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Allison Chamberlain Miller, MS, OTR/L
Associate Editor
Allison Chamberlain Miller, MS, OTR/L is a clinical faculty specialist in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Western Michigan University (WMU) and an occupational therapist working in short-term rehab and long-term care. She completed her master’s degree in occupational therapy at WMU. Her undergraduate degree is in communication from Michigan State University, and she has a professional background in health care marketing and hospital revenue cycle management. She received the Marion R. Spear Award upon graduation in December 2012.
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Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, FAOTA
Editorial Board
Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, FAOTA, is Principal of design+cOnsulTation; a therapeutic design organization and Affiliate Faculty in the Landscape Architecture Program at University of Washington. Amy expands her role as an occupational therapist into the world of landscape architecture. Her work focuses on collaborative design, programming, and research of outdoor environments that support physical and emotional rehabilitation and learning in community and health care settings. Amy presents and publishes widely on topics relating to collaboration with designers and access to nature. Amy has served on the design team for three American Society of Landscape Architecture award-winning therapeutic gardens. She received a silver medal from the International Association of Universal Design, a Center for Health Design award, and two New York state design awards. She is co-author of the award winning book Therapeutic Gardens: Design for Healing Spaces, published by Timber Press.
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Barbara Rider, PhD, OT, FAOTA
Advisory Board
Barbara Rider, PhD, OT, FAOTA is a professor emeritus from Western Michigan University (WMU). Dr. Rider received her Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She received a Master's Degree in Special Education from the University of Kansas, and a doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of Michigan. Dr. Rider’s early career included clinical practice in the Veteran’s Administration Hospital and in a specialized school for children with disabilities. In addition, she produced foundational research in the areas of sensory integration and developmental reflexes. She served as chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy at WMU from 1976-1986. It was during this time that she reflected on the value of her prior research and instilled this value of research into the WMU occupational therapy faculty members. She was among the first occupational therapists to prioritize research as a part of education and practice, and she required faculty members to participate in scholarship and higher education activities.
As her career moved forward, Dr. Rider continued to practice, educate, research, lead, and invest in the advancement of the occupational therapy profession. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) honored Dr. Rider in 2003 with the Lindy Boggs Award, recognizing her many contributions to the profession. Since her retirement in 1991, she continues to publish, educate, and practice occupational therapy with children and adults who have developmental disabilities and mental health disorders.
Additionally, Dr. Rider is active in her community, serving two elected terms and one appointed term as Kalamazoo County Commissioner. She served many years on the Board of Kalamazoo County Department of Human Services and also served as chair of this board for five years. Active in many human service boards and committees over the years, Dr. Rider also serves on the board of the Shepherd’s Center of Kalamazoo.
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Ben J. Atchison, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Managing Editor
Ben J. Atchison, PhD, OTRL, FAOTA, is the Managing Editor of OJOT, serving in that role from 2012-2017 and returning in 2018. He is Chair Emeritus and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Western Michigan University (WMU). Upon his retirement on June 30, 2017, Dr. Atchison celebrated 42 years of a career that included teaching, service, and scholarship with expertise in pediatrics with a special emphasis in childhood trauma. He is a co-founder of the Southwest Michigan Children’s Trauma Assessment Center at WMU and Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association.
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Cynthia J. Cunningham, PhD
Copy Editor
Cynthia J. Cunningham, PhD is an associate professor in the Department of English at Western Michigan University, and a former associate editor of the journal Comparative Drama. Dr. Klekar teaches courses in eighteenth-century literature, British literature, restoration drama, and the novel. She is coeditor of The Culture of the Gift in Eighteenth-Century England (Palgrave, 2009), and she has published articles in Eighteenth-Century Studies, Philological Quarterly, Eighteenth-Century Theory and Interpretation, The Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies, and Eighteenth-Century Fiction. In 2007, Dr. Klekar gave a talk at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. She is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including the Paula Backscheider Archival Fellowship Award, the Richard H. Popkin Travel Award, the WMU Support for Faculty Scholars Award, and the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies Innovative Course Design Award. She is currently working on a collaborative project on the significance of gift exchange to the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and a book on generosity and disability in eighteenth-century English literature.
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Debbie Amini, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Editorial Board
Debbie Amini, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is the director of professional development with the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). She received her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Quinnipiac University and her EdD in adult education from North Carolina State University. She has over 30 years of experience as a hand therapist and academic. She founded and directed an occupational therapy assistant program in North Carolina and served as an assistant professor in a master’s level occupational therapy program before moving to her current position with the AOTA. She has been published in peer-reviewed journals, newsletters, and trade journals; has written several book chapters; and authored several CE courses. She served as a columnist for ADVANCE for Occupational Therapy Practitioners for 15 years. Her topics included occupation-based hand rehabilitation and occupation-based practice. She has presented nationally and regionally on topics related to hand therapy, splinting, teaching, learning, and documentation. She has served in several AOTA volunteer positions, most recently as chairperson of the Commission on Practice where she oversaw the development of the third edition of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process. She is the 2014 recipient of the North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association’s (NCOTA) highest honor, the Suzanne C. Scullin Memorial Award, for contributions to the practice of OT and to the NCOTA.
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Diane Powers Dirette, PhD, OTL, FAOTA
Editor-in-Chief, Co-founder
Diane Powers Dirette, PhD, OTR, FAOTA is a professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Western Michigan University, mainly teaching Perception and Cognition, Research, and Theory. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Eastern Michigan University and her master’s and doctorate degrees at New York University, studying occupational therapy at all levels. She has published in national and international journals and has presented at local, regional, national, and international conferences. Dr. Dirette’s main research interests are focused on treatments for people with acquired brain injuries, for whom she developed a frame of reference titled Self-awareness Enhancement through Learning and Function (SELF). Other areas of research include evidence-based practice, the use of compensatory strategies for cognitive deficits, Tai Chi for people with mental illness, and the use of grasp tests to detect malingering. She has served on the editorial boards of numerous journals in the health professions and is the coeditor of the textbook, Conditions in Occupational Therapy: Effect on Occupational Performance. She is the cofounder and Editor-in-Chief of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy. Dr. Dirette was inducted to the American Occupational Therapy Association Roster of Fellows in 2016.
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Fred Sammons, PhD (Hon), OT, FAOTA
Advisory Board
Fred Sammons, PhD (Hon), OT, FAOTA is a dedicated contributor to the growth of the profession of occupational therapy. His background in engineering and his dedication to helping people with disabilities engage in self care, leisure, and social pursuits led him to work closely with occupational therapists. The honorary doctorate in occupational therapy, awarded by the Western Michigan University (WMU) Department of Occupational Therapy, recognizes the many contributions he has made to the profession. In his early years, he pioneered the design, manufacture, and distribution of adaptive equipment, collaborating with occupational therapists and patients to identify needs and to generate product ideas. Additionally, Sammons provided the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) with its first computer, demonstrating that he has always had an eye on the future and technological advances.
The recipient of many honors from AOTA, he continues to give to the profession through grants, scholarships, and donations that support research, education, and clinical programs. In his retirement, he has been an active member of AMBUCS, Inc., with whom he collaborates to develop designs for adapted bicycles and tricycles (AmTrykes) for children with disabilities. He expresses great pride in his innovative seating system and in the ways in which he has been able to adapt these bikes to each child’s needs. His love for innovation and technology that help others has been present throughout his life and continues today.
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Guy L. McCormack, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Editorial Board
Guy L. McCormack, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA is currently the program director and a clinical professor in the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program at the University of the Pacific. He is also a professor emeritus at Samuel Merritt University. He received his BS in Occupational Therapy at the University of Puget Sound, his MS at the Ohio State University, and his PhD at Saybrook University. He is a co-editor for the AOTA OT Manager, author of Pain Management for Health Professionals, and author of Therapeutic Use of Touch for Health Professionals. Dr. McCormack has published numerous journal articles and presented several papers at state, national, and international conferences. He teaches Management, Guided Research, Aspects of Neuroscience, Advanced Clinical Practice, Conditions of Dysfunction, and Complementary Systems of Health Care. Dr. McCormack has been funded to conduct research on the use of Neurofeedback Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and on the use of computer programs with older adults to prevent cognitive decline. In addition, he has investigated the effects of complementary therapies on pain perception and anxiety in persons with cancer.
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Jeff Rostami, PhD
Advisory Board
Jeff Rostami, PhD, earned his Master of Science degree in Physics from the University of Michigan and a PhD in Biostatistics from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has worked for over 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry as a biostatistician in medical research. In this position, he has provided statistical support for development of new drug application (NDA). He also provided statistical consultations to other areas for research and development of new drugs.
His previous experiences were as a Statistician in medical school settings and the aerospace industry.
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Jennifer Fortuna, MS, OTR/L
Art Editor
Jennifer Fortuna, MS, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Therapy at Grand Valley State University. Jennifer has an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s degree in occupational therapy from Grand Valley State University. Her clinical specialties include pediatrics, visual-motor training, and health literacy. Jennifer has presented at regional, national, and international conferences. She is currently a Doctoral candidate in the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Ph.D. Program at Western Michigan University.
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Joseph M. Pellerito Jr., PhD, OTR/L
Co-founder
Joseph M. Pellerito Jr., PhD, OTR/L earned a Ph.D. in medical sociology at Wayne State University (WSU), a master’s degree in technology for physical medicine and rehabilitation at The Johns Hopkins University, and a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy with a minor in sociology at Western Michigan University's Lee Honors College. He is a dedicated advocate for people with disabilities and their caregivers, with a career that spans nearly three decades and includes working as an administrator, scholar, professor, entrepreneur, and therapy practitioner. He has extensive experience and expertise in fundraising, grant writing, developing and managing graduate education programs in higher education, focus groups and strategic planning, program assessment, and professional and family caregiver education and training. Dr. Pellerito has held leadership and administrative positions in the private, academic, and public sectors, including the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM) in the Detroit Medical Center (DMC), professor and department chair at WSU, vice president of development and consumer technology for iCan!, chief operating officer for Abilities Group LLC, and chief consultant and client advocate for HEROES NATION LC. He published the first textbook on driver rehabilitation and community mobility, is frequently invited to speak throughout North America on topics relevant to the disability community, and is planning to publish his sixth textbook in 2014.
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Michelle Suarez, PhD, OTR/L
Editorial Board
Michelle Suarez, PhD, OTR/L is an assistant professor at Western Michigan University and teaches the pediatric content to occupational therapy master’s level students. She completed her PhD in Interdisciplinary Health Science in 2012 from Western Michigan University. She has 12 years of pediatric occupational therapy practice experience in outpatient and school-based settings. Her research interests include treatment for feeding dysfunction, sensory integration, and autism research. She has published several manuscripts in pediatric practice areas. She received the 2010 Pisaneschi Prize for best research practicum presentation and the Department Graduate Research and Creative Scholar award while completing her PhD.
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Molly Bathje, PhD, OTR/L
Editorial Board
Molly Bathje, PhD, OTR/L, is an assistant professor and the academic coordinator in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Rush University. She received her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from St. Ambrose University, her master’s degree in health systems management from Rush University, and her PhD in interdisciplinary health sciences from Western Michigan University. Her clinical experience includes mental health, pediatrics, acute care medicine, long-term care, and academics. Her scholarship focuses on graduate school admissions procedures, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and health disparities in people with disabilities. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and newsletters and has presented locally, nationally, and internationally. She was the inaugural art editor of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy and is currently the newsletter coordinator for the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association. In 2015, she was the recipient of the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association’s Occupational Therapist of the Year award.
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Paula W. Jamison, PhD, OT
Advisory Board
Paula W. Jamison, PhD, OT, is a former faculty member of Western Michigan University’s Occupational Therapy Department and has taught for the university’s Holistic Health Program. With over 15 years of experience as a meditation instructor, her clinical interests included applications of self-regulation strategies in mental health and pediatric settings. Dr. Jamison became an occupational therapist after a career as a French scholar, teacher, college administrator, translator, and editor. She is currently active in community service, most notably preserving the Ladies’ Library, one of Kalamazoo’s most significant nineteenth-century buildings, and making it ADA compliant.
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Rondalyn Whitney, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Editorial Board
Rondalyn Whitney, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is an associate professor and director of faculty scholarship and development at West Virginia University. Her scholarship focuses on maternal stress and mother-child interactions when raising a child with a mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder. Focusing on the co-regulation of the child, the story of adverse childhood experience, and family quality of life and occupational deprivation is a unique perspective in her work.
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Sharon A. Gutman, PhD, OTR, FAOTA
Advisory Board
Sharon A. Gutman, PhD, OTR, FAOTA is an associate professor in the Programs in Occupational Therapy at Columbia University. Dr. Gutman has a background in neuroscience, and, as an occupational therapist, she has worked with a wide array of populations, including traumatic brain injury, psychiatric disability, autism, developmental delay, and homelessness. She has published numerous journal articles and books and served as the editor of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy from 2008 to 2014.
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Yael Goverover, OTR/L, PhD
Editorial Board
Yael Goverover, OTR/L, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at New York University. Her main research interests focus on cognitive and functional impairments resulting from brain injuries. She studied cognitive components and their associations with activities of daily living and participation in individuals with acute brain injuries and persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Her current interests include developing interventions aimed at improving everyday functioning and quality of life in individuals with brain injuries and MS. She received the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Fellowship award, a National Multiple Sclerosis Society grant, and BioGen IDEC grants to support studies related to improving learning and memory of functional tasks in MS, developing assessment of functional cognition, and investigating the functional implication of cognitive impairments in MS. She received a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Tel Aviv University in Israel in 1993 and a master’s degree (with honors) in developmental psychology and educational counseling from Tel Aviv University in 1996. In 2002, she graduated with a PhD in occupational therapy from NYU. She is currently a visiting professor at the Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Laboratory at the Kessler Foundation.