Fall 2020
Director's Message
This week I picked up on a new phrase, “Be good and stay negative!” It makes you think twice, doesn’t it? I do find myself thinking twice about many things because living through a pandemic means doing everyday living differently, being mindful of the need to shift our routines and habits for the greater good. 

In this newsletter, you will see examples of how the TWU School of Occupational Therapy is adapting inside and outside of the university. Read about alumni who are working on the front lines to help our communities combat COVID, and find out how to reconnect with alumni from TWU’s occupational therapy programs. Join us in celebrating the life and work of Dr. Sophie Lin Rydin and memorializing her legacy in Houston. Read about our Signature Events and save the date for the annual Vanderkooi Endowed Lectureship. See how students and faculty are disseminating their work and influencing practice, and notice opportunities to follow their research and engage in clinical partnerships.

It is all detailed in this newsletter—we hope you enjoy this update.

Be well, and be well occupied,
Cynthia Evetts, PhD
Feature Stories
Working with COVID patients in the ICU and acute care
The Baylor University Medical Center Therapy COVID Team, which includes two TWU alumni, provided an inside look at the fight against COVID-19.
TWU Houston School of Occupational Therapy named for alumna Dr. Sophie Lin Rydin
TWU is honoring the legacy of Dr. Sophie Lin Rydin, occupational therapy alumna (MOT ’78, PhD ’07) and adjunct professor, through the naming of the Dr. Sophie Lin Rydin School of Occupational Therapy - TWU Houston Center. 
News and Events
TWU Pioneer Occupational Therapy alumni chapter launching
A new alumni chapter for TWU’s School of Occupational Therapy is in the beginning stages of development, and we are looking forward to getting this group off the ground. Several alumni have been meeting to discuss plans for developing the chapter, with the goal of creating a group where all OT alumni can celebrate the school that made them into the wonderful OTs they are.

Once the chapter is formed, events and other fun activities will be planned throughout the year. We are in the process of finding out what events interest the community and gathering information so that we can be ready to share details of upcoming events. Stay tuned for a survey coming soon!

In the meantime, if you would like to inquire about the organization, or assist in any way, please contact Keegan McKay at keeganmckay@hotmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you and sharing updates as we continue with the planning phase.
Bridging the Gap
Bridging the Gap was hosted virtually on Oct. 23 by the Denton Campus Pi Theta Epsilon Chapter. Keynote Speaker Cynthia Chandler, EdD, founder of the groundbreaking model human-animal relational therapy, shared insights about animal-assisted therapy. Known as an industry leader, she is also an author of the award-winning book and valuable resource Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling.

An expert panel discussion followed with TWU researcher Rhett Rigby, PhD, CSPS, NSCA-CPT; Tatum Oman, LPC, RPT-S; and service dog expert Melissa Winkle, OTR/L, RAOTA, CPDT-KA.
Mary Joyce Newsom Award
The Mary Joyce Newsom Award event was hosted virtually on April 30 by the Houston Campus Pi Theta Epsilon Chapter. Speaker Jamie Crane, 2019 award winner, stated that the challenges of choices and relationships to create a professional fabric with clients and team members do not confront just students and novices but all practitioners and policymakers. A skillful therapist must be crystal clear about possibilities for interventions and the implications for all resulting future actions and outcomes.

Shalene Canning was recognized as the 2020 award recipient and will speak this coming spring.
OT Students' Perspectives: Occupations and Reflections During the Pandemic
This spring, Shannon Levandowski, OTD, co-moderated an AOTA webinar, with TWU students Jordan Eschmann and Taylor McIntosh serving as participants on the student panel. Occupational disruption was felt across the world as the pandemic advanced. Students experienced unprecedented challenges, stop gaps and changes in their academic experience. This panel provided conversations and reflections from a student’s perspective on occupations, occupation disruption, opportunity, innovation and “big picture” reflections.

During this pandemic, grief was a common emotion that several students were able to identify. We all progress through the grieving process in different ways; however, an important goal is acceptance so that we can function in our occupations. The webinar identified how we, as occupational therapists, can use these experiences to become more effective practitioners. As Jordan Eschmann said, “Live in the moment and take advantage of what you have.” 
Do you work with clients who have chronic non-cancer related lower extremity lymphedema?
TWU Assistant Clinical Professor Jennie Martin, OTD, who has been an OT for 20 years with specializations in hands and lymphedema therapy, is looking to collaborate with OTs who work with clients who have chronic non-cancer related lower extremity lymphedema. She has developed a program in response to a clinical problem that she experienced over many years of working with clients with chronic leg edema: self-care nonadherence.

The program is designed to help lymphedema therapists promote self-care adherence with their leg lymphedema clients by using an Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills approach. It includes self-care resources to enlighten, engage and empower clients. This program also includes a questionnaire and a self-care program builder. 

OTs could use the questionnaire during the development of their occupational profile and/or anchor the assessment to a valid and reliable lymphedema specific QOL tool to determine what psychosocial factors impact our client’s experience of living with and caring for leg lymphedema. These psychosocial factors combined with the physical lymphedema assessment would give the therapist a comprehensive, well-rounded picture of their client’s self-care needs and abilities. Martin would disseminate the program to you through a training program with the eventual goal of piloting the program components with your clients.

If you are interested, please contact Jennie Martin at jmartin28@twu.edu.
Save the Date!

Vanderkooi Endowed Lectureship

Friday, February 5, 2021
Virtual Event

Featuring Roger O. Smith, PhD, OT, FAOTA, RESNA Fellow
Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Rehabilitation Research Design & Disability Center Director

Topic: The Implications of the Metaphysical Physical-Emotive Theory of Occupation on Everything Occupation
Faculty Spotlight
Faculty member demonstrates commitment to students and the OT profession
TWU School of Occupational Therapy Associate Clinical Professor Shannon Levandowski, OTD, leads by lifting and empowering others on a local, state and national level. 
Faculty Accomplishments
  • Suzanne Burns, PhD, OTR, and Noralyn Pickens, PhD, OT, are partners with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Roger Smith, PI) and Columbia University (Rochelle Mendonca) on a $1.5 million NIDILRR grant for HESTIA NextGen.


  • Marsha Neville, PhD, developed the Discharge Planning Assessment Tool (DPAT) designed to strategically guide the occupational therapist in planning and implementing client-centered treatment for a successful discharge home. The tool measures critical factors known to contribute to failed discharges. The DPAT supports successful discharge planning and outcomes.
Faculty Publications


  • Lohmann, A.F. & Vas, A. K. (2020). Acquired brain injury. In D. P. Dirette & S. A. Gutman (Authors) & M. V. Radomski & C. T. Latham (Eds.), Occupational therapy for physical dysfunction (8th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Alumni Spotlights
As a child growing up in Greenville, Texas, TWU alumna Christina Hill (MOT ’14) combatted issues of alcoholism, drug addiction and poverty within her family and herself. But with the help of her faith, the discipline of martial arts, and most importantly, the support of her son and husband, she has dedicated her life to helping others persevere through their own struggles.
When the infinite cycle of sales quotas, corporate ladder expectations and ethical dilemmas finally became too much for former sales associate and TWU alumnus Christopher Villarreal (MOT ’17), he decided to go back to school and pursue his earlier dream of occupational therapy. That decision has awarded him a more fulfilling life and has enabled him to affect positive change in this world.
Do you have alumni news to share? Submit it here.
Congratulations to our 2020 post professional graduates!
Doctor of Occupational Therapy:

  • Sharon Closner, MOT, OTD
  • Ednitra James, MBA, MOT, OTD
  • Stacey Montes, MOT, OTD
  • Sarah Rupp-Blanchard, MHA, OTD
  • Danielle Sotelo, MA, OTD

Spring 2020 PhD in Occupational Therapy, listed with their dissertation:
Christine Linkie, PhD:
A Strengths-Based Cognitive Approach to Enhancing Occupational Performance and Self-Efficacy in Individuals with Schizophrenia
Kaye Rubio, PhD:
The Use of the Remotivation Process in an Occupational Therapy Program for Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: A Feasibility Study
Melanie Tkach, PhD:
Occupational Therapy in Acute Care: Predictors of Occupational Competence and Hospital Readmission
Fall 2020 PhD in Occupational Therapy, listed with their dissertation:
Lou Ann Hintz, PhD:
Teachers’ Experiences with Occupational Therapy Multi-Tiered Systems Support: A Qualitative Study
Janice Kishi Chow, PhD:
How the Utilization of Occupational Therapy in End-of-Life Care is Determined
Cary Moore, PhD:
The Preliminary Measurement Properties of the Early Childhood Occupational Profile (ECOPE)
Support TWU Students

COVID-19 has been hard on everyone, including TWU students who lost work and outside employment opportunities. Scholarships can be a lifeline for them to continue in their academic programs.

Please consider giving any amount to the Occupational Therapy Faculty & Alumni Scholarship, a robust scholarship fund that when endowed will provide financial support for OT students in need.
Select Occupational Therapy Faculty & Alumni Scholarship from the dropdown menu.
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TWU School of Occupational Therapy