Latest Chan Division News

Keeping pain at bay ⟩
December 31, 2017

Chan in the Media Faculty Health and Wellness

Assistant Research Professor Stacey Schepens Niemiec offers tips for better pain management in the New Year

By Lita Smith-Mines/Boating Times Long Island Photo courtesy of Boating Times Long Island The advice “pace yourself” is often expressed when someone appears in danger of burning out by doing too much, too fast. It’s also excellent counsel to persons trying to cope with painful or fatiguing…

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Florence Clark to retire from USC in 2018 ⟩
December 22, 2017

Faculty

Florence Clark, Mrs. T.H. Chan Professor of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Florence Clark, the holder of the Mrs. T.H. Chan Professorship of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and the division's former administrative leader of nearly 28 years, will retire in early 2018.…

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Zemke to receive 2018 Award of Merit ⟩
December 21, 2017

Associations and Bodies Awards Faculty

Professor Emeritus Ruth Zemke has been selected as the 2018 recipient of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Award of Merit. The rarefied honor, to be formally awarded at the 2018 AOTA Conference in Salt Lake City, recognizes those select few who have made notable contributions to the…

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“Why PhD?” Applying to the USC Chan PhD program ⟩
November 27, 2017

Academics and Courses Students

With Friday's approaching deadline to apply to the USC Chan PhD in Occupational Science degree program, first-year occupational science PhD student Raymond Hernandez shares his rationale for pursuing a PhD degree at USC

By Raymond Hernandez PhD ’22 USC occupational science student Raymond Hernandez PhD ’22 We all use our own strategies when trying to make the big decisions in life. Some common examples include: “going with your gut,” making a pros/cons list, careful self-reflection, even flipping a coin.…

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The veteran occupational therapist ⟩
November 11, 2017

Academics and Courses Alumni Events

In commemoration of Veterans Day 2017, USC Chan alumna and U.S. Army veteran Jen Hermanson reflects on what it means to be a veteran occupational therapist

By Jen Hermanson MA ’15, OTD ’16 Photo courtesy of Army Medicine When I agreed to write this article I thought it would be pretty easy. Hey, I’m a veteran and an OT, so I feel like I’m highly qualified to write about being a veteran and an occupational therapist. When I actually sat down to…

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3 things I’ve learned about veterans ⟩
November 9, 2017

Alumni Clinical Events

In advance of Veterans Day, USC Chan alumna Alison Cogan shares a few thoughts about working with veterans from her perspectives as an occupational scientist and occupational therapist

By Alison Cogan MA ’12, PhD ’17 2017 commemorative Veterans Day poster/Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Veterans Outreach Office Veterans Day marks a national holiday dedicated to recognizing all of the men and women who have served our country in the Armed Forces. At this time of year…

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Occupational therapy’s unique value in breast cancer care ⟩
October 31, 2017

Clinical Events Faculty Health and Wellness

Assistant Clinical Professor Michelle Lee Hsia discusses the unique value of occupational therapy services during October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month

By Michelle Lee Hsia / Photo by Ted Fu Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women, claiming the lives of more 40,500 people each year. Thanks to improvements in early detection and advances in medical diagnostics and treatments that have improved survival rates, more than…

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OTAC 2017: Interview with student presenter Ranier Barrett MA ’18 ⟩
October 19, 2017

Associations and Bodies Clinical Diversity, Access, Equity Faculty Health and Wellness Students

More than 80 Trojan faculty members, students and alumni are presenting during the 2017 conference of the Occupational Therapy Association of California, including master's degree student Ranier Barrett MA ’18; Student Ambassador Erika Lim MA ’18 spoke with Barrett about her experience preparing for her first professional conference presentation, titled "Occupational Justice in Relation to Youth in Juvenile Hall"

Ranier Barrett MA ’18/Photo courtesy of Ranier Barrett Congratulations on being a presenter at OTAC! How are you feeling about presenting? I oscillate between elation and apprehension. Hailing from an undergraduate performance background, I'm looking forward to the presentation part; I'm more…

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Making aging more mobile with new smartphone app ⟩
October 16, 2017

Awards Chan in the Media Faculty Health and Wellness Research Technology

NIH-funded MovingUp app developed by Schepens Niemiec will be first of its kind

By Mike McNulty / USC Today If the infomercials are to be believed, older adults want cellphones that are anything but smart. With oversized displays and one-touch medical alert buttons, products like the Jitterbug flip phone are simple by design. But technology usage trends among seniors are…

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Help with hoarding disorder on World Mental Health Day 2017 ⟩
October 10, 2017

Events Faculty Health and Wellness Research

By Mike McNulty Hoarding disorder has been found to affect between 2-6 percent of the population, and a growing body of research highlights the complexities involved in hoarding disorder and its impact on people's occupational, social and vocational function. To raise public awareness of mental…

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