OT NEWS
Winter 2020
Vol. 10, No. 1
CHA IR ’ S
LETTER Greetings all and Happy New Year,
Meanwhile, we are moving forward with the second semester of
I am not sure where time goes, but my Happy New Year greetings are over a month late! A small group of us was in Wyoming recently, getting ready for admissions interviews for our second OTD cohort, with Grand Forks interviews concluding in February. Every day, I realize how grateful I am for the wonderful students and alumni we have. We are fortunate to work with a group of people who are committed to making a difference in the world!
classes in the OTD program, and I have to give kudos to Dr. Sarah Nielsen, who has taken charge of the curricular changes and is helping all of us develop and grow as educators. We will focus this summer on preparing the ACOTE
As you might have heard, Dr. LaVonne Fox left us in December to
self-study materials, which are due
return to her home community and build a master’s of education
in November 2020.
program at the Turtle Mountain Tribal College. We are fortunate that she is still willing to work with us in advising students, and will collaborate with us on recruiting and other projects. She is an amazing advocate for the profession and was recognized in January for her leadership and commitment to diversity at the Martin Luther King Jr. I
Last fall, we also welcomed three new full-time faculty members: Karrianna Iseminger, Wanda Lauer, and Jane Loscheider, whose bios are presented in this newsletter. The 2019-2020 academic year has brought many changes, but we are moving forward strongly and laying a foundation for the future.
Have a Dream recognition event in Grand Forks. Finally, I want to thank everyone for their support in providing I also want to take a moment to recognize Dr. Sonia Zimmerman, who was scheduled to receive the AOTA Retired Educator Commendation
resources
for
student
learning
and
helping
recruit
strong
compassionate students. We greatly appreciate all of our alumni!
at the AOTA 2020 conference in Boston, before it was canceled! She is receiving this honor in recognition for her innovative teaching and
Best,
contributions to education and leadership in OT. Janet Jedlicka, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA As you know, the AOTA 2020 spring conference in Boston has been
Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy
canceled due to concerns over the spreading COVID-19 virus. We
UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences
hope to see you at the AOTA conference in Spring 2021.
TI M T EBOW FOUNDAT ION
NIGHT TO SHINE EVENT
Wyoming OT students were proud to participate in the Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine this month, serving as escorts for participants. The Night to Shine is an annual prom for individuals with special needs ages 14 and older, and UND-OT Casper is always excited to volunteer for this great event! Pictured are Lexia Gallagher, Audrey Soulek, Heather Bowman, and Marissa Dreiling.
FARE W EL L
DR. FOX! The OT Department is sad to report that
social change. Awarded by UND and the City of Grand Forks, the
we said goodbye to our dear friend and
Dream in Action award recognizes individuals who promote Dr. King’s
colleague Dr. LaVonne Fox in December.
vision of social equality through community service and advocacy.
LaVonne’s clinical experience spanned many settings and populations. She is passionate about program development. Through her dedication and work she facilitated providing services through partnerships with innovative program planning and implementation. LaVonne came to UND as an adjunct instructor in 1993, became a full-time
We wish you all the best, LaVonne, as you assume your new position at Turtle Mountain Community College. We are proud of your passion and willingness to take risks and follow your dreams. We look forward to continued and new partnerships with you in serving individuals and the communities in which they reside. We are grateful for your dedication to inclusivity and enthusiasm for helping each of us understand the beauty of the larger tapestry!
instructor in 1995, Assistant Professor and Graduate Director in 2002, and Associate Professor in 2010. Dr. Fox was instrumental in developing a curriculum that supports cultural competency in OT education, and fieldwork education and practice. She has advocated for and educated our faculty, facilitating the weaving of cultural competency throughout our curriculum and the department.
FOOTNOTES Dr. Nicole Harris, Wyoming Site Coordinator, was selected for the
She is an advocate for inclusion and cultural competency in all settings.
AOTA Academic Leadership Institute for the 2019-2020 academic
Her work can be seen at the national level through her work as the
year. The goal of the institute is to develop institutional leaders in OT
Native American Liaison and representative on the Multicultural and
education through self-directed leadership goal-setting, reflection, and
Diversity Network of the American Occupational Therapy Association.
mentoring. Activities include a two-day workshop in August, and
She developed continuing education workshops to promote
seven months of meetings with participants and mentors.
competency and awareness of the issues faced by many individuals within the profession. Her leadership and passion was recognized with seven service awards from AOTA between 2009 and 2015.
Dr. Breann Lamborn, Wyoming Site Administrator, was selected as the North Dakota state representative for the Northern Rocky Mountain Education Research Association at their October 2019
Dr. Fox is a passionate educator who readily engages in
annual conference. If you are involved in educational research in North
interprofessional education and practice. She provided leadership to
Dakota and would like to present at the 2020 conference in Utah,
the department in her role as graduate director and worked to ensure
please contact her at Breann.lamborn@UND.edu.
collaboration and communication with UND’s Graduate College. She advised numerous scholarly projects and provided mentorship to new faculty as they took on the advisor role for capstone projects. She
The OT program is pleased to have cultivated student and faculty representation at the now-canceled AOTA 2020 Annual Conference. The following poster presentations were accepted at the conference:
served on many dissertation committees, sharing her expertise and professional dedication to students across campus.
Kathryn Jensen (’20) and Rachel Gabrelcik (’20), with their adviser, Dr. Nicole Harris, were to present their capstone: A Home-based
Dr. Fox is innovative and ready to think outside of the box. She, along with other faculty, developed a partnership with Global Friends
Program for Adolescents Recovering from Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa: The Promotion of Recovery in the Natural Context.
Coalition in Grand Forks. Since 2014, approximately 120 New American families have been paired with second year OT students to
Hannah Williams (’19) and Bailey Fruit (’19) were to present their
assist these families in meeting their goals of gaining employment,
capstone, with their adviser Dr. Cherie Graves. Their project, From
interacting with government and community institutions, and engaging
Here to There: An Occupational Screening Tool for Transitioning
in social activities and leisure. This partnership has benefited New
Soldiers, was one of the most talked-about capstones last year.
Americans, but also provided rich learning experiences for our students. This has resulted in occupational therapists who understand the impact of culture on health and wellness and are able to provide client-centered, culturally competent practice.
Melissa Groth (’19) and Martha Scoby (’19) were to present with their adviser, Dr. Janet Jedlicka. Their capstone, Access to Occupational Therapy Practice: A Review of Current Licensing Processes in the United States, analyzes of the accessibility of state licensure websites,
LaVonne was recognized in January 2020 as the recipient of the Martin
and the level of compliance in OT licensure applications under the
Luther King Jr. Dream in Action Award for her contributions to impacting
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines.
ALUM N I SP O T L I G H T
W ELCOME
BRITTANIE MOSTAD
NEW FACULTY!
How did you become interested in OT?
The OT department is pleased to welcome three new full-time faculty
I became interested in OT when I was a
members, all with great clinical experience and strong enthusiasm for
freshman at UND. Up until then I did not
education. We are so pleased to have them on board!
know what the profession was. But when I found out it included such a wide variety of methods and settings for helping people, I knew right away that’s what I wanted.
Karrianna Iseminger, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, graduated with a doctorate in occupational therapy from Creighton University and later went on to earn
What do you remember about your time
specialty certification in hand therapy.
in the OT department?
She was drawn to the complex
My time in the OT department was one of the greatest parts of my life.
biomechanics
There were times it was hard and stressful, but overall the learning
functionality of the arm and hand,
experiences, life lessons, and relationships I was able to obtain were
which often connect humans to their
unforgettable. I have still today what I consider my “OT Family” from
occupations. Working as a clinician,
the people I met there. We all became so close and worked together at all times. I am beyond grateful to have been a part of UND OT.
and
extraordinary
she also held an adjunct faculty position teaching an upper extremity evaluation and intervention class, which is when she knew she would pursue academia full time.
Where are you practicing and how did you come to that setting? I have practiced in a number of settings over the years. My first setting
Wanda Lauer, MOT, OTR/L, practiced
was mental health and addiction. This was a great setting and I loved
as an occupational therapy assistant
every part of it, especially the challenge it provided every single day.
for 12 years before returning to school
After starting my family, I made the change to the school setting. I
and graduating with her master’s
loved all of the kids I worked with and stayed in this setting for almost
degree in occupational therapy in 2010
seven years. But due to living in a rural area, I traveled approximately
from the College of St. Catherine in St.
140 miles per day for those seven years. So, in order to be closer to
Paul. She has worked in a variety of
home I changed to the long-term care setting where I am not actually
settings, including long-term care,
practicing OT. Despite not signing my name with OTR/L, I use my OT
swing
skills and knowledge daily to fulfill my administrative position at the
outpatient, and pediatric outpatient.
bed,
home
health,
adult
Osnabrock Community Living Center. I absolutely love this position
She was an adjunct instructor at
and each of the residents I get to work with! Even though I have
Northland Community and Technical College prior to joining UND. She
administrative duties, I love taking time out of my day to stop in the
is currently attending the University of South Dakota online doctoral
rooms of our residents and assist them in any way possible.
program. She is also a 200-hour yoga instructor, healing touch practitioner, wife, and proud hockey mom for her 15 year-old son.
What do you most enjoy about OT as a profession? Having my OT background has provided me with endless
Jane
Loscheider,
MOT,
OTR/L,
opportunities, even in such a rural area. I enjoy having the ability to
graduated with her bachelor’s degree
work so closely with people. I am also thankful for the training and
in 1997 from UND, then her Master’s
skills I have gained in order to find and utilize people’s positive
degree in OT in 2011. Jane has been
strengths to help each individual live their best life.
an adjunct faculty member since 2009. Her practice areas include: adult
What else are you doing? Outside of OT, I have several management and administrative duties for the living center, which I also enjoy. Outside of my career, I spend time chasing my active husband and three boys, who are seven, six, and three years old. We love to travel and enjoy all outdoor activities that the N.D. seasons have to offer. In the winter, you will find us snow skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, and playing hockey. In the summers, we are on a lake waterskiing and wakeboarding. Those are among the many school activities the kids are involved in. It keeps me busy!
physical disabilities in acute care, inpatient rehab, outpatient rehab, and home health. Jane is married with three children, ages 20, 17, and 16. She enjoys spending one week a year volunteering for medical mission work in Ecuador. She also serves on the board for the Grand Forks Growth and Support Center.
Non Profit Org US Postage Paid
Department of Occupational Therapy 1301 N Columbia Rd, Stop 9037 Grand Forks ND 58202-9037 med.UND.edu/ot
Grand Forks ND
Permit #10
ATTE N T IO N
FIELDWORK EDUCATORS First, we in the UND Department of Occupational Therapy all would
program and explored how these changes would be reflected in the
like to offer you our sincere gratitude and appreciation for your ongoing
fieldwork experiences. Dr. Hanson, Dr. Graves, and Dr. Young also led
support of fieldwork education. Everyone who takes part in leadership
the way in building content for a webinar to inform fieldwork educators
as a fieldwork educator, or assists in the processes of fieldwork
about the new and up-coming Level One fieldwork focused on
placement, is contributing not only to our UND family, but also to our
evaluation. Of course, the most exciting part of this was the
profession’s future and the adventures yet to be experienced by OT
enthusiastic attendance of these webinars and the motivating
students. Thank you!
discussions that ensued. What a great body of occupational therapy practitioners, lifelong learners, and inspiring educators we work with!
As you may have heard, during the Spring of 2019, Dr. Debra Hanson
Thank you!
entrusted her years of inspiring and confident work to Dr. Cherie Graves. Partnering with Dr. Graves is Hailee Awes, who has been
We would be excited to visit with any of you who are not currently
instrumental in helping update information and contracts about
fieldwork educators but would like to be! We are also excited to be
fieldwork sites, as well as staying abreast of technological platforms
moving toward setting up experiential placements for our doctoral
that promote the team’s efficiency. In July, Dr. Andrea Young joined
students. If you have any ideas for project needs your facility may
the fieldwork team in order to provide an increased presence and
have, please contact us, Dr. Cherie Graves, cherie.graves@UND.edu,
resource for fieldwork-related activities to the UND OT team at our
701.777.6086, or Dr. Andrea Young, andrea.young@UND.edu,
Casper, Wyo., site.
307.268.2408.
In a collaborative effort, Dr. Hanson, Dr. Graves, and Dr. Julie
And don’t forget about our fieldwork educator video available online
Grabanski developed an information session to educate each of our
at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt1g2zlV5SY.
stakeholders about the curriculum changes with our new doctoral