Methodist University Occupational Therapy

10/13/2026

Mealtime, made safer (and more fun)! 🍎

Our BS-OTA seniors, Class of 2027, spent the afternoon learning how to support kids who struggle to eat, and Dean Gronski joined us to teach!

Students worked through a feeding case together, then practiced positioning, pacing, and oral motor strategies on each other. Next came parent coaching using teach-back, because family training is a big part of the OTA role. And food play was a hit: no pressure, just exploring. 🥕

Thank you, Dean Gronski, for sharing your expertise with our students! 💙

10/09/2026

10/07/2026

Testing the equipment? It's part of the job. 😄

Our OTD students got to try out a variety of swings during a visit to Therapy Playground, an outpatient pediatric clinic. Experiencing the movement themselves helps students understand what children feel during therapy, so they can choose and grade activities with more insight and empathy.

Hands-on (and feet-off-the-ground) learning at its best! 💙

10/05/2026

Our Class of 2029 OTD students tried out borrowed limitations in OT Foundations today! Each student took on a temporary impairment and then worked through everyday tasks like getting dressed and opening containers. Simple things got hard fast.

The goal was not to pretend to know what disability feels like. It was to slow down and notice how much, and which, body functions an activity asks of a person. That is the heart of activity analysis and the core of occupational therapy.

Thank you to Dr. Gronski for teaching our Class of 2029 the foundations of OT. We love seeing these future OTs build the skills that will shape how they see every client and every task.

10/03/2026

Advocacy isn't just for lobbyists and legislators. It's for every OT practitioner, every day. 💪

At the North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference, our own Dr. Dawn Solomon, OTD full-time faculty member and NCOTA Advocacy Chair, presented on everyday advocacy to a packed room.

She also spent time in conversation with NCOTA lobbyist Ashley Perkinson, AOTA President Dr. Arameh Anvarizadeh, and N.C. Representative Dr. Tim Reeder, showing exactly what it looks like when OT has a seat at the table.

We're proud to have Dr. Solomon leading the way for our students and our profession.

10/02/2026

Midterm week, OT style. 🖍️

Our students know a thing or two about regulation, so this week they're putting it into practice. With midterms underway, the OTD Class of 2028 has been using a variety of sensory activities to calm their nerves, like Ally, who took a coloring break on our giant wall poster.

To all of our students taking exams this week: you've got this, and we believe in you! 💙

10/01/2026

What a conference! 🎉

A group of our second-year OTD students spent the full NCOTA Annual Conference in Greenville learning, networking, and connecting with OT practitioners from across North Carolina. (They weren't our only students there, just the ones we managed to wrangle into one photo!)

And a special shoutout to BS-OTA student Tracey Russell, who designed the winning logo for this year's conference and earned a free year of NCOTA student membership. Her luck didn't stop there: Tracey was also 1 of 5 giveaway winners and chose a sensory swing from Harkla. Talk about a great weekend! 🙌

We're so proud of our students for showing up, getting involved, and representing Methodist OT so well.

09/30/2026

We're hiring! 🎓

The Methodist University Department of Occupational Therapy is looking for a Doctoral Capstone Coordinator and full-time faculty member to join our team.

In this role, you'll guide our Doctor of Occupational Therapy students through the doctoral capstone, helping them turn their ideas into meaningful scholarly projects that make a difference in the communities they serve. You'll also be part of a collaborative, student-centered faculty that cares deeply about growing the next generation of OT leaders.

If you're passionate about mentoring, occupational therapy, and scholarship, we'd love to hear from you. Applications are being reviewed as they come in, so don't wait!

Learn more and apply here: https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/portal/24375BA29C8AE0EA98AC3A9FD8D2FDCE/jobs/165561

Know someone who'd be a great fit? Please share!

09/29/2026

Proud doesn't even begin to cover it! 🎉

At the NCOTA Annual Conference in Greenville on September 18, our students presented 9 student-led posters, sharing their work with OT practitioners, educators, and students from across North Carolina.

That same day, Josie Sameulian, OTD, and her mentor, Lauren Clark, OTR/L, presented a 1.5-hour short course titled, "Grounded in Nature, Rooted in Regulation: Nature-Based Pediatric OT". Presenting a short course at a state conference is a big accomplishment, and they did it beautifully.

Congratulations to every one of our presenters. You represented Methodist OTD so well, and we can't wait to see what you do next. 💙

09/28/2026

Road trip! 🚗

Dr. Victoria Ziegenfus and Dr. Katie Jones spent the day at the graduate recruiting fair at Winston-Salem State University, talking with future OTs about Methodist's Doctor of Occupational Therapy program.

Bonus: we got to set up right next to our School of Medicine colleague, Amariche "Hawk" Hawkins, Admissions & Recruitment Coordinator. Monarchs representing side by side!

Thank you, WSSU, for hosting, and to every student who stopped by our table. If we didn't get to meet you, we'd love to hear from you. [Request info by emailing [email protected]]