The Department of Occupational Therapy
Luis Arabit is currently teaching Occupational Therapy with Middle Age Adults and two courses of Professional Development. His research interests include caregiving, healthy aging advocacy in occupational therapy, occupations of travel, neurological and orthopedic shoulder injuries, mentoring, preventive healthcare and professional development in OT.
Luis is a former Vice-President of the Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC), a former Chair of the OTAC Advocacy & Government Affairs Committee and a former Chair of the Los Angeles Occupational Therapy Leadership Forum. He was the recipient of the 2016 Janice Matsusuyu Outstanding Service award and the 2013 Luella Grangaard Political Action award from OTAC. Luis is a published author, writer and speaker at state, national and international OT conferences on topics related to occupational therapy and rehabilitation. He is currently serving as the Region V Director of the American Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee (AOTPAC).
Chiao-Ju Fang has practiced as an occupational therapist in hospitals, schools, and early intervention to serve children and adolescents with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral disabilities both in Taiwan and the United States.
A bilingual researcher, Chiao-Ju’s primary research interest is the development of conceptually grounded, psychometrically sound tools measuring the activities, participation levels, and environmental supports of children and adolescents with disabilities. Over the years, she has specialized in cross-cultural and international research, establishing strong connections in the occupational therapy and education fields in the United States and Asia. While pursuing her doctorate at NYU, Chiao-Ju won a number of grants and awards to support her research. Most notably, she was the 2017 recipient of NYU Steinhardt’s Mitchell Leaska Dissertation Research Award and the 2010 Taiwan Ministry of Education Dissertation Grant Award.
Chiao-Ju’s research plans include several areas. These include outcomes measurement for cross-cultural research, advanced technologies using robots and smart homes, the use of computer-based interventions such as virtual reality, and leadership, marketing, and management in occupational therapy.