Latest Chan Division News

Celebrating unsung heroes during National Family Caregivers Month ⟩
November 25, 2020

Clinical Faculty Health and Wellness

November is National Family Caregivers Month, a nationwide observance that recognizes those who dedicate their time and effort towards caring for family members in need. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of family caregivers and praise their strength and support. Within occupational therapy, including the family in treatment provides a wealth of benefits, and families can also act as a catalyst for further healing and engagement.

Six members of the USC Chan Division — faculty members Allison Chu, Celso Delgado, Janet Gunter, Stacey Schepens Niemiec, and students Delaney Smith MA ’21 and Adam Strizich MA ’21 — discuss the importance of including families in occupational therapy.

By Calvin Lee MA ’21 Allison Chu OTD, OTR/L Chu: It’s often been said that when you get married, you’re not just marrying that person but you’re marrying their family as well. Similarly with OT, when you’re working with a client, you’re not just working with the client but you’re also…

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How to cope with a complicated winter amid COVID-19 ⟩
November 17, 2020

Chan in the Media Faculty Health and Wellness Pandemic

Days are getting shorter, the pandemic continues and the holidays may be more isolating than ever. USC experts offer advice on how to make the best of it.

By Gary Polakovic and David Medzerian / USC Today Months of being in isolation can take a toll on your psyche, especially during the holiday season. (Illustration/iStock) "Winter is coming, and it will be challenging," said Ashley Uyeshiro Simon, an associate professor of clinical occupational…

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Baranek receives alumni award from University of Illinois at Chicago ⟩
November 12, 2020

Awards Faculty

Associate Dean and Chair Grace Baranek, the 2020 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Applied Health Sciences. Associate Dean and Chair Grace Baranek was named the 2020 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award…

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Four alums earn 2021 induction to AOTA Roster of Fellows ⟩
November 2, 2020

Alumni Associations and Bodies Awards Faculty

Four USC alumnae, including current faculty member Arameh Anvarizadeh, to join AOTA Roster of Fellows in 2021.

Four USC alumnae, including one current faculty member, have been named 2021 inductees to the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Roster of Fellows. The Roster of Fellows recognizes occupational therapists who have, through their knowledge, expertise, leadership, advocacy and guidance,…

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BFA students add minors alongside dance training ⟩
September 29, 2020

Academics and Courses Chan in the Media Students

The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance is a dance conservatory in a university setting. Students in the [Bachelor of Fine Arts] program take a myriad of dance classes along with school-wide general education requirements. This allows BFA students to explore subjects outside of dance, as well as add minors to complement their dance training.

By Brigid Murphy / USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance Bella Allen and India Dobbie (BFA ’22) perform "Ancient Chaos" by Bella Allen. (Photo by Mary Mallaney) Bella Allen (BFA ’22) took advantage of the abundant academic offerings at USC and chose to pursue a minor in Occupational Science within…

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Healthier aging through sharing life stories ⟩
September 28, 2020

Academics and Courses Faculty Pandemic Students

September is Healthy Aging Month, a national observance to draw attention to the lifestyle choices and behaviors that can promote healthy aging for older Americans. In her course, “OT 538: Adulthood and Aging,” Associate Professor of Research Stacey Schepens Niemiec assigns students a project using the power of personal stories to highlight occupations that contribute to meaningful older life experiences. To learn more, Student Ambassador Lamoni Lucas MA ’21 asked Schepens Niemiec to explain the inspiration and purpose of the “Life Story” project, and four OT 538 students to reflect on the project and its mementos.

Schepens Niemiec: Life storytelling — sharing one’s personal life experiences and stories with others — is a meaningful, culturally rich, shared occupation that can be powerfully health-promoting. Life storytelling can help people make sense of their lives, become more aware of the scripts…

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Inaugural China Initiative Academic Workshop: Critical Reading in Graduate School ⟩
September 25, 2020

Academics and Courses China Initiative Community and Partners International

The China Initiative OTD residents hosted a series of virtual workshops with the first one centered on critical reading in graduate school for the first-year PKUHSC students.

With the beginning of a new academic year, the China Initiative OTD residents began a new project to provide academic support to the master’s students enrolled in the occupational therapy-focused master’s program at Peking University Health Science Center (PKUHSC). The inaugural workshop focuses…

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40 Trojans to take part in 2020 OTAC Conference ⟩
September 21, 2020

Alumni Associations and Bodies Conferences Faculty Students

40 Trojans, including faculty members, students and alumni, will be speaking and presenting during the 2020 conference of the Occupational Therapy Association of California. The annual event will be going online from Oct. 8-11. Click to see the full list of this year's USC-affiliated speakers.

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Four faculty members to feature in AOTA Education Summit ⟩
September 16, 2020

Alumni Associations and Bodies Conferences Faculty

Four USC Chan faculty members and two alumni will be speaking during the American Occupational Therapy Association’s 2020 Education Summit. The annual event brings together hundreds of faculty members from academic institutions across the country to learn about new trends, innovative classroom…

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PKUHSC Program Returns to In-Person Teaching ⟩
September 14, 2020

China Initiative Community and Partners International Pandemic

More than six months after transitioning to virtual instruction, Peking University Health Science Center (PKUHSC) dual-degree students returned to in-person classes and restored normal campus life in Beijing.

After 7 months of online teaching that began after the Lunar New Year national holidays in February 2020, PKUHSC instructors and students finally returned to in-person classes, as the COVID-19 pandemic subsided in China. Cohort 1 continued their typical second-year coursework, including an in-person…

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