Research Summary
I have developed my expertise in ethnography, life history and narrative analysis. I am moving now into mix methods. Topics include experience of acquiring a disability; occupational and social participation after spinal cord injury and paralysis; how the core concept in occupational therapy, "occupation" manifests in therapy processes and educational processes. I am also studying the outcomes and effectiveness of an innovative community-based, student-run, diabetes education program.
Education
- PhD, Occupational Science, University of Southern California
- MA, Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California
- BS, Occupational Therapy, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Biography
I completed my MA (1994) and my Ph.D. (2003) at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. I began my appointment at the University of Utah in the Division of Occupational Therapy in 2004 and was awarded tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in the spring 2011. I practiced as an occupational therapist in adult rehabilitation and community re-entry following the completion of my B.S. in occupational therapy in 1980. I also held Program Director and Case management positions for several years.