Vanderkooi Endowed Lectureship

28th Vanderkooi Endowed Lecturer

Roger O. Smith, PhD, OT, FAOTA, RESNA Fellow
Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Rehabilitation Research Design & Disability Center Director

"The Implications of the Metaphysical Physical-Emotive
Theory of Occupation on Everything Occupation"

Friday, February 5, 2021
9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST
Free Virtual Event

Register for the Event

Schedule:

• 9 a.m. - Endowed Lecture by Dr. Roger Smith
• 11 a.m. - Mentored Student Research Presentations

At the Eleanor Clark Slagle Lecture in 2017 we unveiled a new theory. It was of grand nature, suited for the 100th anniversary of the occupational therapy profession in Philadelphia. It grounded occupation as foundational in metaphysical existence. We named it the Metaphysical Physical-Emotive Theory of Occupation (MPETO). Today it has matured. This Vanderkooi Lecture will remind us of the core fundamentals of the MPETO. It will then take us on a journey deeper into its meaning and implications on occupational science and occupational therapy practice. Neuroscience, linguistics, physics, disability science, mental health and the arts directly relate to the MPETO. Essentially, the MPETO helps explain why occupation is central to healthy human behavior and thus, suggests a rationale for interventions based on a fundamental metaphysical reality. This lecture sets a new context for the study of human occupation and occupation-based interventions.

About the Lecturer

Roger O. Smith’s research focuses on measurement related to disability and the application of assistive technology and universal design. In measurement, Smith examines assessments to determine their reliability and validity in use. He has created a software-based evaluation system that uses a branching question structure called TTSS (Trichotomous Tailored Sub-branching Scoring.) Smith also investigates the effectiveness of assistive technology and universal design interventions on the lives of people with disabilities. Currently, Smith directs several federally-funded projects, has served as primary author and director for more than 35 grant and contract awards of over $10 million of extramural-sponsored research and training programs. These projects have supported many dozens of students in assistive technology training and in research support positions. Smith is the director of the R2D2 Center which provides an interdisciplinary home for basic research, applied research and development, as well as innovative instruction related to technology and disability.