Alumni

80th Anniversary Celebration

Department of Occupational Therapy's 80th Anniversary Continuing Education Offerings

• Event Program flyer [pdf]

Keynote Speakers

• Dr. Lela Llorens

  • Dr. Lela Llorens, Emeritus Professor, earned the Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University; a Master of Arts degree in Vocational Rehabilitation from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan; a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Walden University; and a Certificate in Gerontology from San Jose State University.

    Dr. Llorens’ professional career has covered over fifty years. Her positions have included experience as a clinician, researcher, writer, editor, consultant, teacher, and administrator. In addition to the Professor Emerita assignation by San Jose State, Dr. Llorens is a Core Faculty Emerita of the Stanford Geriatric Education Center. Academic positions held by Dr. Llorens include Professor, Chair and Graduate Coordinator in the Departments of Occupational Therapy at San Jose State and the University of Florida and Adjunct Faculty of the University of Southern California. For three years prior to retirement from San Jose State, Dr. Llorens served as Associate Academic Vice President for Faculty Affairs. Dr. Llorens’ clinical practice experience includes Consultant on the Comprehensive Child Care Project in San Francisco, Head of Occupational Therapy at the Lafayette Clinic in Detroit which included teaching at Wayne State University, staff therapist at Northville State and Wayne County General Hospitals in Michigan. She holds a seat on the Editorial Board of the Occupational Therapy in Mental Health Journal.

    Dr. Llorens has contributed extensively to the published literature in Occupational Therapy; also in Allied Health and Gerontology. Her work spans the life cycle. The most enduring work emanated from her Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture, “Facilitating Growth and Development: The Promise of Occupational Therapy”. This work has been expanded and published in a book by Dr. Lynne La Corte entitled, New and ExpandedNeuropsychosocial Concepts Complementary to Llorens’ Developmental Theory. Dr. Llorens’ work on occupational adaptation significantly influenced the development of the Occupational Therapy doctoral degree program at Texas Woman’s University. The Blagg-Huey Library at Texas Woman’s University is also the Archival Depository for her professional papers and personal artifacts.

    Dr. Llorens’ service to the profession includes numerous professional presentations and consultations as faculty, workshop presenter, visiting/distinguished lecturer, visiting scientist, keynote speaker, discussant, moderator, and/or facilitator. She served as Project Director and/or Evaluator on several Rehabilitation, Health and Human Services, and Administration on Aging grants. In addition, she served on 8 doctoral and 125 master’s degree committees for students in occupational therapy and allied health fields. In retirement, Dr. Llorens has continued to mentor younger colleagues.

    Dr. Llorens has received numerous honors. Occupational Therapy awards include: the Award of Merit, the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship, and the Roster of Fellows of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the Certificate of Appreciation, the A. Jean Ayres Award, the AOTF Meritorious Service Award from the American Occupational Therapy Foundation and the AOTF Lela Llorens Fellowship Endowment; The California Foundation of Occupational Therapy Lectureship and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Occupational Therapy Association of California; the Wilma West Lectureship from the University of Southern California, Department of Occupational Therapy; the Fanny B. Vanderkooi Lectureship from Texas Woman’s University; the Sadie Philcox Lectureship, University of Queensland, Department of Occupational Therapy, Brisbane, Australia; and the AOTA and AOTF President’s Commendation in honor of Wilma L. West.

    The University Of Texas Medical Branch Occupational Therapy Class of 1976 was dedicated as the Lela A. Llorens Class in honor of “Outstanding Contributions to the Profession”. Dr. Llorens was inducted into Pi Theta Epsilon, the Occupational Therapy Honor Fraternity, as an honorary member at Wayne State University and honored by students at the University of Southern California with their chapter insignia, as well. She was inducted into Eta Rho Pi Health Professions Honor Society at the University of Florida and into Golden Key National and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Fraternities at San Jose State Universisty. The Florida Occupational Therapy Association (FOTA) and the California Occupational Therapy Associations have awarded Honorary Lifetime Memberships to Dr. Llorens. The FOTA also created a Research Fund in her name. Community Awards include: Tribute to Women In Industry by the YWCA and San Jose Mercury News, San Jose; Woman of Distinction, Soroptomist International, Inc, Santa Clara Chapter, San Jose; Certificate of Merit, Michigan State Senate; Appreciation Award, Black Occupational Therapy Caucus, Detroit, Michigan; and Headliner Award, Women of Wayne Alumni, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan; “Westsiders Icon”, Detroit, Michigan, and election to the Wall of Distinction by the Office of Minority Student Services at Western Michigan University.

    Upon graduation from WMU, Dr. Llorens (Lela Williams) received the Marion R. Spear Award in Occupational Therapy. As an alumna, Dr. Llorens was honored by Western Michigan University with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1987 and the Western Michigan University Foundation has created the Lela Williams Llorens Scholarship which will be awarded through the Department of Occupational Therapy.

    Dr. Lela Llorens received the California Foundation of Occupational Therapy (CFOT) 2016 Honored Lecturer award.  She was the Honored Lecturer in 1985 and spoke on the 35th anniversary of the CFOT.

• Dr. Penny Kyler

  • Panelpha “Penny” Kyler’s career expands well beyond the banks of her undergraduate degree in occupational therapy to also encompass moral theology (ethics) public health and the study of genetics and its application to occupational therapy, health, and public health. Presently, she resides in San Jose, Calif. She is retired from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in San Francisco, where she assisted states receiving grants for implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in maternal infant and early childhood evidence-based home visiting services. Previously, as director of the Blood Disorders program she oversaw grants and contracts that focused on hemophilia and other blood disorders. She also oversaw translational genetics education grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements for providing access to genetic education, resources and services for underserved and under-represented communities, and for health and public health professionals.

    Prior to her career in HRSA, Dr. Kyler was the first ethics program officer for the American Occupational Therapy Association. As a clinician she provided direct patient services at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. She was recruited by Ruth Brunyate Wiemer to work in the State of Maryland system. Working with Gail Fidler to improve services in the mental health facilities she ultimately rose to be the Chief of Rehabilitation Services for the Maryland
    Department of Health and Mental Hygiene providing administration and Management oversight to the 13 Maryland Mental Hospitals. While in Maryland she was active in the Maryland Occupational Therapy Association, (MOTA) serving as President, Alternate Representative and Trustee, and serving the state on the Licensure Board. She is currently active in the OT Leaders and Legacy Society serving on the history committee. As an AOTA member, Dr Kyler was
    student president of American Student Committee Occupational Therapy Association (ASCOTA), Practice Representative for the Commission on Standards and Ethics and Director for the Executive Board of AOTA.

Sessions Speakers

• Dr. Graham Teaford

  • Dr. Graham Teaford is an occupational therapist with clinical experience working with older adults in community settings. He earned his BS degree in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University in 1997 and completed his post-professional MS in OT from SJSU in 2003. He completed the Low Vision Rehabilitation Graduate Certificate Program at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) in 2018 and doctorate in occupational therapy from UAB in 2022. In 2016 he completed executive certificate in home modification program from USC, and in 2020 AOTA specialty certification in low vision (SCLV). He has been a faculty member at SJSU since 2008, and has taught courses in neuro-rehabilitation, occupational therapy with older adults, clinical practice in occupational therapy, fieldwork practicum and seminar, and infusing occupation in clinical practice. His research interests include neurological assessment and intervention, fall prevention for older adults, community aging, home modification, low vision rehabilitation, ethics, and community based occupational therapy programs.

• Rochelle McLaughlin, MS, OTR/L

  • Rochelle McLaughlin is the founder and lead instructor for SJSU’s Advanced Certificate in Applied Mindfulness. She earned an MS in Occupational Therapy from SJSU in 2000. She received her certification to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) from the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Mindfulness. 

    Rochelle is seeking her Ph.D. in Transformative Social Change, has completed advanced studies in Humanistic Psychology, and is a certified yoga instructor. She has taught MBSR to several hundred participants both nationally and internationally and she regularly leads classes on integrating mindfulness as a stabilizing presence for social change interventions.

    Rochelle has experienced and witnessed the integration of mindfulness meditation as an extraordinary healing balm for the heart, body, mind, and soul as well as a practice of transforming relationships with self and other.

    Rochelle’s teachings are rooted in her own embodied experiences of the transformative power of mindful awareness and she is inspired by the collaborative journey of weaving mindfulness into our lives as a way to ground us in the face of uncertainty and help facilitate the more just and beautiful world we all know in our hearts is possible.

• Brittney Weinerth, MS, OTR/L

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    Brittney Weinerth is the owner of Children’s Therapy Center, Co. She became an Occupational Therapist in 2011 and opened her clinic in 2014. She started this practice with the desire of transforming how therapy was delivered to her own personal clients. Almost a decade later, it has blossomed into more than she could have hoped. 

    In her career she has had experience working with a wide variety of diagnoses including sensory processing disorder, autism, down syndrome, ADHD/ADD, developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy and more. Her experience spans private clinics, hospitals, CCS, non-public, public, private, and home schools. She has trained extensively in the area of Sensory Processing Disorder under Dr. Lucy Jane Miller. She has a passion for helping people understand how sensory challenges impact so many areas of life. She values neurodiversity affirming care and loves teaching others how to implement brain-based strategies for managing challenging behaviors rather than using compliance methods. She believes it is important to empower families, knowing family dynamics can have a huge impact on the child’s outcomes. 

    During her career she has been active in leadership and has received awards for her contributions to the field of OT. She has enjoyed serving on boards both for the OT profession and organizations within her community.

• Alexandra Kautz, MS, OTR/L

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    Alex Kautz is a dedicated healthcare professional with a background in human and organizational development and a specialization in occupational therapy. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree at Vanderbilt University and went on to earn a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University.

    Throughout her career, Alex has had the privilege of working with a diverse range of individuals in various healthcare settings, including outpatient pediatrics, acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, subacute care, and school-based environments. These experiences have provided her with valuable insights into the unique needs of her patients.

    Currently, Alex's professional interests center around the application of neuroscience-backed and strengths-based approaches. She believes in the power of these methods to enhance the quality of care provided to her patients. In addition to her clinical work, Alex is an advocate for neurodiversity-affirming care. She understands the importance of creating inclusive and supportive spaces for individuals with diverse neurological experiences.

    In her journey as a healthcare professional, Alex remains committed to continuous learning and growth. She actively seeks opportunities for continuing education and engages in mindful reflection to refine her clinical reasoning skills. This commitment to self-improvement ensures that she can better serve her patients and stay aligned with the ever-evolving field of healthcare.

• Hannah Koedam, MS, OTR/L

  • Hannah Koedam graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences and continued her education at Florida Gulf Coast University with a master’s degree in occupational therapy. After growing up and living in Florida for 22 years, Hannah moved across the country to the Bay area of California to start the next chapter of her life on the west coast.

    Throughout her educational and clinical background, she has developed a love for working with individuals across the lifespan. Her experiences in acute inpatient rehabilitation and community practice settings have provided her opportunities to work with a wide range of ages and conditions. She has experience working with autistic individuals, children and teens with learning disabilities and different neuro types, individuals with intellectual disabilities, neurological conditions, orthopedic conditions, and youth trauma survivors. Prior to becoming an occupational therapist, she worked with children as an assistant preschool teacher at a Montessori school.

    Hannah strives to support children, teens, and their families through life’s many transitions in a collaborative and fun environment. She is inspired by the joy that children find in even the smallest things in life. It is her goal as an OT to promote positive, successful experiences in the activities that are meaningful to their clients and their families.

• Dr. Deborah Bolding, Ph.D, OTR/L, FAOTA

  • Associate Professor Deborah Bolding has been a full-time faculty member in the Department of Occupational Therapy at San José State University (SJSU) since 2016. She was the coordinator of the post-professional master’s program in occupational therapy at SJSU from 2012-2015. As an occupational therapist, she has extensive professional experience with persons with injury and illness in settings ranging from the emergencey department and intensive care unit to rehabilitation, home health, and out-patient settings (with emphasis in trauma and neurologial problems). She currently practices in community-based fall prevention for older adults.

    Dr. Bolding earned a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Florida, a Master of Science degree from Boston University, a post-master’s certificate in Health Professions Education from Simmons College, and a PhD in Education from Capella University. She is licensed as an occupational therapist in California with qualifications in hand therapy, physical agent modalities, and swallowing.

• Dr. Uyen Nguyen

  • Dr. Uyen Nguyen received her Bachelor’s degree in 1997 and post-professional Master’s degree of Science in Occupational Therapy in 2005 from San Jose State University. She completed the certification program in Low Vision Rehabilitation in 2011 and a Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

    Dr. Nguyen has been working in school-based practice since 1998 where she provides OT services to students with special needs from 3-21 years of age. She completed 200 hours of yoga teacher training and has become a certified yoga instructor since 2016.

    She has been an active member of the American Occupational Therapy Association and the World Federation of Occupational Therapy. She has been a CAP (Critically Appraised Paper) reviewer for AOTA Evidence Exchange. She served in the school-based OT task force in Santa Clara County, California to help promote best practices in the school setting, and has worked with colleagues in reviewing and presenting OT guidelines for school-based practitioners in Santa Clara County, CA. Dr. Nguyen is a co-author and co-presenter of the continuing education course “School-Based OT Outside of the Box: More Efficient, More Effective, More Practical and Fun”.

    Dr. Nguyen’s passion is to provide needed services to the pediatric population, especially in the educational environment, nationally and internationally. She has been involved in international occupational therapy through volunteer work for Children’s Hope In Action, a non-governmental organization in Vietnam, and previously helped lead the San Jose State University Faculty-Led Program to Vietnam.

• Shohei Takatani, MS, OTR/L, HTC, CFPS, CGCP

  • Shohei Takatani is an occupational therapy clinical specialist who works with Stanford Health Care on the Critical Care team at Stanford Hospital. Over the past decade, Shohei has dedicated himself to developing, enhancing and restoring functional capacity to his patients whose ability to cope with the tasks of daily living have been impaired or threatened by physical illness or injury, psychosocial disabilities, aging process or developmental deficits. Shohei also has extensive experience managing the rehabilitation of critically ill patients in the ICU and patients requiring advanced therapies, such as mechanical circulatory support and solid organ transplants.

• Dr. Jean Koketsu

  • Dr. Jean Koketsu graduated from University of California Los Angeles with a B.A. in psychology, from SJSU with an M.S. in occupational therapy, and from Eastern Kentucky University with an OT clinical doctorate. She has over 25
    years of experience working as an OT in a variety of
    settings. The first half of her career was in a large
    rehabilitation hospital in San Jose where she gained
    experience in inpatient rehabilitation, acute care, burn
    rehabilitation and outpatient hand therapy. The second half
    of her career has been working in community practice
    settings such as the REACH Program in Palo Alto, CA and
    as a lecturer at SJSU. She currently works as an OT at On
    Lok PACE helping older adults age in place and as a sleep
    coach at BetterUp. Her current research and clinical
    interests are in the area of sleep, restorative occupations,
    and routines. Most recently, Dr. Koketsu revised the
    Activities of Daily Living chapter and the chapter on the
    Occupation of Sleep and Rest in the newest edition of
    Pedretti’s Occupational Therapy: Practice Skills for Physical
    Dysfunction.

• Katie Gordon, MS, OTR/L

  • Katie Gordon, MS, OTR/L, has had the privilege of engaging youth in mental health occupational therapy services at OTTP-SF since 2011 and currently oversees OTTP's services in the East Bay. One of her areas of interest is early childhood mental health. She enjoys spending time at the beach with her family and her dog. She holds an MS from San Jose State University (class of 2010) and BAs from UC Davis.

80th Anniversary - Welcome and Keynote

Hands of Change is the Alumni Association of San Jose State University Department of Occupational Therapy. Its mission is to provide a bridge between its members and the department, promote a sense of unity, and provide opportunities for networking and mentoring while acting as a resource to enhance knowledge and growth.

Purposes of the Alumni Association

• Provide guidance and support to the members
• Serve as a resource to its members
• Networking
• Provide mentoring to students of SJSU's Department of Occupational Therapy
• Visit and keep track of friends and faculty
• Promote ongoing communication with the SJSU's Department of Occupational Therapy
• Support the department
• Support curriculum revision
• Support research
• Provide recognition of significant events and people

Goals of the Alumni Association

• To maintain an updated database
• To establish membership dues and donations
• To hold Alumni Reception events at the annual OTAC Conference
• To develop an alumni contact list
• To raise funds for scholarships to students
• To raise funds for Department upgrading
• To receive funds/support from vendors

If you believe that San Jose State University and the Occupational Therapy Department contributed to, or were instrumental in your professional development and ultimate financial success, please help us now with a generous financial contribution. There is no more important time to give than now and there is no more important investment you could be making in your profession than to give back to the school and program of which you can be proud. Consider making a gift to the department in honor today.

Give now to the OT Department

Have more questions? Contact the Alumni Association at 408-924-3070.

2022 Alumni Donation Letter Request [pdf]

Recognition of the Amazing Donors to the SJSU Occupational Therapy Department

The faculty, staff and students of the Department of Occupational Therapy at San Jose State University wish to thank and recognize all of our esteemed alumni and donor friends who have contributed over the past year! We are grateful for your support and commitment. Your donations directly enrich and impact our department’s innovative programs of excellence in education, research and practice in occupational therapy and has been instrumental in continuing the academic excellence that is the San Jose State University Occupational Therapy Department.

List of endowed scholarships [pdf] 
Testimonials of Student Scholarship Recipients [pdf]

Our Endowed “Diamond” Donors:

These donors have made a large endowed donation to support the OT department on an ongoing basis – this provides continuous support!

• Mary Booth created the Mary Booth Scholarships [pdf]
• Dr. Donald and Mrs. Donna Friedrich created the Wynn Schultz-Krohn Scholarships [pdf]
• Bonita Kraft created the Bonita Kraft Scholarship [pdf]
• Susan Robertson created the Occupational Therapy Professional Development Fund and in the process of funding the Susan Robertson Endowed Chair position.

2022/23 Donors

We would also like to recognize each designated donor level from alums and supporters this year (2022/23).

Diamond Donors with a donation of over $500

Dr. Donald and Mrs. Donna Friedrich
Bonita Kraft
Mr. Steven Leung and Ms. Grace Wong-Leung
Lela A. Llorens, PhD
Mr. Reaugh And Ms. Lovitt
Heidi Pendleton, PhD
Grace M. Sanchez

Gold Donors with a donation of $300 to $499

Ruth Anne Humphry

Silver Donors with a donation of $200 to $299

Lisbeth Geertsen
Mr. Dwight and Mrs. June Lubich
Ms. Marie A. Pelletier-Hartwig
Jean (Nakashima) Sakoda

Bronze Donors with a donation of $150 to $199

Lesley Paige

Past Donors

• 2021/22 [pdf]
• 2020/21 [pdf]
• 2019/20 [pdf]
• 2018/19 [pdf]

• Alumna Dr. Susan Robertson received the 2020 OTAC Award of Appreciation for long standing support to the profession! This is a great honor to see our very generous alum receive this award!
• Alumnus Dr. Shawn Phipps (SJSU Post-professional MSOT program) was chosen as the Honored Lecturer at the CFOT Awards Luncheon and Symposium's 38th anniversary in October 2019.
• Alumna Dr. Gigi Smith (SJSU Post-professional MSOT program) was chosen as the Honored Lecturer at the CFOT Awards Luncheon and Symposium's 37th anniversary in October 2018.
• Alumna Beth Ching (BS in OT, 1985) is an Assistant Professor in the OTD program at Samuel Merritt and has received the Interprofessional Collaboration Award at the 2017 AOTA Annual Conference. Her award will acknowledge her skills: Making Space for Everyone at the Table.
• Congratulations to Lecturer Alison George, graduate of SJSU with a masters of science degree from the OT Dept., who received the Provost Award for recognition of supporting the OT Department in working on the Departmental Writing Standards.    
• A graduate from the SJSU Distance MSOT program, alumna Apple Sepulveda, received a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant to work with health professionals in the Philippines. Dr. Pamela Richardson worked with this student on her graduate project and would be able to provide additional information about this grant.

Remembering and Honoring Lois Marie Barber, OTR, FAOTA, SJSU
Class of 1952 by Dr. Heidi M. Pendleton

In late November 2022, the profession of Occupational Therapy lost a wonderful leader. Lois Marie Barber, a 1952 graduate of then San Jose State College was the San Jose State University OT Distinguished Alumna of the Year [pdf] for 2000. We were fortunate to have such a stellar OT in our department history. Master OT practitioner, kind and patient teacher and mentor to hundreds, inventor, entrepreneur, craftswoman, environmentalist, advocate for justice, philanthropist, dog lover and rescuer, whale and dolphin watcher from her beautiful home overlooking the Pacific in Shell Beach - Lois was an exemplar of living a life full of meaningful occupation. Lois died after a brief illness surrounded by her many lifelong friends and loving neighbors. I only wish that you all could have known her!

It was an honor to nominate Lois for consideration for the 100 Most Influential Occupational Therapy Leaders [pdf] of the last 100 Years. Though she eschewed drawing attention to herself she eventually relented and even expressed “it was kind of nice to be recognized”! Lois was unanimously selected and was honored at the Centennial Celebration at the AOTA Conference in Philadelphia 2017.

(Broad Street Pump Award from Physicians for Social Responsibility - one of Lois's award for her environmental and peace activism featured in OT Week article [pdf] from December 17, 1992 and prs.org)

Susan J. Harris, an esteemed colleague and SJSU Alum, passed away on January 20, 2020.

For those who have not heard of Sue Harris, she was one of the first OTs to start an OT company and it grew into an amazing company. She was a big advocate for OTs having a voice in the political arena and always supported the OTACPAC. She was also named the 2008 SJSU OT Dept. Distinguished Alumni and was one of our Diamond Level Donors. And in 2018 at the OTAC Conference, Susan Harris was the honoree for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Here's Susan J. Harris Obituary.

Let us know how you are doing and Keep in Touch [pdf].
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