Occupational Therapy
Faculty from the school's Department of Occupational Therapy Education are actively engaged in a range of activities with clinics, schools, and community-based partners.
Bailey Borgmier, OTR/L
Borgmier provides professional occupational therapy consulting services and supervises students in the KU occupational therapy degree program at several multi-disciplinary KU clinics in the local community. These settings include the ALS Association Clinic, MDA Adult and Pediatric Clinics, and the Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorder Center.
Lauren Foster, OTD, OTR/L
As an occupational therapist for the ANW Special Education Cooperative, Foster provides health care services and consultation to school-based providers across five counties in southeast Kansas. Her work with the cooperative serves children with special needs ages 3 to 21 via both in-person and online visits.
Becky Glover, OTD, OTR/L, CBIS, LSVT-BIG
In a community setting at AbilityKC, Glover works with individuals who have sustained a neurological injury and works in development and evaluation of organization's programs. In addition to her clinical practice activities, she supervises students in KU's occupational therapy doctoral degree program. She also collaborates with other health care professionals on scholarly projects.
Lisa Mische Lawson, Ph.D., CTRS
Partnering with the cities of Fairway and Lenexa, Mische Lawson developed the Sensory Enhanced Aquatics program. As director of the innovative program, she trains and supervises KU health professions students to provide swimming and water safety lessons for children with autism spectrum disorders in partnership with local parks and recreation agencies.
Becky Nicholson, OTD, OTR/L
Nicholson provides support to Project Access, a community-based organization supported by Seamless Dance theater, providing children with developmental disabilities opportunities for learning dance and performing. The dance class is taught by a professional dancer at Starstruck Performing Arts Center with support from occupational therapy service-learning students and an American Sign Language interpreter.
In addition, she partners with El Centro Academy for Children, a dual-language child education center, to provide occupational therapy support to address the developmental and sensory needs for children.
Jeff Radel, Ph.D.
For the past 30 years, CHAMPS Achievers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) community agency, has focused on teaching adapted martial arts and self-defense classes for people with special needs, although learners of all abilities and ages are welcome. He is president of the CHAMPS advisor board, serves as a volunteer instructor (Shodan rank, ISKF), and is the faculty liaison supporting KU occupational therapy students participating in CHAMPS activities as a service-learning site.
Dory Sabata, OTD, OTR/L
Sabata has served as occupational therapy program director for the American Stroke Foundation in the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area. In this role, she has provided consultation to the foundation's occupational therapy providers to help serve individuals post-stroke. The community-based program also promotes health and wellness in addition to providing community outreach and education on topics such as secondary stroke prevention.
Denise Sangoi, OTD, OTR/L
Through the ANW Special Education Cooperative, Sangoi provides telehealth occupational therapy services to students and school-based providers across five counties in southeast Kansas. Her work with the cooperative serves children with special needs 3 to 21 years of age.
Blake Spanjer, OTD
At KU Medical Center’s Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center, Spanjer provides clinical occupational therapy services to a wide range of patients with multiple sclerosis. She also works with the Parkinson's Exercise and Wellness Center offering occupational therapy consultation as well as helping to evaluate and develop the organization's programs.
Laurie Steen, OTR/L, CEAS I
Steen provides occupational therapy services and supervises doctoral students in the KU occupational therapy degree program at two faculty practice sites at KU Medical Center. In her role as a driving rehabilitation specialist in the Driving and Mobility Services Clinic, she provides clinical assessments and rehabilitation of driving skills for individuals with a wide range of health conditions. Additionally, Steen serves as a clinical faculty practice supervisor at JaySTART, a student-run outpatient clinic focused on improving access to rehabilitation in the Kansas City area.
Lacy Wright, OTD, OTR/L
Wright has worked with pediatric clients for more than 10 years in schools and outpatient services environments. She is passionate about supporting participation and meaningful employment for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
E (Alice) Zhang, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA-KS
Zhang provides parent training and behavioral consultation for families of children with autism spectrum disorder through the OASIS Clinic at the KU Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center.