Annual Student Conference
22nd Annual Occupational Therapy Graduate Student Research Conference
Occupational Justice: A Path to a Brighter Future
Saturday, April 26, 2025, 8 am - 4:30 pm
Ellison campus Center, North Campus
1 Meier Drive, Salem, MA
The 2025 Occupational Therapy Graduate Research Conference will feature a keynote presentation by Dr. Michael Iwama, “Decolonizing Occupational Therapy Theory”. Dr. Iwama is widely recognized for having developed the “Kawa Model” (‘kawa’ is the Japanese word for ‘river’), the first substantial model of practice in the rehabilitation sciences developed outside the English-speaking world. He has emerged as a very important and progressive thinker in the fields of occupational therapy and rehabilitation sciences worldwide. Dr. Iwama draws on his rich experience of acculturating into Eastern and Western social spheres of experience to drive his profound and critical perspectives on culture and its intersections with theory and practice in the rehabilitation sciences.
Registration is required.
Conference participants can earn up to four contact hours on completion of the survey.
Conference Mission and Vision
The conference promotes emerging practice areas in the field of occupational therapy through graduate research presentations.
Our occupational therapy students plan the conference as a part of their studies and, in the process, learn to:
- Obtain a keynote speaker
- Procure vendors
- Determine food and media needs
- Create a brochure
- Develop a website
- Organize the conference structure
- Develop and disseminate participant surveys
Students also present their research results as part of the conference. Occupational therapy practitioners, ancillary health service personnel, faculty members, and students from several local occupational therapy programs attend this exciting annual event.