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The Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) at �鶹ӳ�� will hold its second annual Living Lives of Purpose Conference from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, in the university’s Dennis R. DePerro School of Health Professions, Francis Hall.

 

The conference targets many audiences including occupational therapy students, prospective students, OT faculty, health care practitioners and providers, as well as health care consumers in the community.

 

The event will feature an exposition hall of community resources, product and therapy vendors, potential employers, and research poster presentations by OT students in �鶹ӳ��’s Class of 2024. Among the vendors will be local organizations that provide community support, such as medical providers, medical transport companies, advocacy groups, and organizations that provide free services to those in need, such as food, assistance with housing, financial needs, and more.

 

A keynote address will be presented by Fr. David Couturier, O.F.M. Cap, an associate professor of theology and Franciscan Studies at �鶹ӳ�� and executive director of the university’s Franciscan Institute. Fr. David’s talk will explore the connection between a mission-based leadership and the ethical sustainability of work in health care systems today.

 

“This event promotes the profession of occupational therapy and facilitates the skills for the ‘job of living’ for all members of the society,” said Dr. Theresa Vallone, interim director of �鶹ӳ��’s occupational therapy program. “The event also assists in the dissemination of evidence-based practice via the posters that the OT students have created through their research projects. 

 

“Finally, the keynote address by Fr. David will highlight the importance of ‘purpose,’ a central tenet in the OT profession and in the SBU mission. I am so honored to be a part of this signature event for the �鶹ӳ�� and Southern Tier community.”

 

Conference attendees will have the opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art facilities in the DePerro School of Health Professions. There will also be a meet-and-greet networking session, during which occupational therapy students and prospective students can mingle with members of the local OT community, faculty, and members of �鶹ӳ��’s OT Department Advisory Board.

 

Fr. David will also be available to sign copies of his latest book, “Integrating Missions: Organizational Identity and Founding Stories in Multi-Partnered Health Care Systems.”

 

The conference is free and open to all, but registration is required. To register, visit the conference webpage at www.sbu.edu/OTevent. Registration is due by Oct. 9.

 

 

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�鶹ӳ�� the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, �鶹ӳ�� is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. �鶹ӳ�� was named the #5 regional university value in the North in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 college rankings edition.