News

Jessica Kramer presented a keynote at the Capturing the Magic: Participation for all (CAPA) symposium held at the Beitostølen Healthsports Center, Norway.

A delegation of four faculty and five PhD students presented at the 2022 Occupational Therapy Summit of Scholars, hosted at the University of Wisconsin. The OT Summit brings together top researchers in the field and provides mentorship opportunities to build the next generation of OT researchers.

Dr. Becky Piazza joined the Occupational Therapy department in 2021. She is a licensed occupational therapist with over 20 years’ experience and is board certified in physical rehabilitation.

Her courageous journey inspired many. Now her equipment donation will enhance OT education.

Dr. Sherrilene Classen has received a UF Faculty Enhancement Opportunity Award, entitled: ”Leadership and Spirituality—A “new” model for PHHP Academic Leaders”. During this “mini-sabbatical”, Dr. Classen will study and apply the principles of an Integral Model that subscribes to frameworks of leadership and spiritualty.

The deployment of autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies may hold important health and safety benefits for drivers across the driving lifespan. However, such benefits can materialize only if transportation users are willing to embrace the emerging technologies. Earlier studies document a wide variance in acceptance practices, based solely on surveys of drivers. This research used a combined approach of surveys and lived experiences of drivers engaging with AV technologies to examine technology acceptance and adoption of AV technologies. The webinar summarizes findings from the analysis of younger and middle-aged drivers’ perceptions of AVs before and after a) “driving” an interactive high-fidelity RTI driving simulator, in Level 4 autonomous mode, and b) riding in an autonomous shuttle (AS). Moreover, it discusses predictive models of facilitators and barriers for AV acceptance built from data collected from younger and middle-aged drivers (N=106) and older drivers (N=104). The findings reveal important foundational information about driver acceptance, their intention to use AVs, barriers to AV technology, and well-being related to AV technology across the driving lifespan.

Dr. Struckmeyer is a clinical assistant professor and doctoral capstone coordinator in the department of occupational therapy at the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions.

The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (ADED) Board has appointed Dr. Sherrilene Classen as Chair of the ADED Research Committee, effective April 1, 2022 – December 31, 2024.

The Occupational Therapy Equal Access Clinic (OT EAC) is a student run clinic serving the greater Gainesville area. This clinic provides a unique opportunity for students, faculty members, and community clinicians to collaboratively promote client independence and engagement in occupations.

Ms. Gibson is one of our newest clinical faculty members. She is a licensed occupational therapist and a certified driver rehabilitation specialist with over 25 years' experience.