Latest Chan Division News

Virtual reality research team earns USC Collaboration Fund grant ⟩
June 20, 2019

Awards Community and Partners Faculty Research Technology

The interdisciplinary endeavor aims to establish USC as a world leader in the use of virtual technologies for healthcare.

By John Hobbs Photo by Nate Jensen Move over, gamers. There are some new players in the world of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR). Increasingly, healthcare providers are looking to the immersive nature of VR as a way to treat a myriad of conditions. In fact, the market for virtual reality-based…

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Alumna earns highest award from Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists ⟩
June 4, 2019

Alumni Associations and Bodies Awards Lectures and Talks

Susan Forwell MA ’89, PhD ’05 was awarded the 2018 Muriel Driver Memorial Lectureship Award by the Conference of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. The award honors a CAOT member who has made outstanding contributions to the profession through scholarship, education and…

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Shawn Phipps delivers TEDx talk on occupational therapy and neuroplasticity ⟩
May 31, 2019

Chan in the Media Clinical Faculty Lectures and Talks

Watch the TEDx talk from Shawn Phipps ’97, Board of Councilors member and adjunct faculty, from March's TEDxAlmansorPark event organized by alumnus Bill Wong MA ’11, OTD ’13.

Shawn Phipps at TEDxAlmansorPark Shawn Phipps, PhD, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA tells the inspirational story of the challenges and triumphs of a patient who suffered a severe traumatic brain injury from a motor vehicle accident. The power of Occupational Therapy and Neuroplasticity is described using the…

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The mental health Rubik’s Cube: Finding the right balance ⟩
May 22, 2019

Health and Wellness Students

May is designated as Mental Health Awareness Month, and as USC Chan occupational therapy student Katherine Crutsinger looks forward to her clinical career ahead, she reflects on her father’s and her own lived experiences with mental health.

By Katherine Crutsinger MA ’19 As a child and adult, I was really disappointed by my dad’s limitations, but I was not able to connect them with his mental health. Instead, I was angry at a father who did not provide the love and support that I had seen in other friends’ fathers. For much of my…

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Katie Jordan joins national expert panel on opioid use disorder ⟩
May 17, 2019

Associations and Bodies Clinical Faculty Lifestyle Redesign

Jordan is the only occupational therapist on 25-member panel reporting on opioid-related healthcare quality measures to inform federal programs.

By Mike McNulty Opioid-related overdose deaths have increased during the past decade in epidemic proportions — nearly 50,000 Americans died in 2017 due to both prescription and illicit opioid use. It’s an alarming problem with complex causes, and organizations and providers alike are scrambling…

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Obtiene la maestría en USC con el apoyo de la Iniciativa Vecinal para niños del sur Los Ángeles / Earning her USC master’s degree with support from the Neighborhood Initiative for South L.A. children ⟩
May 8, 2019

Chan in the Media Community and Partners Diversity, Access, Equity Students

Viviana Padilla inició sus esfuerzos escolares de la mano de su padre hace 17 años; el ya no vivió para verla terminar sus estudios / Viviana Padilla began her scholastic efforts with the guidance of her father 17 years ago; He did not live to see her finish her studies

Viviana Padilla, member of USC Chan's graduating class of 2019 (Photo by Aurelia Ventura/La Opinion) By Araceli Martínez Ortega / La Opinión Viviana Padilla le tiene un gran regalo a sus padres, su graduación de su maestría en terapia ocupacional por la Universidad del Sur de California (USC).…

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China Initiative Visits Shanghai | April 2019 ⟩
April 30, 2019

China Initiative Conferences Faculty International Lectures and Talks Students

Purpose In April 2019, members of the USC Chan China Initiative team traveled to Shanghai to attend the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine (CARM) 2nd Annual Occupational Therapy Subcommittee Meeting. Prior to conference activities, the team had the opportunity to visit Shanghai…

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How one PhD student is emphasizing the World in World Autism Month ⟩
April 26, 2019

Autism Faculty Research Students

By Bryan Kang MA ’18, OTD ’19 April is World Autism Month, a time to recommit to raising awareness of, and support understanding for, individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy continues to be a leader in autism research, and…

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New course bridges continents to discuss global perspectives on occupation and justice ⟩
April 25, 2019

Academics and Courses Community and Partners Faculty International Students

This spring semester, USC Chan master’s students had a new elective opportunity in their course options, one that connected them with new classmates halfway around the world.

OT 599 Special Topics, titled “Bridging Global Perspectives on Occupation and Justice,” was taught for the first time by USC Chan’s Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy Rebecca Aldrich. Aldrich designed the new course specifically to be taught simultaneously with a partner…

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Five years in the making: My experiences in the Occupational Science PhD program and my advice for new and prospective students ⟩
April 16, 2019

Academics and Courses Students

By Mark Hardison PhD ’19 Mark Hardison PhD ’19 Deciding to get a PhD is a big decision; at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, it is a life-changing opportunity. It has completely transformed my understanding of science and clinical practice. More importantly,…

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