qualitative findings on the survivors of the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995 who sustained brain injuries in Oklahoma City to state and local agencies who provided medical, financial and community services to survivors over the past 11 years. The project was supported through the Oklahoma State Department of Health with funding from the CDC. Watch for an overview of this research in our upcoming newsletter.

The Occupational Therapy Department at Colorado State University held its 5 th Annual Research Symposium entitled “Sensory Processing Disorders: Linking Science to Practice” on Tuesday, May 2, 2006. Lucy Jane Miller, PhD, OTR, FAOTA was the keynote speaker. 

The symposium was created to celebrate the students' research accomplishments. Devoted to evidence-based practice, a wide range of students' research projects were presented during the poster session. View pictures: Photo 1, Photo 2

Patty Stutz-Tanenbaum, MS, OTR, Fieldwork Coordinator announced that forty-six Occupational Therapy students received a total of $79,760 in Americorp Awards!!  The students, who are completing their Level II Fieldwork Experiences at nonprofit agencies, received educational vouchers from Americorp that they will use to defray student loans, tuition or future university course work. Way to go OT Fieldwork Students!!

Bill Gavin, PI and Patti Davies, Co-PI have been funded by the Wallace Foundation for $40K to continue their work in sensory processing. The title of their study is " Validating Sensory Processing Disorders through Concomitant Neurophysiological Neuropsychological, Psychophysiological, and Neurobiological Measures".

David Greene is the recipient of the 2006 College of Applied Human Sciences Outstanding Teacher Award. Congratulations!

CSU students, communty OT, Carol Chop and faculty member, Patty Stutz-Tanenbaum visited Puerto Rico in Summer 2005 to complete a Level I fieldwork. CSU students and faculty collaborated with their colleagues from the University of Puerto Rico to develop goals and activties for children with special needs and their familities.

View pictures: Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3

Receipients of the departmental mini-grant awards:

• Matt Malcolm - 3 K to fund the continuation of his study, A Novel Approach to Rehabilitation in Stroke: Intensity and Rhythm. Data from this research and other related projects will be used as justification for the funding of a future NIH application. Matt will serve as the PI.
• Pat Sample - 3 K to fund Pat to coordinate efforts between the OT Department and PSD and support a variety of activities such as a PSD needs assessment regarding transition services and a program development/grant writing team. Data from these efforts will be used as justification for the funding of a future Department of Education grant related to transition. Pat will serve as the PI.
• Lisa Daunhauer - 3K to fund Lisa to develop a methodology in spectral analysis, another way of measuring EEG signals that may highlight dynamic changes in brain function during sensory gating in 2 conditions. Lisa will use the methodological expertise she gains in this project to assist her to obtain a NIH KO1 award. This methodology can potentially provide objective evidence about brain function in children who live in adverse early environments. NIH has identified this area as a priority.
• Patti Davies - 3K to fund Patti's EEG equipment. This equipment will be used to gather data in ongoing studies. Ultimately the equipment will allow Patti to submit new grants to NIH, the Wallace Foundation and other funders regarding children who have a sensory processing disorder.
• Cathy Schelly - 3K to fund Cathy to coordinate efforts with a number of partners (ATRC, Career Center, ORDS, Counseling Center and FRCC) regarding a needs assessment, program development/grant writing team related to career planning/development for students with learning disabilities. Information from these efforts will be used as the basis for grant proprosals to private and federal funders.

The Center for Community Partnerships - the direct service and outreach arm of the Department of Occupational Therapy in the College of Applied Human Sciences at Colorado State University - has received a grant of $69,400 from HealthONE Alliance to develop the Family to Family Project for families of children with brain injury. The purpose of the project is to partner experienced families who have a child with a brain injury with families who have a child who has recently been injured.

For more information visit http://comment.colostate.edu/index.asp?page=display_article&article_id=646332352

Congratulations to the first year students who were recently inducted into the OT honor society, Pi Theta Epsilon: Kristin Ashbrook-Kovar, Anna Bangert, Janet Barr, Amanda Chestnut, Anna Colley, Erika Dixon, Stacie Erfle, Kristin Gordon, Denaysa Haagen, Bobbie Hausfather, Aimee LaFave, Karen Malucky, Lee Ann Perry, Jamie Rennick, Tanya Rodgers, Emily Schettenhelm, Libby Taylor and Margaret Wolf. Second year students and Barb Borg, MA, OTR, Assistant Professor, the Advisor for Pi Theta, conducted the induction ceremony on March 30, 2005.

The annual Occupational Therapy Research Symposium "It Takes a Village..." is scheduled for Tuesday, April 26, 2005. Dr. Temple Grandin, Associate Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, will be the Keynote speaker, addressing her experiences with autism and the 'village' that made it possible for her to flourish in society and become a leading researcher in her field. The afternoon events will begin with a welcome at 1:45pm in the North Ballroom of the Lory Student Center. If you would like to attend this event please call 970-491-6254 or email: gecs@cahs.colostate.edu.

Dr. Lisa Daunhauer, Sc.D., OTR, Assistant Professor recently published the following article:

Daunhauer, L., Bolton, A., & Cermak, S. (2005). Time use patterns of young children institutionalized in eastern Europe. OTJR Occupation, Participation and Health, 25, 33-40.

Congratulations to the following Colorado State University 2004 Occupational Therapy student scholarship winners: Jennifer Dunnell, Lillian Solo Ager Memorial Scholarship; Jill Savage, Marjorie Ball Memorial Scholarship; Karen Pierce, Kaitlin Watson, Brea Rosenquist, Deanna Shepherd, Lisa Shrauner, Erin Vegter, Heather Watson, and Alison Wemmer, Stella A. Durning Scholarship; Stephanie Shugart, Elnora Gilfoyle Scholarship; Jessica Klemp, Mary Anne Lively Scholarship; Regina Ord, Wanda Mayberry Scholarship; Sara Tuman, Merrill and Pauline Steele Memorial Scholarship; Sherri Goldstein, Elizabeth Dyar Gifford Scholarship; Stella Murphy, Human Resource Sciences Alumni Scholarship and Shannon Gallagher, Moore/Poudre Valley Hospital Scholarship.

The annual student holiday celebration on Thursday, December 9, 2004, was another unique mixture of fun, food and work. In keeping with past years' events students created gifts for children at the Namaqua Center in Loveland, Colorado. This year's gifts were weighted frog toys that students cut, sewed, stuffed and embellished in assembly-line fashion. The occupational therapy student gifts are always well-received by the children at Namaqua Center.

Dr. Patti Davies, Ph. D., OTR, Associate Professor, and Dr. Lucy Miller have had their research featured in the October 18, 2004 edition of Advance for Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Vol. 20, Issue 21. Their article "Burden of Proof," focuses on sensory integration issues.

Dr. Pat Sample, Ph.D., M.Div., Associate Professor, has published the following two articles:

Sample, P. L., Johns, N., Gabella, B., & Langlois, J. (2004). Can traumatic brain injury surveillance systems be used to link individuals with TBI to services? Brain Injury, 18, 1177-1190.

Leith, K. H., Phillips, L., & Sample, P. L. (2004). Exploring the service needs and experiences of persons with TBI and their families: the South Carolina experience. Brain Injury, 18, 1191-1209.

Colorado State University's newest garden is designed to be enjoyed - and used - by all people, regardless of age or ability.

The Occupational Therapy Garden serves as an outdoor teaching and learning laboratory for Colorado State's award-winning Department of Occupational Therapy. Located behind the OT Building, the garden features paths surfaced with different materials, garden beds of varying heights and work areas accessible to users with differing abilities.

"Occupational therapy supports the participation of people in everyday occupations despite the effects of a disability, illness or injury," said Karen Spencer, associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State. "Occupations can be as simple as brushing your teeth or as complex as driving a car, tending your garden, caring for your children or doing your job."

Up to 80 percent of Americans participate in gardening in some form, Spencer said. The Occupational Therapy Garden will enable students to learn hands-on how gardening can be used by occupational therapists as a therapeutic activity for people with disabilities.

"Gardening can have real meaning to people and it is an activity that is readily adapted to different interests, abilities and needs," Spencer said. "The Occupational Therapy Garden is meant to be an active garden that supports gardeners of all ages and abilities."

Unique features of the garden include:

• a compact layout that supports mobility and reduces energy demands;
• sunny and shady areas to accommodate different user needs;
• a "sensory garden" with plants that can be enjoyed through the senses of touch and smell;
• garden beds set at different heights to accommodate users sitting in wheelchairs or standing up;
• a raised, grassy area for people who want to move independently from their wheelchair to sitting on the grass; and
• paths made of different materials including crushed gravel, flagstone and smooth and textured concrete that allow users to explore moving on different surfaces and to differentiate between garden areas when vision is limited.

Funded with $50,000 from a Colorado Commission on Higher Education Program of Excellence grant awarded in 2001, the garden was planned using universal design principles. Students and faculty from the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture helped build the garden last spring.

"It was a real collaborative effort with a good purpose," said Fred Haberecht, a landscape architect with Facilities Management who played an important role in designing the garden.

Spencer hopes using the garden as a laboratory will help students learn how to eliminate barriers that impact human participation in daily life tasks. She said the department plans to not only use the garden as a part of the occupational therapy program, but also develop collaborative outreach programs with a variety of university and community partners. University students, who played a big role in developing the garden, will continue to be involved during program planning and maintenance.

Dr. David Green, Ph.D., OTR, Associate Professor, will have a second edition of his book Kinesiology: Movement in the Context of Activity, published in December 2004. This book was co-written with Susan L. Roberts, M.Div., OTR, and will be published by Mosby.

New features to this edition include updated materials providing explanations of the pathokinesiology of shoulder subluxation, rotator cuff tear, adhesive capsulitis, fractures, tendon injuries, and shoulder problems secondary to CVA; more case studies and less emphasis on heavy calculations to ensure the concepts are more easily grasped; and a perforated lab manual filled with activities tied directly to the chapters.

The Colorado State University Occupational Therapy Department will host a Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) workshop with Jan Davis, OT, on Saturday and Sunday, October 16 - 17, 2004. The cost is $375.00 and includes fifteen contact hours. Please access the flyer (in PDF format) for more information and to register for the workshop.

The following Colorado State University Occupational Therapy Department members will be presenting at the Brain Injury Association of Colorado Annual Conference this fall:

Barbara Seckinger, MA, BA, Center for Community Partnerships Research Associate: Social and Friendship Skills for All Children Including Children Who Acquire Brain Injury.

Judy Dettmer, BA, Center for Community Partnerships Research Associate: Tool Chest for Success: A Screening Tool and Curriculum.

Kristi DeKruif & Regina Ord, MSOT students are presenting their poster on the Evaluation of the Brain Injury Association of Colorado's 1-800 Information and Referral Line

Dr. Patti Davies, Ph. D., OTR, Associate Professor, has recently received tenure and Associate Professor status at Colorado State University. Some of Dr. Davies' recent works include:

Relating Auditory Sensory Gaiting and Psychophysical ERP Measures to Sensory Processing Deficits. Wallace Research Foundation Grant ($40,000). 2004.

College of Applied Human Sciences/Colorado State University Scholarship Advancement Program ($3,000). 2004.

Segalowitz, S. J., & Davies, P. L. (2004). Charting the maturation of the frontal lobe: an electrophysiological strategy. Brain and Cognition, 55, 116-133.

Davies, P. L., Segalowitz, S. J., & Gavin, W. J. (2004). Development of response-monitoring ERP's in participants 7- to 25-year olds. Developmental Neuropsychology, 25 (3), 355-376.

Davies, P. L., Soon, P. L., Young, M., & Clausen, A. (in press). Construct validity of school function assessment and professional judgement of function in elementary school students. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics.

The following Colorado State University Occupational Therapy Department Members will be presenting at the Annual Conference of the Colorado Occupational Therapy Association on October 8 & 9, 2004:

• Dr. Patti Davies, Ph. D., OTR, Associate Professor & Wen-Pin Chang, MSOT, Ph. D. student: Studying Sensory Processing Disorders in Children Using Electroencephalography.
• Dr. David Greene, Ph. D., OTR, Associate Professor & Andrea Erhart, MSOT student: Impact of PPS in SNF's: A Follow-up Study.
• Cathy Schelly, M. Ed., OTR, Director of the Center for Community Partnerships, Assistant Professor: Recreation Works! Promoting Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Karen Atler, MS, OTR, Assistant Professor & Patty Stutz-Tanenbaum, MS, OTR, Fieldwork Coordinator: Occupational Therapy Practice Framework in Action.
• Patti Uman, BS, & Alison Cope, MS, OTR, Center for Community Partnerships Staff Members: Job Opportunities Build Success: What is Supported Employment?
• Donna Detmar-Hanna, MS, OTR, Center for Community Partnerships Staff Member: Raising Disability Awareness Through Use of Stimulation Activities.

For a complete listing of all presenters and their topics please visit the Occupational Therapy Association of Colorado webpage.

Congratulations to students, faculty and the MSOT curriculum! Our most recent group of students to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam all passed!

The thesis work of two Colorado State University students, Wen-Pin Chang and Beth Mozolic, has been accepted for presentation at the Society of Psychophysiological Research Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in October 2004. Both students were mentored by Dr. Patti Davies and are first authors on the following research:

• Chang, W-P., Gavin, W. J., & Davies, P. L. Individual Differences in Sensory Gating in Children.
• Mozolic, B. E., Davies, P. L., Segalowitz, S. J., & Gavin, W. J. Contingent Negative Variation and Attention in Children.

Dr. Patti Davies, Ph. D., Associate Professor, has published the following chapter:

Segalowitz, S. J., Davies, P. L., Santesso, D., Gavin, W. J., & Schmidt, L. A. (2004). The development of the error negativity in children and adolescents. In M. Ullsperger, M. Falkenstein (Eds.), Errors, Conflicts, and the Brain: Current Opinions on Performance Monitoring. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Cognition and Neurosciences.

Dr. Davies has also published:

Davies, P. L., Segalowitz, S. J., & Gavin, W. J. (2004). Development of Error-Monitoring in Adolescence. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1021, 324-328.

U.S. News and World Report's "Best Graduate Schools 2005" edition has ranked Colorado State University's graduate program in occupational therapy seventh in the nation, moving it up three places since their most recent ranking in this category in 2001. Click here to view entire press release.

Dr. Jeffrey Gliner, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, retired after 23 years of service in the Occupational Therapy program at Colorado State University. Dr. Gliner was responsible for initially developing the graduate program and has provided leadership in all aspects of the department during his tenure.

Jeff is known for his expertise in research and statistics, data management and program evaluation. His efforts in these areas have resulted in numerous grants and publications. Click here to view photos of Jeff's retirement reception.

The 3rd annual Occupational Therapy Research Symposium: Next Generation - Science and Technology, co-sponsored by the Information Science and Technology Center, was held on April 5, 2004. Dr. Walter Greenleaf, of Greenleaf Medical in Palo Alto, California, hosted a morning workshop and gave the Keynote address. Dr. Greenleaf is recognized internationally as a pioneer in the use of advanced computer technology in medical applications.

The research symposium was implemented three years ago as a venue for displaying occupational therapy graduate student research projects and as a way to recognize student achievements. This year's research poster winners were Alexandra Behringer, Desiree Brusseau, Kelly Freidel, Katrina Greenfield and Lisa Webb for their poster Perceptions about the Doctorate of Occupational Therapy. Honorable mention went to Katherine Carroll, Kristi DeKruif, Jennifer Fazzan and Regina Ord for their poster Evaluation of the Brain Injury Association of Colorado 1-800 Line. Click here to view photos of the event.

Dr. Patti Davies, Ph.D., Associate Professor, traveled to Japan as a guest instructor at Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Sciences for five days in March 2004. Dr. Davies presented material to 40 occupational therapy students on the topics of "Occupational Therapy Practices for Children in the United States" and "Occupational Therapy Evidence-Based Practice." The lectures at Yamagata Prefectural University were translated to Japanese for the students by Sensei Sasaki.

Dr. Davies also had the opportunity to present some of her EEG research titled "Motor and Cognitive Development in Adolescence Concomitant with Pubertal Hormonal Changes," to faculty and students at the School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University. Patti felt that "overall, the opportunity to teach and share with students and faculty in Japan was a remarkable experience." Click here to view photos of her trip.

Dr. Jodie Hanzlik, Ph.D., Head, received the AOTA Service Award 2004 for work on the Specialty Recognition Program.

Dr. Matthew Malcolm, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, received the AOTA Service Award 2004 for work on the Physical Rehabilitation Specialty Certification panel.

Dr. Malcolm has also published the following article:

Richard W. Briggs, Iona Dy-Liacco, Matthew P. Malcolm, Hyunsook Lee, Kyung K. Peck, Kaundinya S. Gopinath, Nathan C. Himes, David A. Soltysik, Paul Browne, and Roger Tran-Son-Tay, A Pneumatic Vibrotactile Stimulation Device for fMRI. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 51, 640-643 (2004).

Cathy Schelly, M.Ed., OTR, was awarded a $314,000 3-year grant through the Department of Education to continue and expand upon her current recreation grant with the city of Fort Collins.

Dr. Pat Sample and four of her students, Regina Ord, Kristi DeKruif, Katherine Carroll and Jennifer Fazzan, will be presenting at the 2004 Annual RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) Conference in Orlando, Florida in June. The title of their 75 minute presentation is "Website Usability: Evaluation to Accommodate the Needs of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury."

AOTA has just published Donna Costa's the "Essential Guide to Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Education: Resources for Today's Educators and Practitioners." Included in this guide is the Colorado State University Occupational Therapy Department's Fieldwork Handbook on CD Rom. The Handbook was written by Patty Stutz-Tanenbaum, Beverly Kovalenko and Sandy Gecs. For more information go to the AOTA store at https://store.aota.org/aotastore/default.asp?pf_id=

In June 2003 Assistant Professor Karen Atler received the Recognition of Achievement Award from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) for her work in developing the new Fieldwork Performance Evaluation (FWPE) forms. In addition to developing the FWPE for both the OT and OTA Student, Karen has developed the following resources to help educate Fieldwork Supervisors in the use of the new forms:

In-Service-In-A-Box, co-authored with Roberta Wimmer, OTR . This program introduces the two new FWPE forms and is designed to be a portable training program for Academic Fieldwork Coordinators. This program can be accessed through the members section of the AOTA website .

AOTA On-line Course - Using the Fieldwork Performance Evaluation Forms: An Interactive Approach , co-authored with Roberta Wimmer, OTR . This course was designed to help OT practitioners learn how to use the FWPE for the OT & OTA student and can be accessed through the AOTA website .

An Introduction to the FWPE for the OT Student and the OTA Student, co-authored with Roberta Wimmer, OTR , this continuing education article is in the March 2003 issue of OT Practice.

David Greene , Ph.D. , OTR , Associate Professor, mentored a group of student researchers studying the impact of Medicare changes. In December 2003, they published the following article based on their research:

Kennedy, J., Maddock, B., Sporrer, B., & Greene, D. (2002). Impact of Medicare changes on occupational therapy in skilled nursing facilities: Pilot study. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 21 (2), 1-13.