Duquesne University Occupational Therapy Department

Last week, the Duquesne University Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) had their annual Pasta Dinner. Thank you to everyone who came out to support SOTA and Lending Hearts. We had the opportunity to hear from the founder of Lending Hearts, Vasso Paliouras, as well as several student speakers and their faculty advisor, Dr. McCann. Thank you to everyone who made this meaningful night possible!

Our 3rd year students have been practicing their assessment skills in the Pittsburgh community. Thank you to DU YMCA and Morningside Active Living Center for allowing our students to practice their skills 💙❤️

🎮✨ Leveling up accessibility in the classroom! ✨🎮

On April 16, our Environmental Adaptation and Rehabilitation Technology students got hands‑on experience with the latest in adaptive video gaming 🎉 Thanks to Zach Runyan from AbleGamers (tag!) and Mitch Bell from UPMC, students explored alternative controllers and adaptive inputs for all the major gaming systems.

From modified controllers to innovative setups, students had the chance to play, learn, and see how gaming can truly be for everyone. Game on—and game accessibly! 👾💙

Our 4th year occupational therapy students pitched their novel business ideas to a Shark panel of healthcare administrators, business consultants, and entrepreneurs this past week.

Creative business strategies were presented clearly articulating occupational therapy’s unique role in applications for accessibility, positive mental health, community connections as well as product development of neuro rehab VR software and sensory equipment.

Special thanks to the collaboration and feedback from CCAC’s OTA students who vetted, validated, and communicated throughout the semester with our MS & OTD OT students to support looking at the businesses through an intradisciplinary lens.

Great job 4th years! We hope to see your entrepreneurial spirit continue to shine after your time here at Duquesne.

We are happy to share that the U.S. News & World Report 2026 rankings continue to place Duquesne University’s Occupational Therapy programs among the top in the nation, reinforcing our longstanding reputation for excellence in occupational therapy education.

What a wonderful day for practice scholarship! 🎉
On Wednesday, 11 of our professional‑phase Occupational Therapy students participated in the University’s Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium. This annual event brings together students from across campus to showcase their scholarly work.

Our OT students truly embodied what it means to be practice scholars, sharing projects on a wide range of topics—including seating adaptations, assessments and surveys, intentional walking, the hidden humanistic curriculum in anatomy, dyadic treatment with music therapy, and strategies to support inclusion in college and skilled nursing settings.

We are so proud of their hard work and accomplishments! 👏💙

Congratulations to recent 2025 MS alumnus, Lauren Beck, MS, OTR/L, and Dr. Kasey Stepansky on their recent publication in collaboration with Chatham University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program: Won’t you be my neighbor? Self-reported quality of life impacts on university student and older adult neighbors in a personal care home community.

This journal article was published in the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, a peer-reviewed journal that integrates practical, theoretical, and policy perspectives. The article describes the lived experiences of health science students and older adults living in a novel intergenerational community at Vincentian Schenley Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA. Results reflect the value of intergenerational living, impacts on mental health through relationship building, and how spontaneous and planned interactions
support the shared community.

The John G. Rangos, Sr. School of Health Sciences at Duquesne University was proud to partner with the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania (BIAPA) to host two Brain Safety Fairs this March in recognition of National Brain Injury Awareness Month. Held at Westmoreland Mall and the Hazelwood Center of Life, these events brought together allied health students, BIAPA leaders, and families from across Western Pennsylvania for events dedicated to shared learning, service, and community connection.
Through this collaboration, Rangos students gained meaningful hands on experience in health promotion and injury prevention—while children and their families received properly fitted bicycle helmets and engaging brain safety education designed to support safer, healthier communities. We are grateful for this growing partnership with BIAPA and for the opportunity to help inspire community engagement that truly makes a difference for families across our region

🌸 Now that Spring has sprung, we’d love to welcome prospective students and families to visit us!
Our Occupational Therapy Department offers regular in-person tours—come see our OT spaces, meet our community, and learn more about what makes our dually-accredited programs special. You can sign up for a tour here: https://duq.edu/academics/colleges-and-schools/health-sciences/calendar.php
💻 Prefer to connect with us from home? Join our Virtual Q&A Session on Wednesday, April 8 | 6–7 PM EST.
This is a great opportunity to connect with OT faculty and current Duquesne OT students and learn more about our top-ranked MSOT and OTD programs. Registration can be found here: https://duq.edu/academics/colleges-and-schools/health-sciences/calendar.php
We hope to see you this spring!

John G. Rangos, Sr. School of Health Sciences Calendar

Happy Easter from us to you! In this picture, you can see four students in our "Occupational Therapy Across the Lifespan" class. In this sophomore year class, our students are currently learning about how different age groups develop, and what different developmental stages can look like. Students get to research one of the stages, present it in front of the class, and learn how occupational therapy can impact the developmental process!