Fall 2015 Perspectives

COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES • 9 learning has emerged in the Tampa O.T.D. program. Under the leadership of Ricardo Carrasco, Ph.D., OTR/L, professor and founding chair, and Mirtha M. Whaley, Ph.D., OTR/L, assistant professor, class of 2015 students inaugurated The Legacy Project, which they entitled Scholars for the Advancement of Occupational Science. “The association aims to inspire, promote, and contrib- ute to the study of occupational science within the global community through its activities that include, but are not limited to, the publication of a scholarly journal—the Journal for the Advancement of Occupa- tional Science ,” said Carrasco. “The journal serves as a platform for contributors from around the world— including current students, recent graduates, occupa- tional therapy practitioners, and professionals from a variety of disciplines—who wish to disseminate research and promote discourse within the fields of occupational science and occupational therapy.” Another example is the Interprofessional Diabetes Education and Awareness (IDEA) initiative, which was recently awarded a Quality of Life Grant from the Quality of Life Council of Broward County. The initiative’s goal is to leverage the full strength of the system to decrease the incidences of diabetes and diabetes complications in South Florida. The program is designed to foster interprofes- sional collaboration by bringing together students and faculty members from 11 health professions to create diabetes workshops for the community. As the students work together to develop and present their workshops, focus-group data shows they are learning about one another’s professions, which creates a cross-pollination of knowledge and collegiality. It also spans the hierarchical lines of faculty member-student collaboration. Students have the opportunity to be mentored by a faculty member outside their academic area, thereby expanding their network and knowledge-base. The IDEA initiative has also created opportunities for groups from diverse sectors of society—such as corporations, insurance companies, drug companies, civic organizations, municipalities, religious institutions, and social service agencies—to partner to achieve a common purpose. SCHOLARSHIP/RESEARCH Traditionally, addressing social issues such as human trafficking is seen as a role for law enforcement or social-service organizations. However, Brianna Kent, Ph.D., chair of the Ph.D. in Health Sciences program, and Sandrine Gaillard-Kenney, Ed.D., CHCS assistant dean, saw an opportunity to tackle this issue by partnering with local community agencies, advo- cacy groups, and law enforcement to learn how health care providers can become partners in helping victims of human trafficking.