I spent my early formative years moving, not that that was my choice, I always thought it would be great to grow up in the same place with real lifelong friends. What I have learned about myself is that moving taught me self-reliance, an appreciation for people's differences and the importance of a nuclear family unit. It was in this family unit that the values of family, religion, education, and country were instilled. My husband and I have been blessed with three children, now adults and to my great joy, all living in the Chicago area. I have been an occupational therapist for 30+ years and in that context have been involved in teaching adults and the parents of infants and children, the adaptations necessary to gain or regain skills that give their lives meaning and independence. Early in my professional life I became involved in the clinical education of occupational therapy students. These experiences included participation in the design, development and actualization of an entry-level master's program in occupational therapy at Rush University. My contributions were mainly in planning, marketing, recruitment, admissions - the support functions - with the opportunity to teach management, supervision and advanced practice courses. As my interest and experience expanded I found myself drawn to becoming more involved in the education of a student body that included second career seeking adults. Currently, I am a tenured track faculty member in the Occupational Therapy Program of Governors State University in University Park, Illinois.
I received my BS in Occupational Therapy from Mount Mary College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1967. I received my MS in Management and Human Resource Development from National-Louis University in 1993 and gained a new appreciation for balancing full time school, full time employment and full time parenting along with community and professional involvement. For the last year I have been taking courses including three doctoral level courses in adult education through Northern Illinois University.
I am excited and energized by what I have already learned about myself as a learner and what I have been able to incorporate in the classroom. I am interested in how adults learn and how health education can best be utilized to influence the well being of society. Of special interest is health education of the older adult and all that is involved in teaching older adults. I am attracted to the National-Louis doctoral program and its strong emphasis on collaborative learning and the power of education to influence society. I am interested in participative research and look forward to the opportunity to learn and apply adult education theories in a research context.
