Latest Chan Division News
Health and Wellness

For student Timothy Wang, it’s OK to fall asleep in class ⟩
March 13, 2020

Health and Wellness Students

In support of Day4Naps, a global narcolepsy awareness day on March 14, Wang shared with student ambassador Kaho Ishizuki more about his condition and how it has shaped his life and aspirations.

Timothy Wang is a bachelor’s-to-master’s student in the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. After spending his childhood in Houston, he moved to Los Angeles two years ago to attend college. He enjoys spending time with his friends and family, reading, photography,…

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The Art of Occupational Therapy ⟩
January 30, 2020

Academics and Courses Faculty Health and Wellness Students

For Amber Bennett, arts and crafts have always been meaningful. From constructing doll houses to making stained glass pieces and weaving baskets, Bennett has engaged in creative projects for as long as she can remember

By Noelle Schorn “Engaging in something meaningful to you can contribute to your health.” For Amber Bennett, arts and crafts have always been meaningful. From constructing doll houses to making stained glass pieces and weaving baskets, Bennett has engaged in creative projects for as long as she…

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Video: Intelligent desk that promotes office worker health, wellness and productivity ⟩
November 21, 2019

Faculty Health and Wellness Research Technology

When you think of an intelligent machine, what comes to mind? Associate Professor Shawn Roll, co-principal investigator of the "Coadaptation of Intelligent Office Desks and Human Users to Promote Worker Productivity, Health and Wellness" study, helps explain the future of intelligent workspaces in…

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The garden of life at CHP ⟩
November 6, 2019

Health and Wellness Students

By revitalizing a forgotten garden, one USC student learned to grow so much more

By Kaho Ishizuki MA ’20 USC Landscape Shop staff member Jose Lopez and Maria Cristina Jiménez MA ’20 Walk out on the Center for the Health Professions (CHP) building patio shared by USC's occupational therapy, physical therapy and pharmacy programs, and you will see eight thriving garden beds.…

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Reducing Their Carbon Footprint through Cycling ⟩
October 2, 2019

Faculty Health and Wellness

In honor of National Walk and Bike to School Day, Student Ambassador Kaho interviews two USC Chan faculty, Drs. Camille Dieterle and Cheryl Vigen, who regularly bike to the university.

What made you want to start biking to work? Dieterle: I started biking around the University of Georgia (UGA) campus where I was an undergraduate because the campus was so big I couldn't get to class on time any other way. I immediately loved it and have bike commuted ever since. Through the years…

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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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From Recovery to Aspiring Therapist ⟩
February 25, 2019

Health and Wellness Students

Rachel Eckerling MA ’20, BS ’19 battled anorexia for 13 years and met with more than 70 therapists on her route to recovery. For National Eating Disorders Awareness Week from Feb. 25 to Mar. 3, the now-recovered 22-year-old bachelor’s–to-master’s student shares her definition of anorexia and discusses how her own experiences will inform her future occupational therapy practices.

By Joyce Yoo Challenging occupation “My eating disorder is like a little voice in the back of my head that tells me that I need to be thinner or that I need to engage in certain behaviors in order to be safe and accepted. Eating was definitely a challenging occupation for me,” Eckerling says.…

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New course on thriving at USC and beyond earns rave reviews ⟩
February 14, 2019

Academics and Courses Faculty Health and Wellness Students

In a low-stress class geared toward incoming freshmen, students develop skills to lead balanced and fulfilling lives.

By Eric Lindberg / USC Today Debbie Lee didn’t realize how much she was ignoring her health and wellness. The USC junior has a packed schedule — serving as president of the undergraduate student body and volunteering with a Christian ministry on campus while pursuing her political science major.…

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For faculty with OT spouses, love actually is all around ⟩
February 14, 2019

Faculty Health and Wellness

Have you ever wondered what it would be like, both personally and professionally, to date or marry a fellow occupational therapist? Would it affect how you manage your household? Or how you raise children?

Collaboration with Katie Jordan, Kim Lenington and Danny Park Edited by Joyce Yoo Three USC Chan faculty members have partners who are also fellow occupational therapists. On this Valentine’s Day, read what the Jordans, the Leningtons and the Parks have to say about life and love in an exclusively…

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How to THRIVE in 2019 ⟩
January 7, 2019

Academics and Courses Health and Wellness

Are you sick of making resolutions that you never stick to? Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy, Ashley Uyeshiro Simon, OTD, OTR/L, MSCS, shares with us a few strategies to jumpstart your new year to not only survive, but to THRIVE.

© MarekPhotoDesign.com / Adobe Stock Ashley Uyeshiro Simon, OTD, OTR/L, MSCS Self-Reflection The first step to THRIVE in this New Year is to engage in some self-reflection. Ask yourself, “What are the top three values and beliefs that I hold most dear, that define who I am as a person?” Once…

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