Antoine Bailliard, PhD, OTR/L and assistant professor with the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, has graduated from the two-year Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars program, offered by the Carolina Center for Public Service.
The program brings together faculty from multiple disciplines for a two-year experiential, competency-based curriculum designed to advance engaged scholarship. Bailliard is the sixth graduate from the Department of Allied Health Sciences since the program began in 2007. To date, the DAHS has the most scholar graduates than other school or departments at the University.
“Participating in this program was a great honor and energizing experience,” Bailliard said. “It broadened my understanding of the different approaches and possibilities for collaboration with communities.”
For his project, Bailliard partnered with individuals with mental illness to co-create adaptive strategies that they can integrate into their everyday lives outside of clinical settings. The project used photos and videos to highlight perspectives as to how sensory processing impact real-world participation in meaningful activities for adults with mental illness. It aimed to use the data collected to co-create sensory modulation strategies that improve participation and quality of life for participants.
Ron Strauss, the University’s executive vice provost and chief international officer, said the partnership among scholars is invigorating.
“You are the leaders; I’ve watched it. Leaders rise from this program.,” Strauss said. “You hold a high standard and bar for Carolina’s place in the community.”
“This program demonstrated how investing in authentic relationships with community partners is paramount to generate meaningful projects that have a real-world impact,” Bailliard said. “Interacting with a diverse cohort of fellow scholars and learning about their fascinating projects stimulated my creativity and enabled me to see the new possibilities for community-engaged scholarship.”
The Carolina Center for Public Service created the Faculty Engaged Scholars program in 2007 to advance faculty involvement in engaged scholarship. In 2013, an endowment honoring UNC’s former Chancellor H. Holden Thorp was established to support faculty in the program. Selected through a competitive process, Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars learn about and pursue community engagement through scholarly endeavors. Since the program began, 63 faculty members have been selected from 12 professional schools and the College of Arts and Sciences, representing more than 28 departments.
Bailliard joins eight other faculty members to graduate with this class.
Previous DAHS Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars
- Antoine Bailliard (Class VI)
- Elizabeth Crais (Class III)
- Karen Erickson (Class II)
- Adam Jacks (Class V)
- Vicki Mercer (Class V)
- Linda Watson (Class IV)