Daniel Park OTD, OTR/L(he/him/his)
Director of Global Initiatives and Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy
CHP 161A
(323) 442-3061
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Daniel Park holds his clinical Doctorate of Occupational Therapy degree and Master of Arts degree in occupational therapy, both from the University of Southern California. He has also earned a Master of Social Welfare (Health Services Specialization) degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, a Master of Education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Bachelor of Science degree in human development from Cornell University.
At the USC Chan Division, Dr. Park oversees Global Initiatives, which invests in international relationships at the faculty, practitioner and student levels. Dr. Park was previously a clinical occupational therapist at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center (Burbank, Calif.), where he developed and launched the outpatient occupational therapy program at the Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center designed specifically for the lifestyle and occupational performance needs of cancer survivors.
Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
2010 | University of Southern California
Master of Arts (MA)
in Occupational Therapy
2009 | University of Southern California
Master of Social Welfare (Health Services Specialization) (MSW)
2006 | University of California, Los Angeles
Master of Education (MEd)
2001 | Harvard University
Bachelor of Science (BS)
in Human Development
2000 | Cornell University
2022
Benitez, A. D., Park, D., & Bream, S. (2022). International students’ and alumni perspectives on their transition to graduate level occupational therapy education and daily life in the United States. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 6(2), 11. Full text Show abstract
International students who enroll in American occupational therapy academic programs must quickly adapt to the academic demands and everyday life rhythms within the United States. This qualitative study contributes to the body of knowledge of lived experiences of international occupational therapy students, specific to their transition to graduate occupational therapy education and daily life in a new country. Thirteen (13) international occupational therapy graduate students and alumni participated in an individual or joint interview. Three key themes emerged from the findings and include the following: 1) Challenges: Inside and Outside of the Classroom, 2) A Support System: A Home Away from Home, and 3) Giving Back to my Home Country: Improving Occupational Therapy Education, Practice, and Research. This study provides insights into the challenges experienced by international graduate occupational therapy students and alumni, strategies that are beneficial in supporting them as they transition into graduate level education and daily life within the United States, and their motivations for giving back to their home countries.
2014
Carlson, M., Park, D. J., Kuo, A., & Clark, F. (2014). Occupation in relation to the self. Journal of Occupational Science, 21(2), 117-129. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2012.727356 Show abstract
Knowledge of the construct of occupation remains fragmented within traditional social science disciplines. In this paper, we aim to provide a theoretical synthesis by explicating the unique properties of occupation in relation to the self within social science discourse. Occupations relate to other social science constructs in three ways: (a) they recruit a set of associated changes into a person's life; (b) they serve a person's ability to achieve important goals; and (c) they act as a mirror by reflecting multiple dimensions of the self. Key characteristics of occupation such as its experiential salience and its repetitional flavor powerfully amplify its significant role in affecting self-relevant outcomes. Occupation represents a crucial playing field that profoundly affects the unfolding of human lives. Therefore, the continued pursuit of occupational science is warranted and can uniquely contribute to an improved understanding of the self.
2013
Clark, F. A., Park, D. J., & Burke, J. P. (2013). Dissemination: Bringing translational research to completion. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67(2), 185-193. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2013.006148 Show abstract
Despite the availability of innovative health care research, a gap exists between research-generated knowledge and the utilization of that knowledge in real-world practice settings. This article examines the transition from research to implementation in the context of the dissemination of A. Jean Ayres' sensory integration procedures and of the challenges currently facing the University of Southern California Well Elderly Studies research team. Drawing from the emerging field of implementation science, this article discusses how researchers can develop an implementation plan to more easily translate evidence into practice. Such plans should address the intervention's reach (i.e., its capacity to penetrate into the intended target population), the settings for which it is applicable, the leaders who will encourage practitioner uptake, stakeholder groups, and challenges to dissemination. By taking action to ensure the more effective dissemination of research-generated knowledge, researchers can increase the likelihood that their interventions will lead to improvements in practice and more effective care for consumers.
2022
Park running in 2022 AOTA elections >
Danny Park, director of USC Chan's Global Initiatives and associate professor of clinical occupational therapy, is running for elected position as the American Occupational Therapy Association's Alternate Delegate to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. The election website is open…
February 16, 2022
2021
A USC Chantastic Friendsgiving Celebration >
by Dr. Danny Park On Thursday, November 18, the USC Chan student community came together to celebrate Friendsgiving in one of the largest in-person community gatherings hosted by the Division since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 90 students from all Chan academic programs…
November 22, 2021
Finding Global Community and Connection in 2021 >
By Daniel Park, OTD, OTR/L Director of Global Initiatives and Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy As we hope that 2021 brings healing to our lives, we know that now more than ever, coming together as a global community is all the more important. Here in the United States, the…
February 23, 2021
2020
Chan Community Commission meets the moment >
By Kayla Johari MA ’21 and Calvin Lee MA ’21 During the Summer 2020 semester — the first full academic semester spent away from campus due to the Covid-19 pandemic — the Chan Community Commission (CCC) was assembled to support the incoming Class of 2022. The commission joined USC Chan…
August 19, 2020
Creating a virtual community for international students >
By Areli Benitez MA ’19, OTD ’20 and Mariah Morris MA ’19, OTD ’20 A vibrant, virtual world has grown within USC Chan's Global Initiatives during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. From virtual hangouts on Friday afternoons, to hosting an international mentorship panel with recent USC Chan…
May 13, 2020
2019
China Initiative Visits Shanghai | April 2019 >
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…
April 30, 2019
For faculty with OT spouses, love actually is all around >
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…
February 14, 2019
2015
China Initiative Visits Beijing and Shanghai | December 2015 >
Purpose
Deepening our understanding of the perceptions surrounding occupational therapy.
Delegation
USC Chan Division faculty members Florence Clark, Adley Chan and Daniel Park, and OTD residents Chia-Hsin Liu and Victoria Wong.
Panorama of the Shanghai Bund
December 27, 2015
2014
39 USC Trojans presenting at the 2014 International Congress of the WFOT >
Congratulations to the 39 USC Trojan alumni and faculty members scheduled to present at the 2014 International Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists in Yokohama, Japan. Congrats and Fight On! Click below to view the list.
June 11, 2014
Summer English program to speed international student successes >
The USC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy's Global Initiatives office launched the Summer Occupational Therapy Immersion (SOTI) program in early February. SOTI is a four-week summer program specifically designed for international occupational therapists who are considering…
February 6, 2014
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