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Give Now Alumni Information Update

Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

  • Nancy Bagatell, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA

    Division Director

    Professor

    Office: 919-843-4463
    Email: Nancy_Bagatell@med.unc.edu
  • Susan Coppola, PhD, OT/L, OTD, FAOTA

    Professor Emeritus

  • Jane D. Rourk, OTR/L, FAOTA

    (Deceased) Associate Professor Emeritus

    Former OT Consultant to the NC Dept. of Public Instruction

  • Virginia Dickie, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

    Professor Emeritus

    Former Division Director

  • Ruth Humphry, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

    Professor Emeritus

    Former Division Director and Professor

  • Vanessa Jewell, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

    Associate Professor, Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

    Adjunct Associate Professor, Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism

    Office: 919-843-4463
    Email: vanessa_jewell@med.unc.edu
  • Khalilah Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA

    Assistant Professor

    Email: Khalilah_Johnson@med.unc.edu

    Khalilah R. Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also owner and operator of #SlayingAcademia™, LLC and co-host of Dr. thOTs Podcast. Broadly, Dr. Johnson’s research sits at the intersection of critical qualitative methodologies, intellectual and developmental disabilities, anti-racism, health services, and disability justice.

    Dr. Johnson is a decorated scholar having received awards including the 2024 Roster of Fellows from the American Occupational Therapy Association, the 2022 Hortense McClinton Outstanding Faculty Award by the UNC Black Alumni Reunion, the 2021 MLK Unsung Hero by the UNC Office for Diversity and Inclusion and UNC Office of the Provost, as well as recognized by the Brenau University Alumni Hall of Fame to name a few. She sits on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and Autism in Adulthood. She also serves on the Scientific Advisory Council of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation and the national leadership team of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity.

  • Sara Kelleher Peña, OTR/L, MEd

    Fieldwork and Admissions Specialist

    Novant Lead

    Email: sara_pena@med.unc.edu

    1. Fieldwork support focuses on securing fieldwork sites and providing training to clinical educators in a variety of sites, focusing on the division’s Novant initiative to increase the presence of practitioners in the southeastern part of the state.
    2. Admissions support focuses on managing the prospective student experience via information sessions, class visits and supporting application reviews
    3. Novant lead focuses on broadening access to OT services in a 5-county Southeast N.C. region, as well as recruiting providers; lead the Division’s first-ever Occupational Therapy Rural Health Committee, which conducts in-person site and classroom visits in the region
    4. SHINES Training Grant Program Coordinator focuses on helping recruit, advise, retain, mentor and evaluate Scholars
    5. General communications support: Manage social media for OS/OT division

  • Ryan Lavalley, PhD, OTR/L

    Assistant Professor, Division of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science

    Primary Lead, Community Practice Lab

    Academic Office: 919-843-4467
    Lab Office: 919-445-4300
    Email: ryan_lavalley@med.unc.edu

    Dr. Ryan Lavalley is an assistant professor in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and primary lead of the Community Practice Lab. He has worked as a community occupational therapist since 2014, providing and developing programming most often related to aging, dementia, and housing. Ryan has and continues to work in partnership with multiple collaborators across North Carolina to further community-rooted initiatives. Ryan is the current coordinator of the Carolina Aging Network, which connects academic aging-related resources and initiatives across Carolina Institutions. Additionally, Ryan teaches the Community-Level Occupational Therapy course in the Masters of Occupational Therapy Program at UNC-CH through which he has guided student partnerships with multiple local organizations to develop programming and strategic actions steps to support community health and participation. Ryan co-hosts an occupational therapy and occupational science podcast with Dr. Khalilah Johnson.

  • Bridgette LeCompte, MS, OTR/L

    Associate Professor

    Consultant for Occupational Therapy to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

    Email: bridgette_lecompte@med.unc.edu