Contact Information

Biography

Dr. Stuart has been an occupational therapy practitioner for 44 years, serving in the roles of clinician, team leader, OT Director, adjunct and full-time academician. Her practice focus has included neurologic rehabilitation and dementia care within inpatient rehabilitation, assisted living, and home health practice settings. Dr. Stuart has been engaged as a teaching professional within Duquesne University’s occupational therapy program for nearly 10 years  where she has taught students from across the pre-professional, professional and advanced professional curricular phases, with specific emphasis on community engaged learning, group dynamics and community-based practice. Her scholarship agenda relates to the design, development, and evaluation of community engagement and programming. Dr. Stuart has been passionate about professional advocacy throughout her career, developing and maintaining strategies to optimize engagement of OT students and clinicians in legislative and grassroots efforts.

Education

  • OTD, Chatham University, 2010
  • M.S., Occupational Therapy, Western Michigan University, 1980
  • B.S. Psychology, St. Lawrence University, 1975

Research Interests or Expertise

  • Organizational participation and leadership
  • Community-engaged learning
  • Active student engagement
  • Inter and intra-professional collaborations
  • Leadership volunteering in professional organizations
  • Multi-generational collaboration for professional development
  • Telehealth in caregiver support for dementia
  • Legislative advocacy by occupational therapists

 

School

About

Teaching Philosophy: I believe in the value of multi-generational professional learning via interactive discovery, discussion, and reflection. Teaching strategies will apply theory and evidence to practice, issues, and professional development.

Teaching/Lab Assistant Role

  • OCCT 518 Human Groups and Occupations
  • OCCT 511 Clinical Reasoning and Fieldwork II
  • OCCT 525 Psychosocial Function & FW II

Presentations (past 5 years)
*includes occupational therapy student

2024

  • McCann, M. and Stuart, A. Sowing Community Engagement: Program Evaluation and Promotion. POTA Annual Conference, 2024
  • Rose, L*. and Stuart, A. SIQIP: LTC Social Isolation: A Quality Improvement Project                         Poster-POTA Annual Conference, 2024
  • Braim, S*. and Stuart, A. Living While Dying: Increasing the Quality of Life in Hospice Patients Through the Use of Occupations                                                                                                           Poster- 2024 AOTA annual conference

2023

  • Stuart, A. The Value of a Multi-Disciplinary, Scaffolded Community-Engaged Support Network AOTA Specialty conference: Connecting Community and Occupational Therapy.
  • Fracul, D. and Stuart, A. The Value of a Multi-Disciplinary, Scaffolded Community-Engaged Support Network                                                                                                                                          POTA Annual conference, 2023         

2021

  • Stuart, A. Community- engaged learning lessons from the pandemic.                                                 Workshop, POTA Annual Conference, virtual, 2022.

2020

  • Stuart, A. & Weber, T. OT/OTA Collaborative Coursework                                                                    Presentation, POTA Annual Conference, Lancaster, PA, October 2020

2019

  • Stuart, A. & Cook, A. Sparking Legislative Advocacy and Community Action in POTA Members: A Guided Discovery
    Workshop, POTA Annual Conference, Valley Forge, PA, October 2019
  • Stuart, A. POTA: Dare to Lead Workshop, POTA Annual Conference, Valley Forge, PA October 2019
  • Espiritu, E., Stuart, A, et.al. Developing Professional Competence through Mentoring
    Panel Moderator: Rehabilitation and Disability Special Interest Section
    AOTA Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, April 2019
  • Stuart, A., Cook, A., Mattila, A. & Blaskowitz, M. Community-Engaged Learning: Enriching Curricular Threads for Optimal Student Civic Awareness and Impact Poster, AOTA Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, April 2019
  • Blaskowitz, M. & Stuart, A. Sparking Legislative Advocacy and Community Action in Generation Z Learners; A guided Discovery Workshop, Pittsburgh Regional Faculty Symposium, March 2019
  • 2024 POTA Academic Educator of the Year
  • 2022 Dean’s Awards for Faculty Excellence in Service
  • 2020: Outstanding Faculty Advisor for SOTA (Student Occupational Therapy Association)
  • 2019: Rangos Team Prize for Academic Innovation: Interdisciplinary Mental Health Roundtables
  • 2018: CLASS Community Hero Award
  • 2017: POTA Dr. Stephen L. Heater Award for Outstanding Achievement: Service to Professional Organization
  • 2012: POTA President's Award for Leadership Innovation
  • 1997: POTA Master Clinician Award