Back in August, faculty and students from UNC’s Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (OSOT) attended the biannual Occupational Science Europe Conference at the University of Essex in England. The event, which brings together scholars from around the world, highlights research in education and occupational science while encouraging participants to reimagine the role of occupational science in international contexts.
The conference consisted of workshops, keynotes, and valuable networking opportunities with professionals whom the students had previously read about. Several UNC PhD students presented research from their dissertations, strengthening the university’s reputation and showcasing the caliber of its OSOT program on a European stage. Assistant Professor Ryan Lavalley, co-facilitated a pre-conference workshop with the International Social Transformation through Occupation Network (ISTTON). Lavalley shared, “[The workshop] focused on critically examining community projects and initiatives to help practitioners identify ideas that help effect community-level change through an occupational science perspective.” He also reflected, “I also had the opportunity to co-facilitate a discussion on dialoguing indigenous and queer theories and their influence on our science, which was wonderfully generative given the many different perspectives and lived experiences in the room. It highlighted the plurality of both racial and queer experiences in the world.”
Assistant Professor Khalilah Johnson reflected on the conference, saying, “I think it’s important to highlight that this is a … global audience, and I think it’s a big deal that we had such a presence there. It’s one thing that Ryan and I were there, but three of our students presented, and the feedback we received was overwhelming. We felt like very proud parents … to have people approach us and say, you all obviously have a phenomenal doctoral program, just how impressive our students were and how they were able to handle … questions and critique and be in dialogue in very scholarly ways.”
Outside the event, our attendees took advantage of their new environment and decided to explore England. They focused on local gems, meeting with current residents to locate the best sights and food spots, rather than focusing on tourist spots. This experience not only helped PhD students connect with people in their field but also allowed them to connect with their professors outside of a classroom environment. They noted that traveling together made the PhD journey feel less intimidating. Johnson said, “It was really cool … just being able to experience a new place with students. I think they … get a chance to see a different version of each other as well. It’s one thing to see each other in the classroom and in our offices. It’s another thing to hop on an airplane and fly 8 hours.”
Overall, the experience provided a rare opportunity for OSOT students to connect with peers abroad and amplify UNC’s presence in the occupational science community.