Welcome to the ninth edition of the School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, email newsletter.

Over the spring and early summer, there have been some exciting developments. This September 2005, we look forward to welcoming 120 new students to the Professional Master's programs: 60 in Occupational Therapy and 60 in Physiotherapy. The Research Master's program will be welcoming 7 new students and the Online Research Master's program currently has 50 students enrolled. In early April, the Rehabilitation Science PhD program proposal was passed by the University Senate, and will go forward to the Ontario Graduate Studies Council for approval.

Several of our faculty have received grants for respective research proposals and we are extremely proud of their achievements. Further details are available in the section on “Research Highlights”. One of the key activities of the School was the inaugural event of the School of Rehabilitation Science Alumni Reunion on June 4, 2005. It was a momentous occasion and highlights of the reunion are featured in this newsletter.

As the 2004-2005 academic year comes to a close, we would like to thank faculty, staff, professional associates, clinical community, alumni and students for their contributions toward a successful academic year, and we look forward to the start of a bright new academic year beginning September 6, 2005.

Enjoy the remainder of our very warm summer! Keep in touch!

As always, we welcome your feedback and news - send it to collinsh@mcmaster.ca

With best wishes.

Mary Law, Associate Dean, School of Rehabilitation Science

SRS REUNION

Come and celebrate with us was the initial announcement and approximately 25 alumni, including some of their spouses and children came out to celebrate the inaugural SRS Alumni Reunion on June 4, 2005.

The inaugural event turned out to be a wonderful day beginning with a warm welcome from Mary Law, Associate Dean (SRS), followed by a fabulous BBQ lunch. Deb Stewart, Assistant Dean (OT), Laurie Wishart, Assistant Dean (PT), Penny Salvatori, OT faculty, Patty Solomon, PT faculty, Sue Baptiste, OT faculty, and Liliana Coman, PT faculty joined Mary Law in welcoming alumni. Over the two and a half hours, faculty and alumni networked and shared recent news on educational activities and research projects. The SRS deanery and faculty were delighted to hear that many who attended expressed interest in staying connected with their alma mater in various educational and professional capacities.

Alumni who attended the Reunion included:
Kevin Blake, PT'97
Steve Brown, PT'96
Fran Cleary, OT'95
Liliana Coman, PT'96
Colleen Good, OT'04
Laura Grunder, OT'04
Jen Hastings, OT'95
Diana Herrington, PT'99
Amanda Johnson, OT'04
Sen-Foong Lim, OT'99
Reid Maltby, PT'95
Dan McQueen, PT'95
Cheryl Mogensen, PT'84
Daina Mounsey, OT'95
Linda Pillinini, OT'93
John Staresinic, PT'95
Wendy Thrasher, OT'95
Jodi Steele, PT'99
Patricia Vandepolder, PT'95

Special thanks to the SRS Reunion organizing committee: Marisa Loduca, FHS Alumni Advancement Officer, Helena Collins, Program Administrator, Karen Christie, PT ‘02, Sen-Foong Lim, OT'99, Amanda Johnson, OT ‘04, Diana Herrington, PT ‘99, Liliana Coman, PT ‘96, Sarah Brunetti, Year 1 PT alumni rep, Laura Stewart, Year 1 OT alumni rep, Beth Hoag, Year 2 PT alumni rep and PT 2004-2005 President, Danielle Clarke, Year 2 OT alumni rep and OT 2004-2005 President.

OT'95 Reunion

The OT Class of ‘95 celebrated their 10-year reunion on July 1 and 2, 2005. Festivities started on July 1, 2005 at Hess Village, Hamilton. Classmates Wade Repta, Jane McCarney, Wendy Kemper, Diana Mounsey (nee Defasio), Jen Hastings, Sue Ormond (nee Hermans), Marisa Mancinelli and Donna Monteyne (nee Hudson) enjoyed a homecoming evening. Thank you to Wade Repta for organizing the Hess Village activity. On July 2, 2005, a family picnic at the Monteyne residence was attended by Wade Repta, Jane McCarney, Wendy Kemper, Sarah Brown and family, Ruth Rankin (nee Thompson) and children, Lianne Peters (nee Timbers) and her two children, Bonnie Burdett and her 3 children, Kathy Merwin and family, Carol Peachey-Hill and family, and Donna Monteyne (nee Hudson) and family. Both events on July 1 and 2 enjoyed great weather. At the July 2nd picnic, the children chased a ball around, jumped on a trampoline and went for a train ride, whilst their parents enjoyed catching up with former classmates, and viewing some slides assembled for a slide show initially shown at the ‘95 graduation celebrations. Although 10 years older, the ‘95 group hope to meet again in another 10 years to celebrate their 20 year anniversary and do some more reminiscing!

Thank you to Donna Monteyne for sharing highlights of the ‘95 class reunion with us.

AWARDS

Congratulations and Best wishes to the respective recipients on their achievements!

2004-2005 GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION BURSARY

Presented to Davorka Vujanovic, Graduand, OT ‘05.

LA FONDATION RICARD BURSARY

Presented to Michele Bergeron, in Year 1 of the PT program, 2004-2005. The award provides “French Canadians living in a linguistic minority situation the opportunity to pursue graduate studies in the best schools in the world without having to go into debt.”

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PROGRAM UNSUNG HERO AWARD

Presented to Danielle Clarke, Graduand, OT ‘05, for special contribution to the Occupational Therapy Program that goes above and beyond the call of duty in the areas of education and research.

PHYSIOTHERAPY PROGRAM UNSUNG HERO AWARD

Presented to Elizabeth Hoag, Graduand, PT ‘05, for special contribution to the Physiotherapy Program that goes above and beyond the call of duty in the areas of education and research.

CANADA GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

Presented to Sandra Moll, recipient of the prestigious 3-year Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) at a value of $35,000 per year. It is the highest award offered by SSHRC. Sandra has also been granted, and will hold concurrently, a fellowship with the Research in Addictions and Mental Health Policy and Services Program (RAMHPS). Sandra was also successful in obtaining an Ontario Graduate Scholarship, however, declined in favour of the CGS and the fellowship Program.

2005 OSOT BARBARA FERNIE AWARD

Presented to Colleen Good, OT ‘04. The award is a provincial award that recognizes one graduating student from one of the 5 Ontario schools, who has demonstrated academic excellence and outstanding clinical performance and aptitude in the psychiatric field.

THE 2005-2006 FOWLER KENNEDY SPORT MEDICINE CLINIC-SPORT PHYSIOTHERAPY FELLOWSHIP

Consecutive recipient! Presented to Angelo Boulougouris, PT ‘04. The 10-month fellowship is designed to give the Fellow exposure to a wide variety of sport physiotherapy conditions and situations. Angelo joins the ranks of Greg Alcock, PT '97 and fellow classmate, David Humphries, PT '04 in receiving the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic-Sport Physiotherapy Fellowship. Angelo gratefully acknowledges David Humphries for his advice and encouragement.

2005 ONTARIO GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS

Presented to:
Occupational Therapy students:
Kathryn Fields, Shannon Grant and Alisson Wilder

Physiotherapy students:
Alison Mills, Mindy Broersma, Leanna Lee, David Bruinsma, Leigh Goring and Shawn Williams

BEST WISHES TO....

Dr. Linda Woodhouse, Chair of Unit 6 PT, on receiving her doctorate this summer. Linda's PhD focussed on Exercise Science from the University of Toronto, and was entitled “Effects of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone (rhGH) on impairment and Functional Capacity in Adults with Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD).” Congratulations Linda!

Congratulations to Jason Taddeo, PT'05 graduand, on his article entitled “Is the Peripheral Muscle Strength Reduced in Children with Cystic Fibrosis: What is the Evidence to Support Treatment?” published in The Gas Exchange, the newsletter of the Cardiorespiratory Division, Spring 2005, Volume 13, Number 1.

Dr. Joy MacDermid, PT faculty, who has been recently selected to be an Honoured Therapy Professor for the meeting of Surgery and Rehabilitation of the Hand in Philadelphia, March 18 - 21, 2006. Well done Joy!

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHTS!

Congratulations to the following investigators :

Carol DeMatteo and Steven Hanna on receiving $48,860 from the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, for their project, “Establishing Valid Criteria for Classification of Mild Traumatic Brain Injuiry in Children”. The project involves secondary data analysis of their ABI Transitions study. Team members include Mary Law, Louise Scott, Anne Newman, Bill Mahoney and Rob Hollenberg.

HaNSA (Head & Neck, Shoulder & Arm Research Group) on receiving a Summer Studentship in Musculoskeletal Research from CIHR. Funding supported work on the project, “Defining Objective Measures of Pathology in Neck Pain and their Relationship to Quality-of-Life” Members of the HaNSA group comprise Michael Pierrynowski, Vicki Galea, Joy MacDermid, Anita Gross, Laurie McLaughin, Denish Kumbare, Bill Parkinson, Paul Missiuna, Colleen McPhee, Nadine Graham, Anna Lee and Taffina Marley. Thank you to Astra Teo, research assistant, for providing research support to the HaNSA group.

Cheryl Missiuna is one of the Co-Investigators on the 3-year Community University Research Alliance Program (CURA) entitled “Toward a Bully-Free Community: The Hamilton-McMaster University-Mohawk College Research Alliance.” Heading the team of researchers and community partners on this project is Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt, Department of Psychology. Funding from SSHRC for the 3-year program is $968,000. In this CURA, Cheryl will have an active role in Project 2, a longitudinal study to identify risk and protective factors for victimization and aggression in children.

Patty Solomon, Principal Investigator, Sue Baptiste, Carole Orchard (University of Western Ontario), Pippa Hall (University of Ottawa), Ellen Rukholm (Laurentian University) and the Council of Ontario Universities on receiving $1.2 million from Health Canada for their grant application, “Development and Evaluation of the Institute of Interprofessional Health Sciences Education.”

Vicki Galea, Principal Investigator, Lori Letts, Deb Stewart, Penny Salvatori and David Keane (PERD), on receiving $4621 from the Centre for Leadership in Learning for their grant application, “Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Personal Progress (PPI) Testing in the Occupational Therapy Program.”

Laurie Wishart, Julie Richardson, Mary Law, Lori Letts and Deb Stewart, on receiving $75,000 from the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, for their grant application, “Rehabilitation in Primary Care: National and International Perspectives and Training Requirements.”

Beverley Antle and Deb Stewart, Principal Investigators, Mary Law, Helen Healy and Nancy Young, on receiving $73,575 from the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation and Ministry of Health for their grant application, “Best Practices in Transitions to Adulthood for Children with Disabilities in Ontario: An Evidence-based Model of Service Delivery.”

Lori Letts, Colleen O'Toole, Mary Edwards, Julie Berenyi, Kathy Moros, Colleen O'Neill, Sandra Hobson (University of Western Ontario) and Mary Egan (University of Ottawa), on receiving $5000 from the Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation for their grant application, “Optimizing Daily Living in Clients with Dementia and their Caregivers: A Critical Literature Review of Occupational Therapy Interventions.”

Dorcas Beaton, Joy MacDermid, R. Richards, R.L. Franche, P. Cote, S. Hogg-Johnson, C. Bombardier, S. Pagura on receiving $287,332 from the Workers Safety and Insurance Board for their grant application, “Managing the ‘tail of the curve': The Course, Predictive factors and Work-related Outcomes of Injured workers one year after attending the WSIB Specialty Clinics for Upper Limb Disorders.”

Carol DeMatteo, Mary Law, Colin MacArthur, Angela Colantonio and Rachel Teplicky, on receiving $150,000 from the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation for their grant application, “Inappropriate Living Environments for Adolescents with Acquired Brain Injury.”

Carol DeMatteo, Steven Hanna, Mary Law, Louise Scott, Ann Newman and Bill Mahoney, on receiving $370,000 from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research for their grant application, “Trajectories and Consequences: Longterm Followup of children and their Families after Acquired Brain Injury.”

Mary Law, Johanna Darrah, Dianne Russell, Peter Rosenbaum, Stephen Walter and Brenda Wilson, on receiving $750,000 from the National Institutes of Health for their grant application, “Family-centred Functional Therapy for Young Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Clinical Trial.”

MEET OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER

Retirement has not stopped veteran occupational therapist, Pamela Sniderman, from being involved in the work she enjoys. Since June 2005, Pamela is a retired Occupational Therapist, however, her contributions to the School of Rehabilitation Science are innumerable!

Prior to retirement, Pamela worked in private practice as an authorizer for the ADP of the Ministry of Health, Ontario. She loves “working in the field of Human Factors, assisting people back to work or improving their ability to function within their working roles. I have also worked in Orthopedics, with those with chronic pain, with the very old in continuing care units and with employees of various industries.”

Pamela is married with three children and six grandchildren. Two of her children and their families live very close to her in Dundas; however, one sibling and family live in Vancouver, which requires some frequent and extended trips to the West coast.

In 1961, Pamela received her diploma in OT at the London School of Occupational Therapy. Currently, she is enrolled in the Department of Humanities at McMaster University, completing her BA in English Literature. Forty-four years ago, she started her career in occupational therapy on the grounds of the former Chedoke Hospital, now referred to as the Chedoke site of the Hamilton Health Sciences. She assisted with the establishment of the Rehabilitation unit in the Evel building. After her youngest child began attending elementary school full time, she returned to Holbrook to seek employment. Between 1977-1981, she worked at the McMaster University Medical Centre. In 1981 – 82, she worked at Dofasco, and then served as the Director of the Occupational Therapy department at St. Joseph's Hospital between 1982-1996. After a “voluntary retirement”, she worked for clients involved in automobile accidents and also with respective business sectors in employee health. In 1998, she and Peter packed up, bought an RV and moved to B.C. for 2 years. During the 2 years, she worked at the University of British Columbia Hospital in the extended care unit in a supervisory capacity. Returning to Dundas in 2000, she re-entered the Automobile Insurance line of work. In the last few years, she has worked as an ADP authorizer.

Pamela tutored in the Occupational Therapy Program, McMaster School of Rehabilitation Science “since the beginning.” She has been involved in the admissions interview process, and served as a tutor. In June 2005, she assisted two Term 6 students, whilst they completed their final placement in a nontraditional setting.

Pamela has presented at various conferences, was involved in a study at the St. Joseph's Community Health Centre assessing interdisciplinary tutorials and has attended various workshops to maintain and increase her skill and knowledge in the occupational therapy profession. She assisted in organizing the OSOT 1997 Annual Conference in Hamilton, and in recent years, she worked with a non-governmental organization (NGO).

An ardent supporter of the profession of occupational therapy, she has enjoyed her stints on the Board of OSOT, and serving as Vice-President (Education). Pamela sees the practice of occupational therapy in all aspects of life, such as being privileged to give a talk to the Quilting Guild in Toronto on the hazards of sitting at a sewing machine for 8 hours a day; she continues to vocally address issues related to the profession.

“The pleasure I get out of meeting the students at the tutorials, the involvement at all levels of my commitment to the SRS is a huge factor in my life. I hope to be able to participate in the future of the profession for as long as possible” exclaims the retired occupational therapist.

Our sincere thanks to Pamela for her support of and contribution to the Occupational Therapy program in the School of Rehabilitation Science, and look forward to many more years of her involvement as a tutor and admissions interviewer in the School.

ACTIVITIES

2005 HELEN SAARINEN FUN RUN

On June 5, 2005, approximately 100 runners, cyclists, rollerbladers and walkers lined up at 10:00 a.m. in 30 degrees plus heat to participate in the 11th annual Helen Saarinen Fun Run. Starting at the Mohawk-McMaster Applied Health Sciences Building, the 5/10 km run led participants through a 5 km course in the McMaster campus. In total, $3,885 was raised for the Canadian Cancer Society. The annual fun Run is held in memory of Helen Saarinen, founding Chair of the Physiotherapy Program, who lost her courageous battle with cancer in 1996. The Fun Run organizing committee expresses its gratitude to the many local businesses who donated prizes and food, and a special thank you to the students, faculty and community members who participated in and volunteered their time to make the 2005 Fun Run a very successful event.

2005 OT/PT JOB FAIR

Students from the occupational and physiotherapy programs hosted the 2005 OT/PT Job Fair on June 1, 2005. The job fair facilitates communication between students and potential employers. This year's job fair was held in the CIBC Room in the McMaster University Student Centre. According to reports from students and professional recruiters, the event was very successful. The Job Fair organizing committee would like to thank the students and professional recruiters for their participation and contribution, and wish the 2006 Job Fair organizing committee much success in hosting next year's fair.

MEET OUR FACULTY

VICKIE GALEA

Dr. Vickie Galea is a neurophysiologist, who has been at the School of Rehabilitation Science since 1993. She is an Associate Professor within the School, and serves as a primary resource in the basic sciences, including anatomy, physiology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, for both the Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Programs. Vickie's clinical research has been mainly conducted in the Human Movement Laboratory, which she co-directs with Dr. Michael Pierrynowski. Both she and Michael are part of a research group called HaNSA (Head and Neck, Shoulder, & Arm) that comprise physiotherapists, physiatrists, orthopaedic surgeons and clinical psychologists. The clinical members of this group have an expertise in manual therapy and work with clients who have neck and sometimes shoulder/arm pain as a consequence of mechanical neck disorders, e.g. whiplash associated disorder. These individuals also frequently have nerve root damage, leading to peripheral nerves that are not intact. Vickie explains, “…if the nerve root damage occurs, the peripheral nerve conduction would be impaired, resulting in incomplete transmission of information between the upper limb muscles and the spinal cord.” Vickie's interest within this group is in the study of various functional tasks involving the upper limb with a focus on the coordination of movement of the limb, as well as assessment of the kinematics and muscle activation involved. For more information on this research, or connecting with the HaNSA Group, please email Vickie at galeav@mcmaster.ca.

In another series of studies, and in collaboration with other SRS faculty, Vickie has begun data collection on what is occurring in the hand, examining intrinsic and extrinsic muscle activation patterns, while participants with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis perform various dexterity tasks.

Presently, Vickie has begun collaborations with Dr. Henry Szechtman and Dr. Eric Woody in research on upper limb motor control funded by NSERC. Based on the previous work done by her collaborators on the mechanisms of hypnosis, Vickie has begun to investigate the neural strategies used by subjects, while under hypnosis, in the performance of various motor tasks. These very interesting studies have so far yielded the observation that motor strategies used by highly hypnotizable subjects are somewhat different from those of low hypnotic susceptibility. These studies provide a window into upper limb motor control and also provide the opportunity to manipulate the peripheral information being sent to the brain and spinal cord.

Past work includes published research studies with Marilyn Wright, a pediatric physiotherapist, investigating the balance of children who have Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Children with ALL experience myopathies and neuropathies as a consequence of chemotherapy treatment, sometimes resulting in balance difficulties. When their balance is challenged in any way, they are unable to retain this posture, and they fall. This study also explored rehabilitation strategies to use with this population during their chemotherapy treatment. Vickie has also engaged in other paediatric studies on infants and children with an Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Injury. Initial observations have been accepted for publication and she and her co-investigators are presently exploring avenues for funding in order to continue these studies. For further discussion about biomechanical and neurophysiological issues and related research, please consult the Biomch-L an electronic discussion forum that allows those with a common interest in biomechanics and related fields to communicate by electronic mail (E-mail). Subscription is free. Biomch-L is fully moderated and web access is at: http://isb.ri.ccf.org/biomch-l.

JACKIE BOSCH

Jackie Bosch has been affiliated with the School of Rehabilitation Science since 1995, and is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor. She is currently involved in teaching clinical skills lab to the occupational therapy students in Terms 2 and 3, facilitating a group in the Evidence-based practice group, as well as teaching in the conjoint McMaster-University of British Columbia web-based Evidence-based Practice course. Jackie is also a Research Associate at the Population Health Research Institute.
In her role as Research Associate at the Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Jackie is involved in research related to preventive cardiology and diabetes. Some of these studies include the following: She is Project Director of the EpiDREAM/DREAM, Program. This program includes both an epidemiologic study of over 25,000 participants internationally looking at risk factors for the development of diabetes (including obesity, genetics and environmental factors) as well as randomized control study focused on diabetes prevention entitled, “DREAM Trial.” The study recruited 5,269 participants, from 191 centres in over 21 countries, who are at high risk of developing diabetes because of impaired glucose tolerance. The study will test the possibility that the drugs ramipril and/or rosiglitazone can prevent Type 2 diabetes in this population. For further information on the DREAM trial, please consult: this website and this website

Jackie is the Project Director of another randomized control trial looking at insulin to achieve normal glucose levels in participants at high risk of cardiovascular events and having elevated glucose levels. The study will recruit 12,500 participants from over 40 countries with recruitment expected to be completed by November 2005. In addition, in a factorial design, the study is also examining the effect of omega-3 fatty acids in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. For further information on this study, please email Jackie at boschj@mcmaster.ca More information on cardiovascular disease is available at the American Heart Association web site: http://www.americanheart.org/

NEW PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR THE RESEARCH MASTER'S PROGRAM

The School of Rehabilitation Science welcomes Dr. Seanne Wilkins, OT faculty as the new Program Coordinator for the Master of Science Program in Rehabilitation Science, MSc(RS) effective September 1, 2005 for a three-year term. Best wishes and much success in your new role Seanne!

Our sincere thanks to Jean Wessel, who will be stepping down as the Program Coordinator effective August 31, 2005. Kudos to Jean for her great work in guiding the program over the past few years.

NEW TEXT ON INNOVATIONS IN REHABILITATION SCIENCES EDUCATION

Congratulations to Patty Solomon and Sue Baptiste, editors of the new book entitled “Innovations in Rehabilitation Sciences Education: Preparing Leaders for the Future.” The book, to quote the preface, “highlights, supports and illustrates educational innovations in the rehabilitation sciences curricula at McMaster University.” Chapter authors include SRS faculty: Margaret Brockett, Jennifer Cano, Beverley Cole, Elaine Foster-Seargeant, Lynne Geddes, Hallie Groves, Bonny Jung, Lori Letts, Julie Richardson and Penny Salvatori. Congratulations to these individuals for their contributions to the book.

THE DAY THE POSSUM CAME TO THE WORKSHOP
submitted by Sue Baptiste

And that is exactly what happened………There we were, Mary Law and I, moving furniture and arranging flip charts in true problem-based fashion, getting ready for a three day workshop at LaTrobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Suddenly, there was a call from upstairs “Sue……Sue!!” So, we looked out of the door and, coming down the stairs, was a rather delightful piece of antipodean wild life, looking just as surprised as we were. Their possums are very pretty, I think, and I had so wanted to see one so this was quite a special treat for me. As were many other occasions during my trip ‘down under' earlier this Spring.

My sense of connectedness to Australia had begun last year when I had the good fortune to visit Lynnette MacKenzie and colleagues at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales as well as Cathy Cook and her colleagues at the University of Western Sydney. From the first to the last views of the famous harbour during both visits, I found Australian hospitality and energy both overwhelming and wonderful.

Professional connections have been made that I know will last for many years. Already, there has been one exchange student from Newcastle to the School, participating in an academic unit and there are plans with both Newcastle and LaTrobe for further student exchanges with a focus upon working with aboriginal peoples in Canada and Australia. In fact, on the last day of my visit, Linsey Howie (Head of School, LaTrobe) and I spent some time at Worawa College, an independent school that provides educational input to selected aboriginal students from across the country and embraces all middle and high school grade levels. The program is highly congruent with the core philosophies of occupational therapy and client-centred practice, and the Vice-Principal is most interested in pursuing fieldwork opportunities with both of our Universities.

Similarly, there is another chance for developing something with a different focus in a northern area, closer to Darwin, where there is an emerging program for preparing young aboriginal people to enter the work force. There is much interest there including occupational therapy as a core input to this process and a clear recognition that this is a great initiative within which to incorporate fieldwork experiences for our students.

Other faculty members at LaTrobe have voiced a serious interest in coming to McMaster to pursue further learning related to curriculum development, including Susan Darzins, a previous member of our group here at Mac in the Work Function Unit.
Some great work was accomplished over the past couple of months with our colleagues at LaTrobe, and our collective experiences in developing our entry level master's program in OT have proven to be invaluable to them as they journey along a different path but one with commonalities and shared questions.

The possum wasn't the only opportunity to commune with nature in my travels: from exotic and brilliant birds during a walk along the river, to an echidna that turned out to be a pinecone; from Mary playing golf surrounded by kangaroos and myself charmed forever by sleeping wombats and swimming platypus. This is indeed a land of great vistas and mysterious landscapes. But most of all, it is the kindness of the people that stays with you, their warmth and authenticity. I am eager to return next year, to the WFOT Conference and hope some of you will be joining me.

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