CHCS - Perspectives - Summer/Fall 2014

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Tampa PERSPECTIVES • SUMMER–FALL 2014 33 April Celebrated as OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY MONTH Occupational Therapy (OT) Month was established in 1980 and is celebrated every April in conjunction with the AOTA’s Annual Conference and expo. To commemorate the occasion, nsU OT Tampa placed posters and banners throughout the Tampa campus to increase awareness. In addition, the department raffled off OT Month product giveaways to the classes of 2015 and 2016 during ChairChat. The Entry-Level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (O.T.D.) Pro- gram successfully completed its third and final step toward initial accreditation. On March 10-12, a team of reviewers performed the rigorous onsite visit and interviewed faculty and staff members, administrators, and representatives from the classes of 2015 and 2016, OT department Professional Advisory Council members, and fieldwork educators. Other key people who participated dur- ing the onsite process included several representatives from the university and college administration to Tampa Campus opera- tions and technology support personnel. The vision for the O.T.D. Program came to fruition as an inno- vative, entry-level doctoral program in occupational therapy that applies the hybrid, or blended, model of delivery. The program accepted its inaugural class of 2015 during the summer 2012 term. Cutting-edge technology has optimized teaching and learning ex- periences, virtual and real-time exchange, and interactive environ- ments while creating many types of presences and nurturing opportunities. Because the OT department combines traditional, contemporary, and emerging approaches to occupational therapy interventions, it stays faithful to the core values and ethical stan- dards of the profession and the university. The O.T.D. Program is now fully accredited by the Accredita- tion Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), which is located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD, 20804-1220. The ACOTE’s telephone number c/o the AOTA is (301) 652-(AOTA). ACOTE Onsite Visit By Ricardo C. Carrasco, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, Chair and Professor N. Nelson Marquez, Ed.D., PT, joined the NSU O.T.D. Program as an adjunct professor from Polk State College, where he currently serves as director of Polk’s Physical Therapist Assistant Program and director of in- structional and institutional assess- ment. As program director, Dr. Marquez is responsible for curricular and course design, development and implementation of program policies and procedures, and program accred- itation compliance. His research in- terests include learning-outcomes assessment, instructional technolo- gies, distance education, program evaluation and strategic planning, and neurorehabilitation. He received a B.S. in Physical Therapy from the University of the Philippines-College of Allied Medical Professions, an M.S. in Education from Nova Southeastern University with specialization in instructional technology and distance education, and a doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University with concentration in instructional tech- nology and distance education. Prior to joining Polk State College, Dr. Marquez was a team leader for the Mid-Florida Rehabilitation Cen- ter-Winter Haven Hospital—a CARF-accredited comprehensive in- patient rehabilitation center in Win- ter Haven, Florida. Dr. Marquez also is an adjunct professor at NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler School of Education and at the University of St. Augustine. DR. N. NELSON MARQUEZ Named Adjunct Professor