University of Derby - Occupational Therapy

I'm just going to peak out from behind the curtain to sign off from being admin for this page. I created it over 12 years ago and have now handed it over to a colleague, as I only have a couple of days left working at the university.

I think my highlight was seeing my nomination of Sue Parkinson for an honorary award come to fruition and being able to post about that here. I've always loved graduation ceremonies, seeing the culmination of everyone's efforts, but this was super special. Don't miss her Elizabeth Casson Memorial Lecture on 29th April: https://www.rcot.co.uk/discover-membership/events/2026casson-lecture

We have a lot to look forward to, with our 80th anniversary in a couple of year's time, but for now, this is me bidding you adieu.

Julie Bernstein

Season’s Greetings from the OT lecturers. 2026 will bring much change for the team, but hopefully you won’t notice too much of a difference. As quite rightly advised by Derby OT Society, if you have the chance, take a break and do something that gives you joy.

Here is Sue Parkinson’s speech from the graduation ceremony, with the syncing fixed.

Derby Graduation - November 2025 Honorand: Sue Parkinson This video contains footage of Sue Parkinson's honorary citation and response on receiving her honorary award at the University of Derby’s Award Ceremony in ...

Here is the graduation ceremony from a couple of weeks ago, with our most recent OT graduates. It was lovely to see you all. It’s especially poignant to have Sue Parkinson honoured with an honorary doctorate and her speech is well worth a listen (in spite of the poorly synced sound, at about 41 minutes in). I was very proud to have been the one to nominate her.

University of Derby - Derby Arena Graduation Ceremony 4: Thursday 13 November 2025, 10.00am Congratulations to all this year’s graduates who have showcased dedication and a commitment to excellence throughout their academic journey.Ceremony 4 was fo...

A little snippet of last week's graduation ceremony. A few OT graduates feature prominently. Can you see yourself?

University of Derby Graduation Memories: Ceremony 4, Thursday 13 November 2025, 10:00am Ceremony 4 is for students graduating from the School of Health and Social Care (On-campus) and the School of Humanities and Creative Arts (Law).

Tomorrow we join our most recent graduands to celebrate at their graduation ceremony and I am proud to let you know that we are also honouring one of our occupational therapy local heroes, whose reach is global, Sue Parkinson:

Honorands 2025 Find out more about the honorands from our 2025 Awards Ceremonies.

Here’s something to look forward to. We hope OT week was successful for any of you raising the profile of OT last week. Sue Parkinson has been raising the profile of occupational therapy and inspiring Occupational Therapists all year round for many years.

We're very pleased to announce that Sue Parkinson will be our 2026 Elizabeth Casson Memorial Lecturer! 🗣️

Sue's career started in the NHS, advising and supporting occupational therapists through improving outcomes. She went on to become a well-known trainer and speaker, delivering keynote speeches and Q&A sessions for occupational therapy staff worldwide.

Find out more: https://loom.ly/TCY7Qdg

University of Derby graduates. Are you in Employment? Further study? Travelling? Something completely different? What have you been up to since your time in ? Complete the survey if you completed your course between 1 February and 30 April 2024! Find out more » graduateoutcomes.ac.uk.