OT News Spring 2020

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