Creative Engagement in Occupation

Margaret S. Coffey, MA, COTA, ROH is the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and a Faculty Instructor in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Brown Mackie College (South Bend, IN). She received her BA degree in biology at Wheaton College, her AS degree in occupational therapy technology at Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (formerly known as the Occupational Therapy Program, School of Allied Health Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis), and her MA degree in art at the University of Indianapolis. Her specialty areas of practice are in psychiatric hospital settings, long-term care, and residential facilities for adults experiencing dementia. Her teaching responsibilities are in the areas of therapeutic media, group activities, mental health, and geriatrics. She serves as a consultant and facilitator for experiences in the adult population at Moon Tree Studios, an outreach ministry exploring the interconnectedness of art, nature, and spirituality in Donaldson, IN.

Nancy K. Lamport, MS, OTR is Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Occupational Therapy School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Indianapolis, IN) (formerly known as the Occupational Therapy Program, School of Allied Health Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis). She received her BS degree in occupational therapy at Ohio State University and her MS degree in special education at Butler University (Indianapolis, IN). She was a preschool teacher for 7 years in Indianapolis and worked as an occupational therapist at the Commission for Handicapped Children in Kentucky and the Veteran's Hospital in Louisville, KY. Prior to her retirement, her teaching responsibilities included the fundamentals of occupational therapy (activity analysis), activities of daily living skills, leisure activities, and media. Together with her husband, she established the Horizon Fund to provide funding for the professional development of occupational therapy students to attend the American Occupational Therapy Association National Student Conclaves and IOTA State conferences.

Gayle I. Hersch, PhD, OTR is Professor with the School of Occupational Therapy at Texas Woman's University (Houston, TX). She received her BS degree in occupational therapy, her MS degree in allied health sciences, and her PhD in educational psychology at Indiana University. Her practice area is in gerontology with an emphasis on Alzheimer's disease, stroke, caregiving, and home safety. Her current responsibilities are in the areas of teaching and research with MOT and PhD students. Her content emphasis is on geriatric practice, qualitative methodology, and adaptation to relocation to residential settings. Efforts to tap into student creativity have been done in coursework via experiential activities and with the development of research grants and client intervention protocols.