Two students at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been elected to prominent offices on the Assembly of Student Delegates Steering Committee of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
Kristen Lindeman, a third year occupational therapy doctoral student, was elected chairperson, and Tim Wolf, also a third year doctoral student, was elected vice chairperson at the annual AOTA convention, held recently in Long Beach, Calif.
“We are very proud of Kristen and Tim,” says Carolyn Baum, Ph.D., the Elias Michael Director of Washington University’s Program in Occupational Therapy and a professor of occupational therapy and neurology. “They are assuming leadership of the student organization at a time the profession is laying out its plan for the future, and both have major roles in establishing the vision and the strategic plan.”
Lindeman has been a member of AOTA for three years. As chairperson, she plans to increase student memberships in AOTA and emphasize national lobbying efforts.
At the School of Medicine, Lindeman is studying how home modifications can reduce caregiver stress.
In his role as vice chairperson, Wolf will focus on increasing recruitment to the profession and AOTA. He has been involved with AOTA since high school.
At the School of Medicine, Wolf’s major areas of interest are cognitive rehabilitation and helping people return to work.
The American Occupational Therapy Association is the nationally recognized professional association of approximately 35,000 occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants and students of occupational therapy.
Practitioners work with people experiencing health problems such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, cancer, congenital conditions, developmental problems and mental illness. Occupational therapy helps people regain, develop and build skills that are essential for independent functioning, health and well-being.
Washington University School of Medicine’s full-time and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked second in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.