UNC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

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UNC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

http://tinyurl.com/sotaspringapparel This is the official page for the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at UNC Chapel Hill.

For questions about the MSOT admissions process, please post your inquiry under the "Discussions" tab on this page or email OSInfo@med.unc.edu. Please note that questions containing private information should be sent via email rather than posted on the discussion board. It is recommended that prospective applicants read the admissions page and all the related links for before contacting the division for information. Admissions Page:
http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/ocsci/degree-programs/ms-admissions

11/20/2025

🌿North Carolina recognizes National Rural Health Day each year on the third Thursday of November🌿

Nearly 1 in 3 North Carolinians live in a rural area of the state, and according to the NC Office of State Budget and Management, our rural communities are quickly growing.

Learn more about the 2025-2026 Occupational Therapy Rural Health Committee (OTRHC) members and what rural health means to them.

🌻"Rural health became meaningful to me through my undergraduate coursework in public health, which emphasized how rurality shapes health outcomes by influencing access to healthcare, education, nutrition, and other resources...Through the OTRHC, I'm eager to support rural North Carolina communities and to grow my knowledge in public health focused occupational therapy approaches for promoting positive health outcomes.” -Jess Burger, UNC MSOT c/o 2027

🌻"As I have grown in my personal and professional life, I have furthered my passion for supporting underserved and overlooked communities. Being a part of the OTRHC has allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of the healthcare needs of rural North Carolina...I am so grateful and honored to be part of serving North Carolina's communities through connection, understanding, and advocacy." -Sophia Bone, UNC MSOT c/o 2027

🌻“Being part of the OTRHC is especially meaningful to me because rural health is woven into both my personal values and my family history. My family grew up in rural communities in North Carolina, and their experiences shaped how I understand resilience, connection, and the importance of accessible care. To me, rural health means ensuring that everyone, regardless of where they live, has the opportunity to thrive, participate fully in their daily occupations, and receive the support they need to live healthy, independent lives...Through collaboration, advocacy, and genuine partnership with rural communities, I’m grateful for the opportunity to support meaningful change and help advance equity across North Carolina.” -Zoey Strickland, UNC MSOT c/o 2027

11/13/2025

Join Miranda Bravo, OTS c/o 2026, as she shows us a day in the life of a fieldwork 2 student. ☕🚗🏫🐕

11/11/2025

In recognition of Veterans Day, we’re proud to highlight UNC MSOT c/o 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣7️⃣ student Berit Boyle, a U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduate & former active-duty officer. Berit reflected on how this experience influenced her journey to pursuing a MSOT, as well as living by the guiding principle of "Semper Paratus," which means "always ready."

"While I was in the U.S. Coast Guard, I felt most aligned with my sense of purpose during opportunities to provide individualized support - compassionately explaining operations to a family whose father was lost at sea, volunteering with the Lunch Buddy program, or providing support to survivors of sexual assault as a Victim Advocate. Reflecting on those moments helped guide me to the profession of occupational therapy, where I can assist clients to engage in meaningful occupations in support of their health and well-being. I hope my experiences in the U.S. Coast Guard will help me remain 'Semper Paratus' as a practitioner and serve me and my clients well."

Thank you, Berit!

🔗Veteran & Military Student Resources: https://go.unc.edu/UNCVeterans

11/05/2025

🚗UNC OS/OT Division members are on the move! Check out the latest from our traveling team:

📍Dr. Kathryn "Katie" Sorensen delivered the following keynotes & led series: UNC Department of Health Sciences,Novant Health Third Annual Southeast Clinical Educator Symposium keynote, American Occupational Therapy Association - AOTA Certificate Program Workshop in Wilmington, N.C., USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy White Coat Keynote, Southeast Piedmont AHEC 3 part series, American Occupational Therapy Association - AOTA Academic Leadership Council Fieldwork Breakout Keynote, North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association session & Keynote speaker at the OTAC Occupational Therapy Assn. of California.
🔗 https://go.unc.edu/k2ECj

📍Dr. Nancy Bagatell will be presenting at Society for the Study of Occupation: USA annual conference in Galveston, T.X. on the following paper co-authored by Dr. Linn Wakeford, "The Ethnographic Study of Space: Lessons in Occupation and Access."

📍Dr. Vanessa Jewell will be speaking (November 2025) at the following University of Florida Rehabilitation Seminar Series in Gainesville, F.L.: "Using a community-engaged research approach to create and test occupational therapy assessments and interventions for rural families with children with type 1 diabetes."

📍Dr. Ryan Lavalley delivered the keynote address for the West Virginia Occupational Therapy Association's 29th Annual Conference in Charleston, W.V. 🔗https://go.unc.edu/i8KEe

📍Sara Kelleher Peña served as trainee from Dr. Sorensen at the American Occupational Therapy Association - AOTA Fieldwork Educators Certificate Program Workshop & was a speaker at the UNC Department of Health Sciences, Novant Health Third Annual Southeast Clinical Educator Symposium, both in Wilmington, N.C

10/31/2025

🎉The Division of OS/OT is proud to congratulate Bridgette LeCompte, MS, OTR/L who has been promoted to Associate Professor! 🎊

Bridgette has served as the Consultant for Occupational Therapy to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction since 2020 and is also the AOTA Representative Assembly North Carolina representative (2025-2028).

10/24/2025

Attending the North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association conference? Come by & say hi! 👋

📆Friday, Oct. 24
12:30-3:30 p.m.
"Beyond the Ramp and Reacher: Preparing Clients for Wheelchair Life"
Kathryn Sorensen, OTD, OTR/L

📆Saturday, Oct. 25
"Application of Therapist Readiness Flowchart as a Tool to Decrease Practitioner Injury"
Co-presenter Hilary Till, OTR/L

10/21/2025

We hope to see your application soon!

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program deadline is Oct. 24, 2025. We recommend applicants apply before the actual deadline to make sure all required materials are submitted.

Be sure to check our Web site for more information: 🔗https://go.unc.edu/r9G8L

10/17/2025

First year MSOT students shared their personal, meaningful occupations creatively to understand human capacity for action:

💅Nail art & the central visual pathway
🧘‍♀️Yoga for the vestibular system
🎵Music representation & the sleep cycle

& more!

We♥️🧠!

10/07/2025

✈️UNC OS/OT goes to the United Kingdom!

🌎The University of Essex hosted the 2025 Occupational Science Europe Conference. Themes included Transformation through participation, Negotiating social citizenship, rights and responsibilities, Decolonizing occupational science & Sustainable environments for all.

UNC OS/OT Presentation Titles:
🏰Rebecca Parkin presented “Deconstructing Whiteness? Preliminary Findings from a Collaborative Ethnographic Study of White Caucusing and Aspirations of Anti-Racism Praxis”

🏰Sayoko Kawabata presented “Transforming from an Outsider to an Insider-Outsider Through Community Engaged Research” & co-authored another.

🏰Seth Mitchell presented “Interrogating Neoliberal Influences: Reflections on the Praxis of Occupation-Based Social Transformation”

🏰Dr. Johnson & Rebecca Parkin presented on, with Seth Mitchell & Dr. Shay Hampton-Parker co-authoring, “Critical participatory action research with multiply marginalized communities: Disrupting the status quo in occupational science research”

🏰With a team, Dr. Lavalley, facilitated the International Social Transformation through Occupation Network’s pre-conference workshop titled “A Collective Critical Analysis and Positioning of Actions for Social Transformation” & co-authored two other presentations

10/01/2025

🦋Enter as a student, leave as an (almost) OT🦋

Best wishes to our c/o 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣students as they start their first of two 12 fieldwork II experiences. UNC MSOT students are placed in settings that range from hospital-based, school-based, outpatient clinics & more.

Learn as much as you can, we'll be glad to have you back in the spring!

09/22/2025

☀️When one person SHINES, we all shine, too☀️

Together with the UNC Division of Physical Therapy , the Division of OS/OT is pleased to have 4️⃣scholars for the U.S. Department of Education SHINES Training Grant.

The collaborative personnel preparation grant, "Preparing Related Service Personnel to Serve Students with Disabilities with High Intensity Needs Using High-Leverage and Evidence-Based Practices" (or "SHINES Training Grant" for short), will provide interdisciplinary learning opportunities to prepare scholars to implement high leverage & evidence-based practices in school settings.

🔗 https://www.med.unc.edu/healthsciences/shines/

📸Not pictured: Dr. Linn Wakeford, PhD, MS, OT/L, Co-Project Director & Dr. Bria Dunn, DPT, Fieldwork Coordinator

09/19/2025

✨Congratulations, Dr. Selingo!✨

From the UNC Department of Health Sciences Community Practice Lab (CPL): The Carolina Center for Public Service has accepted CPL Lead Dr. Lauren Selingo into the Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholar Program for the 2025-2027 cycle. The program’s community-engaged curriculum and stipend will support Lauren’s community-engaged research around substance use among older adults and caregivers in Orange County.

“My involvement in the Thorp Scholars Program will enable the FOCUS-OAC team to expand our relationships across the Carolina and Orange County communities. The hands-on learning experiences will enhance our approaches to understanding and supporting health needs among Orange County residents," said Dr. Selingo.

We're thrilled to see what the team will do!

🔗https://go.unc.edu/y9BTo

Address

CB #7122 UNC-CH Bondurant Hall
Chapel Hill, NC
27599

Website

http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/ocsci

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