UIC Department of Occupational Therapy

02/23/2026

🎉 Our first five students in the Theory and Evidence-Based Practice Related to Human Occupation Scholarship of Practice Collaborative completed their capstone projects and passed the baton to our second cohort of students who are completing their projects this Spring
💡 Please scroll down our updated web page to learn about our current members and play a short video describing a growing portfolio of capstone projects here: https://ahs.uic.edu/academics/occupational-therapy/entry-level-occupational-therapy-doctorate/scholarship-of-practice-collaboratives/theory-and-evidence-based-practice-related-to-human-occupation-sopc/
🤝 These projects provide a great learning experience. The projects currently underway involve partnership with the UIC Inclusive Care Clinic, Clearbrook, Maryland Hyde Center, Chinese American Service League, &Rise, and Amplify OT to help to bridge the gap between education and practice by using theory and evidence to improve client outcomes across the lifespan.

02/19/2026

Join the UIC OT department for our annual SOP Day, focusing on Taking Care of Each Other: Broadening the Caregiving Paradigm for OT Education, Research, and Practice.

To register and request accommodations, go to: https://Go.UIC.edu/SOPDay2026Registration

We hope to see you there ❤️💙

02/10/2026

Join us on Monday, February 16th for our UIC OTD Program Preview Session! Prospective students interested in UIC's occupational therapy doctorate program will have the opportunity to meet professors, ask questions to a panel of current students, and learn about the program in a relaxed, virtual environment. We hope to see you there!

Sign up using the following link: https://forms.gle/UYZyHdTcZeKpPQkAA

02/10/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Dalmina Arias, OTD, OTR/L, on being selected as one of six national AOTA RISE Diverse Leaders Program (DLP) Scholars — a leadership initiative funded by The Sandra Hoskins Legacy Foundation, dedicated to advancing future growth and innovation within the occupational therapy profession.

The RISE DLP supports emerging leaders from historically underrepresented backgrounds committed to transforming the future of the OT profession. As a RISE Scholar, Dr. Arias will lead an initiative that partners with rural and urban community organizations and schools across Illinois to introduce students to the power and possibility of occupational therapy. With a vision to open doors for students who are historically underrepresented in the OT profession, Dr. Arias is creating pathways into OT that have often been inaccessible to many. Her work seeks to inspire the next generation of diverse leaders within the profession — equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue careers in occupational therapy and make a meaningful impact in their communities.

Dr. Arias is honored to join a dynamic network of leaders and changemakers dedicated to building a more just, inclusive, and representative future for the OT profession.

Discover the occupational therapy profession through AOTA’s RISE (Recruiting, Inclusion, Sustainability, and Education) Pathways Program. Learn from ...

02/05/2026

Dalmina Arias shares tips on how to maintain good posture during frigid temperatures on Univision Chicago.

01/23/2026

Let’s hear it for Anna and Cinthia from who completed their fieldwork with us today- woohoo! Our clients loved having you, and so did we! Wishing you all the best in your OT career!

12/04/2025

ONE WEEK AWAY from the 1st Program Preview of the application cycle! https://forms.gle/UYZyHdTcZeKpPQkAA
Share to anyone you know that has applied to UIC OT for Fall 2026 :)

12/01/2025

If you or anyone you know has applied to the UIC OT Program for the Fall 2026 application cycle, sign up for a Program Preview Session!
Register here: https://forms.gle/UYZyHdTcZeKpPQkAA

11/25/2025

A bittersweet moment for the UIC OT family this weekend 🥰 Kathy Preissner received the Lifetime Achievement Award this Friday at the 2025 ILOTA Conference, followed by a celebration of her retirement surrounded by colleagues and family.

Join us in congratulating Kathy! Through her empathy and dedication, she has touched countless lives and contributed meaningful, lasting advances to OT ❤️💙

11/17/2025

The Class of 2027 visited El Valor locations across Chicagoland, supporting early childhood sites through consultations on OT’s role in school-based settings, sensory integration and processing, and strategies to promote performance skill development 🏫📚 Special thanks to the El Valor team for welcoming us into their beautiful community! We learned so much from your expertise and perspective ❤️

11/12/2025

Susan Magasi and Joy Hammel have been awarded a five-year, $4.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research. The two professors will lead the project, which funds the ENGAGED: Disability Community Engaged Medical Rehabilitation Research Resource Center, a hub for community-engaged training, outreach, and investigation into the social, economic, environmental, and policy factors that affect the health of people with disabilities.
To read more: https://today.uic.edu/uic-researchers-awarded-4-5-million-grant-for-community-engaged-disability-research/

11/07/2025

Professor, Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, PhD, was the recipient of the 2025 Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA, APA Division 27) Sarason Award for her community-engaged research. To receive the award, she delivered the address “Creating Caring Communities through Collective Action.” We are so proud of you, Yolanda!