Adrianne Smiley, EdD, OTD, OTR/L (MSOT, 2015) is the kind of person who believes if you want to see change, the best way of going about it is by being the change you seek. For her, the inequalities in health care she can identify through her experience and dedication to her profession fuels her desire to continue to find new ways to advocate for equal healthcare opportunities for all.

Vermont state representative, occupational therapist, and UAB OT alumna Mary-Katherine Stone sees her calling as uplifting and highlighting vulnerable voices.

The UAB School of Health Professions has 12 people, including Dean Andrew J. Butler, Ph.D., named to the Birmingham Business Journal’s 2021 Who’s Who in Health Care.

Faculty and alumni from the UAB Department of Physical Therapy, along with students from the UAB Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, were joined by students from UAB’s Department of Occupational Therapy and School of Engineering, to adapt electric toy cars for Alabama children with disabilities as part of the nationwide GoBabyGo program.

Jana Cason, DHS, OTR/L, FAOTA, alumna of UAB Occupational Therapy Class of 1998, is the 2019 American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Emerging and Innovative Practice Award.

Marnix E. Heersink, M.D., and Mary Heersink, longtime supporters of UAB, have made a gift of $1,040,000 gift to the UAB School of Health Professions. The donation, which established the Heersink Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship in Health Professions, is the largest single scholarship gift in school history.

UAB’s Entry-Level Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy Program reached two major milestones in early December. It received full accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association, and on December 8, graduated its first class.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions recently launched a new undergraduate degree in disability studies and rehabilitation science. The new program is already accepting applications.

Governor Kay Ivey, during a bill signing ceremony on Thursday, signed into law the Preceptor Tax Incentive Program to provide income tax credit incentives for certain health professions students who train in rural and underserved counties across Alabama.

The Department of Occupational Therapy’s first education abroad group spent two transformative weeks in South Africa last spring that included a low vision screening for students at the Athlone School for the Blind. All students who attend this public school on the outskirts of Cape Town have visual deficits, and some have multiple disabilities, including cognitive impairments.

The UAB School of Health Professions has 12 people, including Dean Andrew J. Butler, Ph.D., named to the Birmingham Business Journal’s 2021 Who’s Who in Health Care.

The UAB Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy graduate programs each move up in the latest U.S. News & World Report “America’s Best Grad Schools” rankings. The MSOT program is now #23 and the DPT program is now #13.

Researchers from the UAB Department of Occupational Therapy have published new findings that suggest spending 20 minutes in an urban park will make someone happier regardless of whether they are engaging in exercise or not during the visit.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Birmingham-based Lakeshore Foundation have partnered on an initiative made possible by a $6-million, five-year grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research to find ways to improve health outcomes among disabled persons.

Two University of Alabama at Birmingham departments have joined forces to create a new doctoral program. The Department of Occupational Therapy and Department of Physical Therapy in the School of Health Professions is offering a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science this fall.

Five students have been awarded a UAB School of Health Professions Blazer Forever Scholarship. The award is given to SHP students during Homecoming Week based on an essay answer. This year, we asked students to talk about the ways classroom collaborations and/or team-based learning has made them stronger teammates.

Each summer, the Department of Occupational Therapy joins with UAB Arts in Medicine to host two 4-week virtual magic camps for children with disabilities. It’s a unique skill-building opportunity for both the children and graduate students in UAB’s Entry-Level Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy program, who complete one of their Level I Fieldwork experiences as camp coaches.

A multidisciplinary group of low vision practitioners and people with visual impairments gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in early September at the Low Vision Matters conference. There, they heard Beth Barstow, PhD, OTR/L, and Jason Vice, PhD, OTR/L, speak about low vision evaluation, assessment, and intervention, and spent a day in hands-on labs.

Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Rachel Ashcraft, MS, OTR/L, TBRI Practitioner, received the Alabama Occupational Therapy Association’s (ALOTA) highest honor, the Elsie Holmes McKibbin Award, at its 2024 Annual Fall Conference in Gulf Shores, AL.