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Becky S. Nicholson, OTD, OTR/L

Rebecca Nicholson portrait
Director, Post-professional OTD Program, Occupational Therapy Education

Coordinator, Capstone Projects, Occupational Therapy Education

Clinical Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy Education

bnicholson@kumc.edu

Professional Background

Becky Nicholson, OTD, OTR/L, is currently director of the post-professional doctoral program in occupational therapy for the Department of Occupational Therapy Education. She has been a fieldwork educator for the department since 1985 and accepted a full-time faculty position in 1999.

For both the entry-level and post-professional programs, Nicholson has taught courses in child development, professionalism, teaching in health care, program evaluation, planning and intervention in occupational therapy, case-based clinical reasoning, and community and family service systems.

In addition, Nicholson provides mentorship to post-professional doctoral students in teaching practicums, as well as advanced practicum and capstone projects. She serves as the capstone coordinator for the entry-level program.

Nicholson is a certified trainer for fieldwork education for the American Occupational Therapy Association and has served as an Academic Fieldwork Mentor in the association's mentorship program.

In addition to her faculty position as a clinical assistant professor, Nicholson has provided occupational therapy services in school-based settings for more than 35 years. She established the student fieldwork program in the ANW Special Education Cooperative in rural Southeast Kansas.

Nicholson was awarded the Stata Norton Distinguished Teaching Award in 2005 and received the department's Joyce Jones Teaching award in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2017.

Academic Background
Nicholson earned a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy in 1985 and master's degree in special education in 1994 – both from the University of Kansas. She completed a clinical doctoral degree in occupational therapy in 2011 from the University of Kansas.


Research

Overview

Nicholson’s research interests include the use of telehealth to provide mentoring in support of fieldwork education in rural areas and also supporting the participation of children with disabilities in daily life.