10/18/2025
Thank you to for inviting me to the 28th USC Occupational Science Symposium! This year’s theme of Embodiment, Emplacement, and Occupational Science captured how our occupations are lived, contextual, and dynamic experiences (Brofrenbrenner!) that connect person, place, and meaning.
At The Huntington, I was reminded of how occupation is embodied through sensory experience, movement, and connection to nature — the importance of environment! A shining point of my day was Dr. Diane Parham’s tribute to Dr. Elizabeth Yerxa, whose work defined occupation as essential to health, purpose, and justice. Our profession wouldn’t be where is is today without her innovations to take our profession outside the box. And walking the gardens reminded me of Dr. Kate Crowley’s importance of individuals engaging in total flow states (Csikszentmihalyi!) and get lost in occupation 🍃
Reflecting on my experiences from my Occupational Science minor, I’m reminded of mentors like Dr. Gelya Frank, who taught me that OTs must be “rebels” for occupational justice. In fact, her class on occupational reconstructions even led me to join Teach for America to explore our country’s education gap as an immersive community occupation opportunity. I wouldn’t be so invested in schools if not for Gelya and the perspectives she taught me.
Lastly, it was a joy meeting Ashley Uyeshiro Simon and Diego Lopez, who are the current leaders of the OS minor today advancing the program with innovative, inclusive, participatory learning — with so many elective options to boot. Today’s OS students are so lucky to learn in these engaging and fun courses — I had so many laughs and smiles in our hour together.
Grateful to be reminded that occupational science roots our OT practice in meaning, context, and human connection!
