News

TWU faculty and students use occupational therapy to alleviate trauma in minors

When Dallas opened an emergency shelter for unaccompanied minors fleeing violence in North Central America in spring 2021, Texas Woman’s School of Occupational Therapy faculty and students jumped at the opportunity to use their skills to help. Much like when the field of occupational therapy supported people experiencing occupational deprivation in the old psychiatric hospitals and tuberculosis asylums 100 years ago, this shelter needed help to provide meaningful activities and support an environment that allowed minors to heal.

Putting service into physical therapy practice

For many Texas Woman’s students, there is nothing more exciting and rewarding than putting the education they received in the classroom into real-world practice, especially when it involves serving others. That is exactly what nine Dallas Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students discovered on their service trip to Puerto Rico in May, when they helped those who needed their skills the most.

Nurse living dream of flight, care

Stories and pictures from her grandfather’s time flying and jumping out of helicopters in Vietnam always fascinated Elyse Moody. While choppers are an integral part of her work these days, the focus of her dream job as a flight nurse with PHI Air Medical is more about putting patients into them. 

Life-altering experience set path for career

As a caregiver to her late husband, Cheryl Thaxton, DNP, APRN, CPNP, FNP-BC, CHPPN, ACHPN, FPCN, was so inspired by the palliative care team that worked with her family that she chose to shift her career path to focus on becoming a palliative care provider to help others.

TWU alumnus, faculty member awarded for career of service

From a young age, Texas Woman’s alumnus and School of Occupational Therapy Associate Clinical Professor William Sit (MA ’99, PhD ’04), wanted to pursue a career in healthcare and volunteer in various settings. Those desires have led him to a three-decades-long career as an occupational therapist, inspired a passion for teaching and resulted in him being named 2020 Texas Occupational Therapist of the Year by the Texas Occupational Therapy Association (TOTA).