Clinical Instructor, Occupational Therapy

What classes are you teaching this semester?  

For the fall 2022 semester, I will be teaching for the MU Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program. I am the primary instructor for the first-year student’s Fundamentals of Activity Analysis Writing Intensive course, and the second-year students’ OTA Practice in Adult Physical Rehabilitation. 

What do you love about teaching? What are you most looking forward to this semester?  

I have always said that I was meant to be an Occupational Therapy Practitioner (OTP)! I am passionate about the field and those that we serve but getting to share my unique experience and passion with future practitioners is even better! I love getting to help students grow in skill and confidence throughout their time with us.  
This semester, I am really looking forward to teaching the second-year students and the Adult Physical Rehabilitation course. Clinical challenges are my favorite and getting to prepare students for those challenges, while also taking their knowledge to the next level is going to be SO much fun! 

Tell us a little about yourself! What is your background?  

I grew up in the St. Louis area; St. Charles, Missouri, to be exact. The majority of my family still lives there, and while Columbia is home, so is St. Chuck. I have been an athlete and a dog lover all of my life, and I am the oldest sibling in my family, with one younger sister, who is one of my most favorite humans! I graduated from MU in 2012 with my Bachelors of Health Science and returned to school to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) in 2014. A lot has led to me returning to MU as faculty, and I am so glad that it has! 

When you are not teaching, what are you up to? 

I am currently pursuing my PhD in Health & Rehabilitation Science, so free time is scarce at this point! However, when I get to step away from the classroom and the books, I love spending time with family at the lake, date nights with my husband, game nights with friends, hitting the gym and playing with our three pups! I also love going to the movie theater — I will watch ANY movie if buttered popcorn is involved! 

What brought you to Mizzou? To your field?  

If you ask my family, they’ll tell you that I have been planning to go to Mizzou since I was in kindergarten. When I stepped foot on the campus as a high school senior, I knew there was no other option for me!  

I loved science throughout my academic career and was always pulled to health care and anatomy-related courses. As an athlete, I explored physical therapy, but was ultimately drawn to the creative side of OT: the perfect balance of art and science. OT is an evidence-based practice, so while I remain science focused, and I am part of the fast-paced clinical experience that challenges my mind and skills, I also get to flex my creativity through problem-solving in collaboration with those I serve.  

What is a fact about you that your students might not expect?  

After graduating with my PhD (fingers crossed!), my next big goal just might be getting my pilot’s license. My call sign would be “Doc.”