Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

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

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.