Everyday Pioneers: Ann Marie Brown G’21

by Nick McAdam ’21

With ingenuity and a 3-D printer, OT graduate student Ann Marie Brown creates a modern solution to a pandemic problem.

Many healthcare workers continue to log long shifts during the pandemic. While face masks may protect them, constant wear can irritate the back of the ears, sometimes rubbing them raw.

Occupational therapy graduate student Ann Marie Brown created a solution. Using a 3-D printer, she fashioned a small device that is worn on the back of the head, with a clip on each end to hold the ear loops of the mask. This extends the length of the loops, removing pressure off the ears while still offering the same protection.

A non-traditional student, Brown held a sales position at a local steel company until 2018, when she enrolled in the OT program at UC. Her inspiration stemmed from watching how instrumental occupational therapy was in the treatment of her father, who suffered a traumatic brain injury from a farm accident a few years earlier.

Brown’s invention has been published by the Student Journal for Occupational Therapy (SJOT) in a recent article titled “Farewell to Ears: Hearing the Call and Answering.”

“Ann Marie stuck with the project and experimented with new ideas,” says Linnea Franits, professor of occupational therapy. “It is so encouraging to see our students grow and make an impact.”

Ann Marie Brown's innovative solution to provide relief for long-term mask wearers

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