OTD Newsroom

Tiffany Adams, PT, DPT, MBA, PhD, and Tomeico Faison, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA—both assistant professors of Orthopaedic Surgery—are transforming how Duke DPT and OTD students approach the financial realities of graduate education through the Duke OTD & DPT Financial Leadership Series. Since its launch in 2021, the program has provided students with practical tools for budgeting, debt management, loan forgiveness, and long‑term financial planning.

The Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program recently hosted its first Occupational Therapy, Technology, and Ethics Colloquium at the Interprofessional Education Building.

Mary Beth Gallagher, PhD, OTR/L, BCMH, an assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine, was recently featured on AJOT Authors & Issues to discuss her co-authored article, “Threat or Opportunity? Social Prescribing and Implications for Occupational Therapy,” published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT), Volume 79, Issue 6.

Rural communities across the United States face ongoing barriers to timely and accurate diagnosis — from limited specialty services and long travel distances to gaps in broadband and workforce capacity. Duke’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, in partnership with faculty members in Orthopaedic Surgery, Pediatrics, and Population Health Sciences, is helping change this situation. Associate Professor Emily M.

Teoma LaShawn, PT, DPT, MDiv, faculty development resident, Duke's Doctor of Physical Therapy program, recently served as a guest speaker for the North Carolina Black Occupational Therapy Collective, delivering a powerful message centered on the theme “Confidently Taking Up Space.” LaShawn opened the session with words that set the tone for an afternoon of empowerment and reflection.

Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) faculty member Antoine Bailliard, PhD, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, professor of orthopaedic surgery, recently served as keynote speaker at the Occupational Science Symposium hosted by the University of Southern California. This prestigious event has featured thought leaders such as Stephen Hawking, Jane Goodall, and Anthony Damasio. Dr. Bailliard was awarded the Wilma West Lecture in recognition of his research in advancing occupational science.

Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) student Brian Gonzales Granados, OTD’26, recently presented a poster at the Society for the Study of Occupation: USA (SSO:USA) Annual Research Conference, held November 6–8 in Galveston, Texas. This year’s theme, “Occupations and Nature: Connections and Transactions,” provided the perfect backdrop for Brian to discuss spatial neglect and nature-based occupations.

The November Interdisciplinary Rehabilitative Research Seminar brought together faculty, students, and clinicians from Duke’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) programs for an engaging session led by visiting professor Catherine E. Lang, PT, PhD, FASNR, FAPTA, Barbara J. Norton Professor of Physical Therapy, Professor of Neurology and Occupational Therapy, and Associate Director for Movement Science PhD Program at WashU Medicine.

In an innovative, scholarly initiative that connects academic research with educational practice, Lindy Norman, MAT, operations manager for Duke’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, recently piloted a faculty development series as part of her doctoral research in Higher Education Leadership. The influence of Barbara Hooper, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and division chief of the OTD program, has ensured that, from its inception, the program is a learning community that supports excellence in education.

This Veterans Day, Duke’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program highlights the transformative power of service and healing through the story of Chante Perlberg, OTD'27. With a background as a veteran and military spouse, Chante’s path to occupational therapy is rooted in lived experience, empathy, and a drive to support others through life’s most difficult transitions.