For their ground-breaking research on incorporating a proven, yet emerging, wellness methodology into occupational therapy (OT), California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) OT students Lisa Faust and Vanessa Dougherty took 1st Place at the statewide 30th Annual CSU Student Research Competition, held this year at CSU Bakersfield. Dougherty and Faust won in the “Health, Nutrition and Clinical Sciences” category for their presentation “Occupational Therapy Trauma-Informed Practice Using the Community Resiliency Model [CRM]: Narrative and Photo Voice with Veterans.” The overall goal of their research was to explore the benefits of OT professionals' use of CRM with trauma-exposed ... Read More
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Thearapy Master’s Students Conduct Fieldwork in Mazatlán
Laurelin Hefter was uneasy around children, an admission she shared with her fellow California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) Master of Science Occupational Therapy (MSOT) students during their recent fieldwork trip to Mazatlán, Mexico, to help provide care and wheelchairs to children and adults with disabilities. Adding to her apprehension was that the team would also be working with kids suffering from severe Cerebral Palsy. She was unsure how to interact with them or if she could temper her reaction to their body movements or drooling, which is often associated with the disorder. But those concerns proved fleeting after she began holding their bodies close to hers. “I ... Read More
CSUDH opens Orthotics and Prosthetics Education Center in Los Alamitos
Elected officials, industry professionals, faculty, alumni, and campus leaders were guided by knowledgeable California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) students as they toured the university's new Orthotics and Prosthetics Education Center (O&P center) in Los Alamitos during a ribbon-cutting event on Jan. 14. The event provided attendees the opportunity to see, touch and learn about current O&P applications, such as 3-D scanning, prosthetic systems, and the variety of state-of-the-art techniques and equipment available to O&P master's students in the 12,000 square-foot center. Among those taking the tours, and providing remarks later in the evening, were CSUDH ... Read More
Megan Rodriquez and Kelsey Nicks receive Jamina O. Barnes Memorial Scholarship
For their personal commitment and ongoing contributions to community service, Megan Rodriquez, a Digital Media Arts (DMA) major, and Kelsey Nicks, an Occupational Therapy student, have received the California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) Alumni Association Jamina O. Barnes Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is named in memory of Barnes, the former director of Alumni Relations at CSUDH, and is awarded annually to one eligible full-time undergraduate and one graduate student. Rodriguez, an undergraduate student who lives in Los Angeles, was a bit taken back when she learned she received the scholarship. “I felt surprised, excited, thankful, and extremely honored,” ... Read More
Occupational Therapy faculty, student interns improve mobility for stroke survivors
After just four sessions working with Paul Penoliar, an occupational therapy specialist and clinical instructor at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), stroke survivor Tiufono Taliulu was able to return to Victoria Golf Course's driving range to continue his rehabilitation while working on his golf swing. Taliulu is just one of approximately 200 members at the Joseph B. Jr. and Mary Anne O'Neal Stroke Center, located in the Carson Center, who Penoliar and his student interns provide services for through CSUDH's Department of Occupational Therapy. Taliulu, a long-time regular at the golf course, felt “so good” near the end of the session there that he began teaching ... Read More
