College
- College of Rehabilitation Sciences
Degree Earned
- Doctorate
Program Length
Variable
Program Type
- Online
Leadership
- Program Director, Post-Professional OTD Program
- Professor
2024 News
Dr. 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 the 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 TJU was instrumental in facilitating my work in acute care at a higher level than just working day-to-day.”
Dr. Cristina Reyes Smith, OTD, MSRS, OTR/L, FAOTA Elected Vice President of the AOTA
Congratulations to Dr. 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.
Congratulations to Dr. Alison Joy Bailey
We are thrilled to announce that PPOTD alumna Dr. Alison Joy Bailey has made an important contribution to the field of Occupational Therapy with her latest publication! Her article, "Comprehensive Sexuality Education for Autistic Youth: School-Based Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Capacity Development Needs," is now available in the Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention.
Through a meticulous cross-sectional survey design, Dr. Bailey delves into the perceived needs of school-based occupational therapy practitioners (SBOTPs) in the US, aiming to enhance their capacity to support comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) for K-12 autistic youth within school settings.
Dr. Pamela Talero Cabrejo was her faculty mentor, Assistant Professor in the PPOTD program at Thomas Jefferson University.
Congratulations to Dr. Susan Persia (Class of 2022)
Congratulations to Dr. Susan Persia (Class of 2022) for her recent publication of her article titled, Feasibility of Mindfulness at Work: A Continuing Education Program for Occupational Therapy Practitioners Experiencing Burnout.
Congratulations to Dr. Jessica Perchaluk (Class of 2023)
Congratulations to Dr. Perchuluk for being awarded the 2023 Fieldwork Educator of the Year Award. Dr. Perchaluk's work involves optimizing the referral decision-making process for patients diagnosed with breast cancer. She discusses opportunities to optimize the referral process in her PPOTD Capstone Presentation.
Dr. Wan Albert (Class of 2019)
Congratulations to Dr. Wan Albert (Class of 2019) for her recent publication of her article titled, Feasibility of a Treatment Protocol for Parkinson’s Fatigue
Management Using a Cognitive Behavioral Approach. This work was based on her doctoral capstone project completed under the mentoring of Dr. Alison Bell.
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.