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Andrea Karr is an Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education in the Occupational Therapy Program at Midwestern University. She earned her Master of Occupational Therapy degree from Saint Louis University in 2011 and is currently completing her doctoral degree through the University of Montana.

Andrea brings over 15 years of clinical experience across a variety of healthcare settings, with the majority of her career spent at a Level I Trauma Center. Her clinical expertise includes acute care occupational therapy, intensive care unit (ICU) rehabilitation, neurological rehabilitation, stroke recovery, movement disorders, and inpatient rehabilitation. She has extensive experience working with medically complex patients across the continuum of care and has served as a clinical instructor and mentor to numerous occupational therapy students throughout her career.

Andrea holds specialized certifications as an LSVT BIG® Certified Clinician for individuals with Parkinson's disease, a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS), and a Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Professional (CSRP). Her professional interests include neurological rehabilitation, clinical education, fieldwork development, simulation-based learning, and preparing occupational therapy students for successful transition into clinical practice.

In her role as Director of Clinical Education, Andrea oversees fieldwork education and clinical partnerships while supporting students' professional development from the classroom to clinical practice. She is passionate about bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world clinical application through experiential learning, mentorship, and evidence-based education.

Dr. Knecht-Sabres earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy and a post-professional Master of Science degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She received her Doctor of Health Science degree from the University of Indianapolis. Her primary areas of research have centered on enhancing students' readiness for clinical practice, adult learning, experiential learning, inter-professional education, and enhancing occupational performance for adults and older adults.

Dr. Knecht-Sabres has more than 30 years of experience as occupational therapy practitioner and educator. She has provided occupational therapy interventions for both children and adults, but has primarily specialized in e enhancing occupational performance for adults and older adults, with physical and neurological disabilities. She has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including, but not limited to: acute care, in-patient rehabilitation, day rehabilitation, out-patient community re-entry, adult day care, and home health.

Dr. Knecht-Sabres has provided numerous presentations at the local, state, national, and international levels on an array of topics, including but not limited to: enhancing students' readiness for clinical practice, clinical reasoning, adult learning, experiential learning, inter-professional education, client-centered assessment, and enhancing safety and occupational performance with older adults. Dr. Knecht-Sabres has written several chapters in textbooks and has published her research findings in numerous peer-reviewed professional journals, including but not limited to: The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) , The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT), The Journal of Occupational Therapy Education (JOTE), Occupational Therapy in Health Care, Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice (IJAHSP), American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, Journal of Education and Training Studies (JETS), Journal of Experiential Education (JEE), Open Access Journal of Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, Physical & Occupational Therapy In Geriatrics, and the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association (ILOTA) .

Dr. Knecht-Sabres is a professor at Midwestern University and has taught occupational therapy students for over 30 years. She primarily teaches content related to OT intervention for adults and older adults. She serves as a research advisor, Capstone mentor, and has served a guest lecturer in several courses. She has been an item writer for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and has served on the Faculty Advising Board for the Illinois Board if Higher Education (IBHE). She is currently serving on the editorial review board for The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT) and the Journal of Occupational Therapy Education (JOTE). Additionally, she has served as a guest editor for the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, Journal of Experiential Education (JEE), The Journal of Gerontology and Geriatrics Education, Journal of Leisure Research, and Disability and Rehabilitation. In addition , she serves as a reviewer for numerous occupational therapy textbook publishing companies, such as Slack Inc., Wolters Kluwer Health, and F.A. Davis Publishing Co. Dr. Knecht-Sabres has also been awarded several grants to support research related to interprofessional education and quality of life for older adults.

Dr. Kovic received his Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate from the University of Illinois @ Chicago in 2008. He is currently the Associate Director and a Professor in the Occupational Therapy Program. He received a Master of Science in Humanitarian Action from the Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego in May 2025.

He has been awarded Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association. He is a recipient of the World Federation of Occupational Therapy Thelma Cardwell Research Award. He has had the honor to serve in the Fulbright Specialist Roster Program. He is currently a Higher Learning Commission Peer Corps Reviewer.

He has held a variety of leadership positions, including the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Stroke Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group Chairperson, Therapy Missions President, American Heart Association Post-Stroke Writing Group Member, CGFNS, and International Global Healthcare Worker Certificate Program Team Leadperson.

Lisa Mahaffey, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA received a baccalaureate degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a PhD in Disability Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Mahaffey has authored several book chapters, as well as peer reviewed articles, related to occupational therapy and mental health for adults and children and was a contributor to the third edition of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (AOTA, 2014). Dr. Mahaffey's professional service includes 10 years on the board of directors for the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association (ILOTA) where she served first as director of finance and most recently as president. She served the American Occupational Therapy Association as the chair for the mental health special interest section from 2006 to 2009, as a member of the Commission on Practice from 2011-2014, and as on the Board of Directors from 2019 to 2022. She is currently serving as the Chair of the Illinois Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee.

VanPuymbrouck, L., Mahaffey, L., McArthur, A., & Seth, A. J. (2023). Response to Guay et al. (2022). The issue is...What is Deliberately Dying Is an
Occupation? American Journal of Occupational Therapy.

Wasmuth, S., Horsford, C., Mahaffey, L., & Lysaker, P.H. (2022). Metacognitive Reflection and Insight Therapy” (MERIT) for the Occupational Therapy Practitioner. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2022.050196

Sheth, A. J., Kish, J., VanPuymbrouck, L. H., Heffron, J. L., Lee, D., & Mahaffey, L. (2021). “A legitimate place in the profession”: Author reflections on the 2005 disability studies special issue. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75, 7504180005. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2021.045294

Wasmuth, S., Leonhart, B., Pritchard, K., Li, C.Y., DeRolf, A., Mahaffey, L. (2021). Supporting occupational justice for transgender and gender-nonconforming people through narrative-informed theater: A mixed-methods feasibility study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75, 7504180080. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2021.045161

Blaskowitz, M.G. & Mahaffey, L. (2020). Health policy and funding for adults with intellectual disability: Past, present, and future directions. In K. Bryze (Ed.) Occupational therapy for adults with intellectual disability, pp. 11-28. Slack.

Mahaffey, L., & Januszewski, C., (2019). Chapter 30: The public policy environment. In Brown, C., Stoffel, V.C., & Munoz, J., (Eds.), Occupational therapy in mental health: A vision for participation 2nd Ed. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.

Mahaffey, L & Dallis, J., (2019). Chapter 42: The continuum of care: Supporting people through crisis to living in the community. In C. Brown, V,C. Stoffel, & J. Munoz, (Eds.), Occupational therapy in mental health: A vision for participation, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.

Mahaffey, L., & Januszewski, C., (2019). Assessments Used with the Model of Human Occupation. In B. Hemphill-Pearson & C. Urish (Eds.). Assessments in Occupational Therapy Mental Health, Thorofare, NJ: Slack, Inc.

Mahaffey, L., (2019). Occupational profile and interviewing in occupational therapy. In B. Hemphill-Pearson, & C. Urish, (Eds.). Assessments in occupational therapy mental health, Thorofare, NJ: Slack, Inc.

Lee, D. & Mahaffey, L., (2019) Community living and integration. Disability in American life: An encyclopedia of concepts, policies, and controversies. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC- CLIO, Inc.

Mahaffey, L., (2019). Mental Health self-help and support group. Disability in American life: An encyclopedia of concepts, policies, and controversies. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc.

Sood, D., Fisher, G., Mahaffey L., Wong, S.R., Baum, C.,& Cada, E. (2018). Chapter 11: Occupation-focused models. In S.A. Dsouza, R. Galvaan & E. Ramugondo (Eds).Concepts in occupational therapy: Understanding southern perspectives (pp139-158). Manipal, India: Manipal University Press.

Mahaffey, L., Burson, K., Januszewski, C., Pitts, D., & Preissner, K., (2015). A role for occupational therapy in community mental health: Using policy to advance scholarship of practice. Occupational Therapy in Healthcare, 29, 397 – 410.

Mahaffey, L., (2015). Abigail. In S. Cahill & P. Bowyer (Eds.). Cases in pediatric occupational therapy: Assessment and intervention. Thorofare, NJ: Slack Inc.

Mahaffey, L., (2014). Occupational identity and recovery for people with psychiatric disabilities. Mental Health Special Interest Section Quarterly, 37, 1-3.

AOTA Commission on Practice, (2014). The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, third edition. Bethesda, MD: AOTA Press.

Mahaffey, L., (2013) Redressing health care and wellness inequality through occupational therapy, OT Practice 18,8.

Mahaffey, L., (2013) Providing interventions through telehealth technology. OT Practice, 18,6.

Mahaffey, L., & Coliani, D. (2012) The international classification of functioning, disability and health and the OT practice framework. OT Practice, 17, p.7.

Mahaffey, L., (2012) Chapter 14: Managing difficult groups. In J. O’Brien, & J. Solomon (Eds.) Occupational and group analysis. Philadelphia, PA:
PA: FA Davis.

Mahaffey, L., (2011) Community mental health centers: Occupational therapy within the service team. OT Practice, 14, p. 20.

Scott, J. B., & Mahaffey, L., (2011). Chapter 7: Occupational engagement of older adults with mental illness. In M.K. Scheinhotlz, (Ed.) Occupational therapy in mental health: Considerations for advanced practice. Bethesda MD: AOTA Press.

Mahaffey, L., & Holmquist, B., (2011). Chapter 41: Hospital-based mental health care. In C. Brown, & V.C. Stoffel,(Eds.), Occupational therapy in mental health: A vision for participation. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.

Mahaffey, L., (2009). Incorporating evidence in mental health practice: Articles from the AOTA mental health annotated bibliography project. Mental Health Special Special Interest Quarterly, 3 1-4.

Mahaffey, L., (2009). Using theory and the therapeutic reasoning process to guide evaluation and intervention for the older adult with mental illness. OT Practice CE Article. OT Practice, 14, 37–42.

Mahaffey, L., (2008). Mental health in children and youth: The benefit and role of occupational therapy. American Occupational Therapy Association Fact Sheets.

Mahaffey, L., (2006). Building a mental health practice: Tradition and innovation in an acute care setting. OT Practice, 11, 14-18.

Mallison, T., Mahaffey, L., & Kielhofner, G., (1998) The occupational performance history interview: Evidence for three underlying constructs of occupational adaptation. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65, 219-228.

LaPlante, D., & Gutkowski, L., (1995). A vocational program for acute psychiatry. Mental Health Special Interest Section Newsletter 15, 1-2.

Guest Editor: 2020 Special Issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy on Disability Studies. Elizabeth A. Harrison; Alisa Jordan Sheth; Jacqueline Kish; Laura H. VanPuymbrouck; Jenna L. Heffron; Danbi Lee; Lisa Mahaffey; The Occupational Therapy and Disability Studies Network

Served on the DEI Editorial Team as a disability studies expert for the fourteenth edition of Willard and Spackman's Occupational Therapy textbook.

Dr. Robinson has been an occupational therapist for approximately 40 years and has focused primarily on the role of occupational therapy within the community. Her aim is to serve vulnerable communities that face barriers to meaningful participation within their own homes and communities. Majority of her professional involvement has been as a practitioner working alongside community members, whether that has been at an out-patient clinic,  home health setting or at non-profit organizations. In addition, advocacy has been a significant part of her professional service, taking on the role as the Illinois Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee chairperson, initiating the development of a coalition that led to the passage of the Illinois Habilitation Services for Children Act (215 ILCS 5/356z.15) and local state activism to promote access to occupational therapy services for Medicaid recipients as the co-chair for the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association Home & Community Health Special Interest Secion. Continued professional activities in the home and community involved beginning a small private practice that focused on the increasing participation in the home and community via home modifications and collaboration with outside community organizations.

Over nearly the last ten years, she has practiced in academia and has continued these efforts through scholarly endeavors that include researching and working with populations experiencing homelessness, older adults facing ageism, and promoting access to our state's Medicaid Home and Community-based Service Waiver for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her faculty position at Midwestern University's Occupational Therapy Department as a Director of Capstone Development has afforded her the opportunity to promote and support students' development of their individual capstone projects that lead to innovative and non-traditional services within community-based and traditional practice settings. Overseeing the capstone process fuels her commitment and excitement of what the occupational therapy profession can offer for our students as future practitioners. Witnessing students’ growth in self-efficacy, creativity and leadership skills by developing new roles and services at capstone sites provides new opportunities for the occupational therapy profession to demonstrate their effectiveness of novel and evidence-based practices.

Dr. Royeen earned her Master's of Occupational Therapy degree from Saint Louis University in 2011. She brings over a decade of diverse clinical experience across the continuum of care working with a variety of populations, including acute care, behavioral health, outpatient rehabilitation, and primary care settings.  In 2014, she helped establish innovative occupational therapy programming within a primary care setting at a university medical center, collaborating closely with interprofessional providers.  In 2020, Dr. Royeen completed her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences at Western Michigan University. Her doctoral research focused on health services delivery, specifically examining the role of occupational therapy within primary care teams. 

Dr. Emily Simpson earned Baccalaureate degrees in fine arts and developmental psychology from DePaul University, a Master's in Science of occupational therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a PhD in education and service leadership from Cardinal Stritch University. She is the Director of Student Research in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program and also serves as the Chair of Admissions. She teaches five research courses, the psychosocial practice course, and a seminar on occupational justice. Dr. Simpson has 20 years of experience as an occupational therapist working in community mental health and emerging practice areas, such as domestic violence shelters and transitional living facilities for people who are unhoused. She has worked as an occupational therapy educator for 16 years. Her current research interests focus on historically marginalized young people who are unhoused and the ways that healthcare providers experience addiction and stigma in the workplace.

Dr. Divya Sood earned her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from Manipal University in India. She later obtained her Post Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. With nearly 20 years of experience as an occupational therapist, she has worked in India and the United States. In 2015, she became a Credentialed Leader in Academia, offered through the Academic Leadership Institute of the American Occupational Therapy Association. In 2024, she completed an Artificial Intelligence in Education certification offered through the University of Pennsylvania.

She began her teaching career at Midwestern University in 2019 and is currently a tenured Professor in Occupational Therapy. She is also a co-director for a training grant from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) titled Tiered Occupational Therapy (TOT) Grant: Preparing Occupational Therapists to Serve on School Mental Health Teams.