Faculty Bios

The Department of Occupational Therapy is comprised of 9 tenured and tenure-track faculty and 14 lecturers. The Occupational Therapy faculty has a long history of commitment to the profession through research, leadership, and service. They are excellent teachers, experienced clinicians, and nationally recognized leaders and scholars in the profession. They have received national recognition and have been awarded the title of Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association (FAOTA). Additionally, two previous faculty members were also honored with the prestigious Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship Award. A descriptive information of faculty bios are listed below

Department Chair

• Jerilyn (Gigi) Smith, PhD, OTR/L, SWC, FAOTA

  • Associate Professor Smith has special advanced education and training in the evaluation and treatment of swallowing disorders which is one among many areas of expertise that she brings to her position in this department. She graduated with her B.S. in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University. She also adds to her distinction as being among the first graduating cohort of the Distance Master's program at SJSU. She was named the 2006 Graduate of the Last Decade for the College of Applied Sciences and Arts.  Dr. Smith completed her PhD at Trident University.  Her research was in the area of autism, sensory processing and feeding and eating behaviors.  Dr. Smith has authored and co-authored chapters in Pedretti's Occupational Therapy: Practice Skills for Physical Dysfunction and Cara & Macrae's Psychosocial Occupational Therapy: A Clinical Practice. She has presented locally, nationally, and internationally on dysphagia and the role of occupational therapy in treating swallowing disorders. Dr. Smith is currently the Vice President for the Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC), and was a member of the Commission on Practice for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). She also serves the department as the Graduate Coordinator/Advisor and is the Student OT Association (SOTA) Advisor. She has a clear commitment to SJSU serving on multiple department, college, and university committees and most recently elected to the Academic Senate representing the College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS).

    Dr. Gigi Smith (SJSU OT alumna with a BS in 1979, MS in 2001) was inducted to the Roster of Fellows and awarded Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association (FAOTA) at the AOTA Annual Conference in 2017. This award is made in recognition of her: Excellence in Practice, Exemplary Service, and Mentoring. She was also Honored Lecturer for the Califonia Foundation of Occupational Therapy in 2018.

    Dr. Smith is the Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy and as such is responsible for all administrative and personnel issues concerning the faculty and students of this department. These include: hiring and supervision of faculty, budget, department resource allocation, scheduling, and supervision of staff, and is the representative of this department on various College and University committees. She serves as our liaison to the American Occupational Therapy Association and the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education in matters of accreditation, certification of students, and compliance with Standards.

Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty

• Lynne Andonian, Ph.D, OTR/L

  • Professor, Lynne Andonian earned a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Boston University, a M.A. degree in Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute, and a PhD in Organizational Systems from Saybrook University. She has over 30 years of clinical experience, primarily in mental health, in a variety of settings including inpatient hospitals, outpatient partial hospitalization programs, public schools, and community-based settings. Dr. Andonian has also worked with people with disabilities in Zambia and Uganda and has taught in Finland. She has presented nationally and internationally on her research interests that include community advocacy for underserved groups, people with mental illness, emotional intelligence, and international education. She is on the Steering Committee of the Psychiatric Occupational Therapy Action Coalition (POTAC) and is on the Editorial Board for the Occupational Therapy in Mental Health Journal.
    Selected  Works of Dr. Lynne Andonian

• Luis Arabit, OTD, MS, OTR/L, BCN, BCPR, C/NDT, PAM, FAOTA

  • Assistant Professor Luis de Leon Arabit earned his Doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Saint Augustine, Saint Augustine, FL; his Masters of Science degree in Rehabilitation Sciences from Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX; and his Bachelors’ of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of the Philippines, Manila. He is an accomplished and experienced occupational therapist with a demonstrated history working in the hospital and healthcare industry with specific focus on neurorehabilitation, orthopedic clinical practice and administration/management. 

    Dr. Arabit was the immediate past Supervisor of Occupational Therapy and Leadership Coordinator of Pediatric Rehab and The Cleft Palate Program at Adventist Health White Memorial, Los Angeles, CA. He is Board Certified in Neurorehabilitation & Physical Rehabilitation and holds certifications in NDT, PNF & the Affolter Concept. Dr. Arabit was a past Vice-President of the Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC), a former Chair of the OTAC Advocacy & Government Affairs Committee and a former Chair of the Los Angeles Occupational Therapy Leadership Forum. He was the recipient of the 2016 Janice Matsusuyu Outstanding Service award and the 2013 Luella Grangaard Political Action award from OTAC. 

    In 2020, Dr. Arabit was named Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association (FAOTA), an honor reserved for occupational therapists who have contributed significantly to the field. He was selected to receive the 2020 Distinguished Lectureship Award from the Asian-Pacific Heritage Occupational Therapy Association (APHOTA) and was also chosen as the 2020 Honored Lecturer by the California Foundation for Occupational Therapy (CFOT). Dr. Arabit is a published author, writer and speaker at state, regional, national and international OT conferences. He currently serves as the Region V Director and Board member of the American Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee (AOTPAC) and is the co-chair of The AOTPAC Ambassadors. He is also a Board member and the Philippine cultural liaison of the Asian Pacific Heritage Occupational Therapy Association.

• Deborah Bolding, Ph.D, OTR/L, FAOTA

  • Research
    Dr. Bolding has been the author or co-authored works related to juvenile arthritis, functional mobility, splinting, habilitation, fieldwork education, evidence-based practice, motor control, and obstructive sleep apnea. Currently, she has two primary research interests: aging on the go (inclusive of safety and mobility in the home, local, and global communities), and professional development of occupational therapy students and practitioners.
    Selected  research authored or presented by Dr. Bolding may be accessed via the ScholarWorks Gallery.

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    Professional Experience
    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.

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    Education
    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.

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    Awards
    Honored Lecturer by the California Foundation for Occupational Therapy (2015)
    Roster of Fellows award from the American Occupational Therapy Association (2014)
    Fieldwork Educator Award from the Occupational Therapy Association of California (2006)

• Megan C. Chang, Ph.D, OTR/L, FAOTA

  • Associate Professor Megan Chang earned her Ph.D. in Occupational Science, M.S. in Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiology, and M.A. in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California, and B.S. in Occupational Therapy from the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. She completed a clinical training program and received certification in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Her research interests include using psychophysiological approaches to study sensory processing, emotion, and cognition as well as examining psychosocial and physiological risk factors associated with health-related behaviors and occupations in various populations. She has clinical experience in a variety of settings including her most recent work in the fields of physical dysfunction and pediatrics. She is a Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) programmer and has worked several years as a biostatistician. Inspired by her previous mentors, she is passionate about teaching future therapists not only to improve their skills but also to actively engage in research activities in order to collaboratively strengthen the knowledge base of Occupational Therapy.

• Chiao-Ju Fang, Ph.D, OTR/L

  • Assistant Professor Chiao-Ju Fang earned her doctoral and MA degrees in occupational therapy from New York University (NYU). She received her BS in occupational therapy from National Taiwan University. Dr. Fang has practiced in hospitals, schools, and early intervention to serve children and adolescents with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral disabilities both in Taiwan and the United States.

    A bilingual researcher, Dr. Fang’s primary research interest is the development of conceptually grounded, psychometrically sound tools measuring the activities, participation levels, and environmental supports of children and adolescents with disabilities. Over the years, she has specialized in cross-cultural and international research, establishing strong connections in the occupational therapy and education fields in the United States and Asia. While pursuing her doctorate at NYU, Dr. Fang won a number of grants and awards to support her research. Most notably, she was the 2017 recipient of NYU Steinhardt’s Mitchell Leaska Dissertation Research Award and the 2010 Taiwan Ministry of Education Dissertation Grant Award.

    Dr. Fang’s research plans include several areas, such as 1) outcomes measurement for cross-cultural research, 2) advanced technologies using robots and smart homes, the use of computer-based interventions such as virtual reality, and 3) leadership, marketing, and management in occupational therapy. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.

• Melisa Kaye, EdD, OTR/L

  • Assistant Professor Melisa Kaye earned a Bachelor and post-professional Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at San Jose State University and a Doctorate in Education at the University of San Francisco. She was a member of the design team that developed a MA degree program in Educational Technology at the University of San Francisco. Her research interests rest at the intersections between education and clinical practice and include multimedia learning application, leveraging technology to enhance healthcare education, sensory processing and integration, trauma-informed care, and the development of cognitive and perceptual skills in children.

    Dr. Kaye has extensive pediatric experience and is the founder and director of Firefly Center: Therapy Services for Children, a clinic in Burlingame, CA. She is passionate about partnering with children and their families to address a range of developmental, psychosocial, self-regulatory, and learning challenges. She mentors entry-level therapists and presents locally, nationally and internationally on topics related to occupational therapy education, sensory processing and integration, and school readiness. She is the Leadership and Management coordinator for the Children and Youth Special Interest Section of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

• Katrina M. Long EdD, MS, OTR/L

  • Assistant Professor Katrina Long earned her EdD in movement science and education, specializing in occupational therapy, from Columbia University (CU) in New York City, her MS in occupational therapy from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, and a BA from California State University Channel Islands. Prior to joining SJSU, Katrina served as a clinician, lecturer, and researcher at Columbia University for 7 years.  She has presented at regional, national and international conferences, and has peer-reviewed publications. While pursuing her doctorate, she was awarded a number of grants and scholarships including the Columbia University Dean’s Grant for Student Research and Provost’s Grant for Conference Presentation. Dr. Long has worked at CU’s Neurorehabilitation Research Lab as a research coordinator and as a consultant at the Neurological Institute at Columbia University Medical Center. Her clinical experience has focused primarily in the areas of Parkinson’s Disease (PD), stroke, and Cerebral palsy. Dr. Long is passionate about holistic health and movement of the human body. Her research interests include: (1) assessments and interventions for individuals with neurological diseases and disorders, such as PD; (2) motor control and motor learning processes in both healthy individuals and those with neurological disorders; (3) behavioral interventions that facilitate and optimize the formation of health-promoting habits and routines as part of an effective self-management program. Dr. Long aims to develop effective interventions that improve functional abilities and quality of life for people with motor control impairments through occupational therapy and skill-based interventions. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, cycling, figure skating, skiing, yoga, and cooking.

• Winifred Schultz-Krohn, Ph.D, OTR/L, BCP, SWC, FAOTA

  • Professor Schultz-Krohn (Dr. Wynn) has over 30 years of experience working with children. She is Board Certified in Pediatrics by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and is certified in Swallowing by the California Board of Occupational Therapy. She served on the Pediatric Panel of AOTA for Board Certification in Pediatrics for several years. Wynn has also served as a member of the ASPIIRE (Association of Service Providers Implementing IDEA Reforms) Cadre of AOTA disseminating information about revisions to the federal law related to early intervention and school based practice: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Wynn is a professor of occupational therapy at San Jose State University where she teaches courses in pediatrics, neuro-rehabilitation, and research methods. Dr. Schultz-Krohn’s scholarly interests include pediatric occupational therapy with expertise in early intervention, school-based practice, family centered intervention, the needs of children and families in homeless shelters, feeding problems, and neurological rehabilitation. She was selected to be a member of the Teacher-Scholar SJSU group in 2003-2004. She continues to practice in pediatric occupational therapy on a part-time basis at a non-profit clinic and for the past 20 years she has provided pro bono services at a family homeless shelter. Her donation of professional services was recognized in the Fall of 2011 and she was awarded a regional Jefferson Award for her volunteer efforts in supporting the families of the most vulnerable in our community. Her continued volunteer work with homeless families was recognized by the California Foundation of Occupational Therapy when she was awarded the Humanitarian Award in 2017. Dr. Schultz-Krohn has a commitment to shared governance and has served as an elected Senator to the SJSU Academic Senate for over 10 years.

    Dr. Schultz-Krohn was recognized by her peers and was the Honored Lecturer for the California Occupational Therapy Foundation in 2012. She was chosen as the Outstanding Professor of San Jose State University for the 2013-2014 Academic Year. She is the co-editor of the 6th, 7th, 8th and upcoming 9th Edition of Pedretti’s Occupational Therapy: Practice Skills for Physical Dysfunction textbook in addition to authoring well over 20 articles and chapters. Dr. Winifred Schultz-Krohn serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Occupational Therapy in Early Intervention and Schools and is a reviewer for the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and the Occupational Therapy Journal of Research. She is the past Chair of the AOTA Commission of Continuing Competence and Professional Development, and currently serves as Chair of the AOTA By-laws, Policies, and Procedures Committee. The AOTA represents the interests and concerns of occupational therapy practitioners and students of occupational therapy, while striving to improve the quality of occupational therapy services. The organization represents 60,000 members. Dr. Wynn served as Chair of the Occupational Therapy Department from 2015 -2020, successfully guiding the program through the major accreditation process in 2015-2016 and then submitting the comprehensive accreditation report in Spring of 2020.

Lecturer Faculty

• Cesar Arada, OTD, MHS, OTR/L, PAM, SWC

  • Fieldwork Coordinator and lecturer, Cesar Arada earned his post professional clinical doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OT) from University of Alabama Birmingham with a graduate certification in Low Vision, his MHS degree in Health Care Services from Washington University in St Louis, Missouri and his Bachelor of Science in OT from the University of the Philippines. Licensed in CA with certifications in Physical Agent Modalities & Swallowing, he has over 30 years of clinical experience working with the geriatric population, holding senior management positions. His passion includes OT program development for older adults  (fall prevention, wellness, feeding and swallowing, positioning, contracture management and splinting, and dementia). His expertise includes Medicare and SNF State regulations, compliance, quality assurance and clinical education. He continues to clinically practice at geriatric, neuropsychology and low vision settings, and currently serves as a Rehab Consultant for therapy providers.

• Peter Bailey, MS, OTR/L

  • Lecturer Peter Bailey, MS, OTR/L, earned a B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of Oregon, and a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University. He has been a frequent guest lecturer at SJSU. His clinical experience has been in rehabilitation and in psychiatric settings. He has been instrumental in expanding the role of Occupational Therapy in the inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings at Sutter Health. He provides gender education and has assisted with program design to provide comprehensive care to transgender and non-binary patients. 

• Courtney Boitano, OTD, OTR/L, BCBA-D

  • Lecturer Courtney Boitano earned a BA in Psychology at Santa Clara University, and has completed her MS in Occupational Therapy and OTD at the University of Southern California. In addition, she has earned a doctoral degree as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst from the University of Western Florida.

    Courtney has over 15 years experience working in a variety of pediatric settings and school based practice. Her clinical practice focuses on children with developmental disorders and parent support. Courtney’s research interests include Lifestyle Redesign for the family of a child with a disability and educating parents on infusing occupational therapy concepts into the daily life of typically developing children. She has also begun conducting research on the stress and self-efficacy of unhoused families in San Jose. As an OTD candidate at USC, Courtney was awarded the University Neighborhood Outreach grant for her OTD Lifestyle Redesign obesity prevention program. Courtney has presented at the OTAC conference on Bringing Life to OT for Parents and Caregivers of Toddlers and co-presented at AOTA 2008 on priority practice areas for the 2017 Centennial Vision. She also contributed to authors Barbara Hanft and Jayne Shepherd’s text, Collaborating for Student Success: A Guide for School Based Occupational Therapy as a student enrolled in USC OS/OT’s School-Based Grant program. Courtney has served on the board of the Blind Children’s Learning Center in southern California and the Los Gatos- Saratoga Observation Nursery School. In her spare time, Courtney loves spending time with her two active children and enjoying all that California has to offer with the mountains, redwoods, and beach.

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    Invited Talks and Presentations
    Schultz-Krohn, W. & Boitano, C. (2022).
    “Fostering Imaginative Play to Support Development.” Short Course, Occupational Therapy Association of California and California Association for the Education of Young Children, Santa Clara, CA.

    Schultz-Krohn, W., Boitano, C., Javaherian, H. and Torres, E., (2022). Occupational Justice for Underserved Populations: Panel Discussion, OTAC Annual Meeting- Keynote Address, Occupational Therapy Association of California, Santa Clara, CA.

    Schultz-Krohn, W., Boitano, C., Kaplan, M., Nuckolls, M. and Weseloh, H., (2022). Collaborative Programs for Unhoused Families: Occupational Therapy's Role." Occupational Therapy Association of California, Santa Clara, CA.

    Boitano, C. (2022) "Bringing OT to Life for Parents and Caregivers of Toddlers." Occupational Therapy Association of California, virtual.

• Choi Chio, OTD, MSOT, OTR/L, PAM

  • Lecturer Choi Chio earned a Bachelor and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at San Jose State University and a post professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy with aging elective at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. Dr. Chio has over 10 years of experience working as an occupational therapist and fieldwork educator primarily in different geriatric settings including Subacute Skilled Nursing Facilities, Assisted Living Facilities, Independence Living Facilities, adult day care center, outpatient service, and home health care. She served as a Roster of Accreditation Evaluator from ACOTE for three years. She is enthusiastic about aging in place and developing different intervention programs for optimal treatment outcomes. Dr. Chio is passionate about teaching occupational therapy students with practical and functional techniques in assisting clients with physical, neurological, and/or cognitive disabilities and comorbidities. Her research and clinical interests include the interventions and outcome measures for post-acute rehabilitation in older adults, clinical reasoning and modification for patient safety, effectiveness of occupational therapy involvement in caregiver training at different settings, and preventative care in occupational therapy.

• Alison George, MS, OTR/L

  • Alison George has been a lecturer at San Jose State University (SJSU) for over 25 years. She has clinical expertise in providing occupational therapy services to adults with physical disabilities as well as early intervention services to children with special needs. She has taught a variety of courses while at SJSU but the focus of her teaching has been in functional kinesiology, occupational therapy practice and the occupational therapy clinics (physical disabilities and well-elderly). In addition, Lecturer George is a contributing author to three chapters in the internationally recognized textbook, Pedretti's Occupational Therapy: Practice Skills for Physical Dysfunction (8th ed). She currently serves as the Co-Chair for the Student Leadership Committee for the Occupational Therapy Association of California.

• Yvonne Golembeski, OTD, MA, OTR/L, C/NDT, ECHM

  • Lecturer Yvonne Hoang Golembeski earned a B.A. in Psychology at University of California - Los Angeles, M.A in Occupational Therapy and post professional OTD at University of Southern California. Her clinical experience includes inpatient-ICU, surgical, telemetry; acute rehab; and outpatient settings for adult populations. She currently works as an occupational therapist at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto. As an adjunct professor at West Coast University in Los Angeles, Yvonne taught occupational therapy evaluations and assessments, as well as basic patient care skills. Her passions (related to OT) are gamification in education, universal design and environmental accessibility, sustainability, and aging in place.

• Christine Haworth, MA, OTR/L

  • Christine Haworth earned her BS and MA in occupational therapy from the University of Southern California. She has 10+ years of clinical experience, primarily in community-based mental health with disenfranchised adolescents, but has also worked in pediatrics and geriatric home health. As an occupational therapist, Ms. Haworth also served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay, where she worked to facilitate social skills development within juvenile detention facilities, developed programs to enhance community awareness of disabilities, and established programs for female empowerment. She is also the co-author of a dynamic assessment of occupational performance skills called the Double OT, which has been acquired by a publisher. She and her colleagues are in the process of conducting research on the assessment tool and have presented on it both nationally and internationally. Ms. Haworth maintains an ongoing clinical practice at OTTP-SF. 

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    Publications

    Haworth, C., Cyrs, G., & Shea, C. (2023).
    Initial Validity and User Experience of a Dynamic Assessment of Occupational Performance for Transitional Age Youth. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 11(2).

    Shea, C., Jackson, N., & Haworth, C. (2019).
    Serving High-Risk Youth in Context: Perspectives from Hong Kong. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 7(3), 1-16.

    Haworth, C. (2019).
    Occupational Therapy in a Community-Based Justice Setting. In C. Brown, V. Stoffel, & J. Munoz (Eds.). Mental Health Occupational Therapy: A Vision for Participation (2nd ed.). (pp. 626). Philadelphia, PN: F.A. Davis Company.

    Haworth, C. & Cyrs, G. (2017).
    Supporting transitions to the workforce for at-risk youth: Developing and using an occupation-based work skills assessment. OT Practice, 22(15), 21-24.

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    Invited Talks and Presentations

    Kaye, M. & Haworth, C. (2022).
    “Clients in Crisis– Showing Up and Nurturing Resilience.” Short Course, Occupational Therapy Association of California, Santa Clara, CA.  

    Kaye, M. & Haworth, C. (2021).
    “Active Engagement Strategies for Virtual Practice & Education.” Short Course, Occupational Therapy Association of California, virtual.  

    Haworth, C. & Cyrs, G. (2018).
    “Development, implementation, and research of an occupation-based assessment of work skills for at-risk youth.” Poster Presentation, World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress, Cape Town, South Africa.

    Haworth, C. & Cyrs, G. (2016).
    “Development of an Occupation Based Job Readiness Assessment Targeting Youth Involved in the Justice System.” Short Course, American Occupational Therapy Association Conference, Chicago, IL.  

    Haworth, C. & Cyrs, G. (2015).
    “Occupational Therapy Assessment Activities for At-Risk Youth.” Invited Presentation, San Jose State University Occupational Therapy Department. San Jose, CA.

    Devine, C., Gordon, K., Cyrs, G., Haworth, C., Nañez, C., Jackson, N… Chawla, R. (2014).
    “Productive Occupations for the Well-Being of At-Risk Youth in San Francisco.” Invited Presentation, Psychiatric Occupational Therapy Action Coalition. San Francisco, CA.  

• Hiral Khatri, OTD, OTR/L

  • Lecturer Hiral Khatri is the CEO and Founder of OT Park - a center for occupational, sensory, and behavioral therapy services in the form of virtual, in-person therapy, and chief provider of get-at-your-home activity-box. Dr. Khatri has a vast experience working as an Occupational Therapist in both India and the USA bringing her global knowledge to bring innovation and enrichment in her therapy and teaching. Dr. Khatri earned her doctoral degree in occupational therapy from the University of St. Augustine, FL and her bachelors of science degree in occupational therapy from Gujarat University, India. She is  an experienced occupational therapist with the history of studying and working in Asia's largest hospital, Civil Hospital of Ahmedabad  (India) as Chief OT in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, with specific focus on neurorehabilitation, spinal cord injury treatment settings, pediatrics, gynecology, burns and plastic surgery, and ergonomics. She enjoyed providing her occupational therapy knowledge to the medical professionals such as Anesthesiologists, Dentists, Gynecologist and Physical therapists to run Pain Clinics successfully in the same hospital. She presents vast experience of treating clients in homecare and community settings. She has worked for a long time as a pediatric occupational therapist here in the Bay area. 

    Dr. Khatri has been awarded as one of the "Top 100 Healthcare Visionaries" for the year 2021 for her constant and tireless efforts in finding innovative care provisions for the community. 

    Apart from the being the maestro of an online and in-person therapist, Dr. Khatri is a passionate leader in the profession and chairs different leadership positions at the state and national levels. She Chairs the Membership committee of the Asian Pacific Heritage OT Association (APHOTA); she is the Director Elect for Region 3 of the Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC); and she is an ambassador for California for American Occupational Therapy Political Actions Committee (AOTPAC). 

    Dr. Khatri likes teaching and has always been an active educator in sharing knowledge to students and clinic owners in her home country through webinars and summits. She has been a mentor to immigrant students who aim to study in the states. She is an experienced speaker at various national and international conferences and workshops. 

    She is an evidence-based researcher and a serial reader. She loves to travel and drink coffee and she likes to write blogs in her free time. Dr. Khatri is a passionate Californian who loves beaches and mountains as her favorite hang-out places. She is a people person who loves to visit events, share and gain knowledge and meet like-minded people and family.

• Rochelle McLaughlin, MS, OTR/L

  • Rochelle McLaughlin is the founder, coordinator, and lead instructor for the Advanced Certificate in SJSU’s Advanced Certificate in Applied Mindfulness a program open to all healthcare and human service practitioners worldwide.

    Rochelle earned an MS in Occupational Therapy from SJSU in 2000, and received her certification to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) from the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Mindfulness. Rochelle has completed advanced studies in Humanistic Psychology, Social Justice, and is a certified yoga instructor. She has taught MBSR, MBOT, and neuro-social-psychophysiological perspectives and practices to several hundred participants for the Department of Occupational Therapy and internationally and she regularly leads classes and retreats on integrating mindfulness and social justice into academia, healthcare and corporate environments.

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

    Rochelle’s teachings are rooted in her own embodied experiences of the transformative power of mindful awareness practices and she is inspired by the collective and collaborative journey weaving mindfulness into our unique human experience and expression of these profound and personal practices in our lives.

• Sarah McPeak MA, OTR/L, C/NDTA, C/PAM

  • Lecturer Sarah McPeak earned a BA in Sport Science from the University of San Francisco and an MA in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California.  She has 15 years of clinical experience working as an occupational therapist.  Her passion is adult neuro-rehabilitation.  Sarah has worked in a variety of settings including acute rehabilitation, acute care, outpatient, and home health including community re-integration.  Sarah is a clinical specialist at a company that focuses on stroke rehabilitation products, and she provides instruction regarding clinical integration.  She also works as a clinical coordinator, managing and coordinating individual client services.  Her certifications include Neuro-developmental Treatment Certification for Adults with Hemiplegia and Physical Agent Modalities Certification.  She is also a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist.  In 2013 she completed her Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Educator Certification.  Sarah has taken great joy in providing education to and collaborating with occupational therapy students both in the classroom and out in the field.

• Lesley Paige, MS, OTR/L, SWC

  • Lecturer Lesley Paige earned a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Boston University. Her clinical experience has been primarily in pediatric settings (school and outpatient rehabilitation), with a focus on feeding therapy and neurologically involved populations. She is certified in swallowing assessment, evaluation and intervention (SWC) by the California Board of Occupational Therapy. Lesley has had the honor of presenting posters at Occupational Therapy Association of California and American Occupational Therapy Association conferences. She is passionate about client-centered care and supporting the developmental and sensory needs of children impacted by trauma.

• Karen Pickett, MS, OTR/L, SWC

  • Lecturer Karen Pickett received her BSOT and MSOT at San Jose State University. Her career of over 30 years has included psychiatry in locked, community and acute settings. In addition Karen has practiced OT in physical disabilities acute care, SNF and Acute Rehabilitation. She has also been a supervisor of OT, PT and SLP services in acute care hospital setting. Karen’s Master’s Thesis was in the area of occupational performance and chronic pain. She is passionate about occupational therapists embracing all of their skills related to physical, cognitive and psychosocial components of occupational performance. Karen has co-presented at OTAC on pre-vocational skills for individuals with serious mental illness and co-presented a poster at AOTA on cognitive assessment in acute care. In her role at Stanford, she continues to function as a resource for others in the area of cognitive assessment as well as educating medical residents about occupational therapy.

• Jennifer Rivera, OTD, OTR/L, SWC, CLC, NTMT-C

  • Lecturer Dr. Jennifer Rivera’s clinical expertise is focused in pediatric critical care where she provides occupational therapy services to medically fragile patients in the cardiac intensive care, neonatal intensive care, and pediatric intensive care units. She is skilled in early mobilization with children who have endotracheal tubes, tracheostomies, ventricular assistive devices (VAD) or are supported on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). She performs videofluoroscopic swallow studies on all ages including neonates, children and adults. Dr. Rivera also has worked with children and adults in the inpatient rehab, skilled nursing, inpatient psychiatric, eating disorders program and specialty clinic environments. 

    Dr. Rivera completed her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with a minor in Psychology at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. She then pursued her master’s degree followed by her post-professional clinical doctorate of occupational therapy degree at the University of Southern California. Dr. Rivera has received advanced practice approval by the California Board of Occupational Therapy in Swallowing Assessment, Evaluation or Intervention (SWC). She also is recognized as a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), and Neonatal Touch and Massage Therapist Certified (NTMTC). 

    Dr. Rivera enjoys creating educational content as well as teaching and mentoring. She is passionate about helping students gain the requisite clinical and professional skills needed to excel in their desired practice setting. 

• Graham Teaford, OTD, OTR/L

  • Lecturer Dr. Graham Teaford is an occupational therapist employed at On Lok PACE, a program serving community based older adults who are eligible for skilled nursing placement. 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. He 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, and community based occupational therapy programs.

• Michelle Tipton-Burton, MS, OTR/L

  • Lecturer Tipton-Burton earned both her BS and MS in Occupational Therapy at San Jose State University. She has over 32 years of clinical experience in various physical disability settings. Her clinical specialty lies with neurological disorders and traumatic brain injury. This area of expertise has her lecturing nationally on various topics related to brain injury. Her research interests include seating and positioning with neurologically involved individuals as well as cognitive orthotic devices to assist those with memory and planning deficits. She has written chapters in several occupational therapy textbooks including most recently the 8th edition of Pedretti's OT for physical dysfunction.  Lecturer Tipton-Burton will be teaching the physical disabilities clinic course.

• Kathryn Wise, OTD, MHSc, OTR/L

  • Lecturer Dr. Kathryn Wise earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Waterloo, her BHSc (OT) from McMaster University, MHSc (Health Administration) from the University of Toronto and her Doctor in Occupational Therapy (OTD) from Boston University. Dr. Wise has been an Occupational Therapist for over 20 years with most of her clinical work in the area of pediatrics and supporting children between 0-6 years of age.   

    Dr. Wise is passionate about creating new and effective learning experiences for health professionals and is passionate about interprofessional education. She is also a passionate healthcare leader where she has taken on a variety of management and leadership positions supporting interprofessional teams across the healthcare continuum including home care and hospitals. Her areas of research interest include leadership, healthcare management, health professional education, work-life integration, curriculum design, online learning, technology and innovation, and international health care systems. Dr. Wise has served on the board at San Jose Parents Participating Nursery School and is currently a board member of the Bay Area’s Women’s Healthcare Executive Network.