The Pitch of a Lifetime

Alexis Woodhouse, Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program

This year, I had the opportunity to be the only student on behalf of Gannon to present in the Inventors Showcase at the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Conference and Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah in April. The invention that I presented was originally a piece of adaptive equipment I created for a class assignment. To be honest, this was probably the scariest academic experience I have ever had.

I would not characterize myself as someone who scares easily. I moved across the country to join Gannon’s new Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program in Florida from the west coast before it had even been accredited. I also would not consider myself as someone that is easily intimidated. I consider myself a strong and eternally independent woman. However, on Friday April 20th, I was both intimidated and scared.

My seven-minute time slot to pitch my creation felt as quick as thirty seconds. I stood with inventors that have contracts with Under Armour and apps with over two million downloads, and I was faced with judges like Caroline Van Howe, the Chief Operating Officer of the Assistive Technology Industry Association.

My time at Gannon prepared me more than I can ever put into words for this experience. I was not only prepared, but I had so much support from my family, friends and my entire campus. My professor, Dianna Lunsford OTD, M.Ed., whose class in which I identified my idea and brought it to life, was with me through this entire journey.

"Making it to that moment, sharing with my profession and standing among exceptionally successful peers, I felt like I made it."

The knowledge that I have learned surprised me and also soothed me as I presented. I have always been a competitive person, but for me I didn’t feel like I lost. Making it to that moment, sharing with my profession and standing among exceptionally successful peers, I felt like I made it. This is what it’s all about and why I’ve worked so hard to contribute, and will continue to contribute, to my profession.

This opportunity taught me more about my creativity and potential avenues for my career than any other experience thus far. I had the opportunity to meet wonderful innovative minds and professionals that are paving the way for occupational therapists everywhere.

Occupational therapy is such a beautiful profession in so many ways. It is diverse, creative, unique, satisfying, humbling and inspiring. It is such an honor to be part of this world and to try to make an impact on a field that has change my life forever.

AOTA Annual Conference Highlights

Gannon University had four faculty members from the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program at the Ruskin, Fla. campus and six doctoral students in attendance at the 101^st annual AOTA Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Assistant Professor Kristin Valdes, OTD, current president for the American Society of Hand Therapy (ASHT), met with AOTA President Amy Lamb to collaborate between the societies. She also met with National Board Certification of Occupational Therapy leaders for additional collaboration between ASHT (along with the Hand Therapy Certification Commission).

Assistant Professor Stephanie Adams, DHSc, OTR/L, presented her research titled “Development of Executive Function through Play in Preschoolers: A Pilot Study.” She educated and collaborated with practitioners on the topic of play and executive functions as the two dynamics interconnect.

Assistant Professor Barbra Katerberg, OTD, in collaboration with student Sue Ram, presented a poster titled “How Developmental Playgroups Improve Parent Efficacy with Special Needs Children: A Literature Review.” Clinicians stopped by the presentation to learn about the evidence behind playgroups and how to implement this intervention in practice.

Desi Herter, Associate Director of Graduate Enrollment at the Ruskin Campus, interacted with OT’s from various settings, including practicing professionals and undergraduate students, with whom she discussed Gannon’s Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate and the entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate degrees.

Student Lexi Woodhouse was one of five students chosen from across the country to present in a “Shark Tank” fashion pitch. She presented her adaptive cutting board, demonstrating the value and impact her equipment could have on various populations with disabilities.

Students Kelly Daniels and Kara Mihalic, in collaboration with Valdes, presented their research, titled “A Comparison of Two Workstation Designs Assessed using the ROSA and Cornell Outcome Measures: A Quantitative Approach.” As the only second-year OT students to be accepted to present at AOTA, their research evaluated workstation designs, resulting in relevant evidence that a sit-to-stand workstation is better for an individual’s health and quality of life.

Student Emmeline Talbot and mother Nancy, a professor at the University of Minnesota, presented a comparison of the differences between all the entry-level OTD programs throughout the country as the field of OT is shifting toward the doctorate as the entry-level degree.

Faculty and students attended workshops, seminars and clinical sessions at the conference. Exposure to this type of conference assists with professional development with the newest research and techniques to bring into the classroom, as well as networking with professionals for fieldwork placements, guest speaking and doctoral specialty internships for students.

The Pitch of a Lifetime

AOTA Annual Conference Highlights

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