CPERL Finds Authentic Ways to Celebrate OT Month

Introduction

April was a busy and rewarding month for the CPERL team as we celebrated OT Month through a series of acts that serve our profession:

• Coach K Leadership ‘Chair Chat’: We spent our lab meeting on an outing to watch legendary basketball coach Mike ‘Coach K’ Krzyzewski’s inspiring talk on campus. We took to group text and lab meeting time to fully reflect on how his insights on leadership, trust, and teamwork apply to our shared work in shaping our scholarly environment.
• Undergraduate Research Forum: Mary served as a judge for student posters, supporting undergraduate research and mentoring the next generation of scholars. She crossed paths with CPERL alum and pre-OT honors student Valeria Esparza, who earned a Capstone Distinction Award for her poster, Preschool Teachers’ Knowledge Collaborating with Specialists for an Inclusive Environment, mentored by Dr. Katherine Zissner.
• Abstract Reviews: We were permitted to collaboratively review 25 abstracts for the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) conference, helping to ensure the rigor and impact of international scholarship within our profession.
• Capstone Rehearsal: we invited our first E-OTD student member of the department's Children, Youth, and Family SOPC to rehearse in ways that best prepare her to publicly defend her capstone via poster presentation to a wider audience. Jocelyn’s capstone, Toolkit for Family Mental Health Support During the Transition from NICU to Early Intervention, involves scholarship of application, as she continues to leverage OT expertise to co-design and evaluate a toolkit of resources and strategies to screen for and support caregiver mental health transitioning from NICU to EI services.

Mary shares: It has been rewarding to access mentorship on campus to refuel and refine our efforts in cultivating an environment conducive to the pursuit of research excellence, and to leverage that environment to 1) cultivate research and scholarly talent in our profession (from honors undergraduate up through professional doctorate training phases) and 2) help ensure scholarly standards on an international scale. Kudos to our 'small but mighty' team for investing their time and talent to make such contributions, as acts of solidarity with the scientific and scholarly community that is so vital for the longevity of our OT profession. 

Lauren shares: As an E-OTD student, CPERL’s engagement in acts of service during OT month provided valuable insight into the work needed to advance our profession through high-quality and evidence-based research. Participating in appraising abstracts for WFOT and supporting Jocelyn’s capstone presentation reinforced the significance of being research-engaged as both a student and clinician. It was an honor to support research and scholarship that pursues novel and emerging areas of growth within our field, on both a local and global level.