2
Tucker and Debbie Laliberte Rudman were
involved in sharing their research through
seminars and lectures in the Public Health
Sciences Program at the Norwegian Univer-
sity of Life Sciences and the Faculty of
Health Sciences, Oslo Askerhus University
of College of Applied Sciences. This year, in
February, Drs. Laliberte Rudman and Shaw
will be conducting seminars and participating
in research development discussions at these
universities
New ZeaLaND
With funding support from: the National
Institute for Public Health and Mental Health
Research; Faculty of Health and Environ-
mental Sciences, Auckland University of
Technology (AUT); and the International
ResearchAward, Western University, a cross-
national comparative pilot study of im-
migrant settlement in London, Ontario and
Auckland, New Zealand was initiated by
Drs. Suzanne Huot and Laliberte Rudman.
This collaboration further included Drs.
Shoba Nayar and Clare Hocking at AUT.
Further funding was recently secured to
extend this work to include Dr. Antoine
Baillaird, University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill, and conduct foundational work
for a larger cross-national study.
UNITeD STaTeS ofaMerICa
Dr. Sherrilene Classen is continuing to
co-lead an intervention trial entitled:
Efficacy
of an Occupational Therapy Driving Inter-
vention for Returning Combat Veterans
, in
collaboration with Dr. Sandra Winter at the
University of Florida. This trial, the first of
its kind, will provide empirical evidence for
using an occupational therapy intervention to
discern if driving outcomes in veterans with
mild traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic
stress disorder, and orthopedic conditions
improve.
With funding from the Beaumont Fac-
ulty Development Fund, Dr. Debbie Lalib-
erte Rudman has collaborated with
Dr. Rebecca Aldrich at the University of St.
Louis and with community organizations in
London, Ontario and St. Louis, Missouri, to
conduct pilot work on the socio-political
reconfiguration and individual negotiation of
long-term unemployment. This pilot work
has been used as the basis for a SSHRC
Insight Grant proposal that extends this
international project to a larger project which
also includes Drs. Suzanne Huot and Lilian
Magalhaes at Western, Dr. Jennings at
St.Louis University, and John Griffiths from
Goodwill Industries in London, Ontario.
SoUThafrICa
Since 2010, Dr. Sherrilene Classen has
a formal appointment at the University of
Stellenbosh (US) in Cape Town, South
Africa. In November 2013, and with funding
from the U.S., Dr. Classen has conducted
workshops, seminars, roundtable discus-
sions, and journal clubs to educate clinicians
and researchers interested in using a driving
simulator for assessing the driving perform-
ance of clients. Under the direction of Dr.
Classen and in close collaboration with Dr.
Lana van Niekerk, chair of the Division of
Occupational Therapy at the University of
Stellenbosch, they secured funding to
purchase an i-Des vSIM C200 SP driving
simulator. Occupational therapists will use
the simulator to assess the fitness to drive
abilities of their clients, in collaboration with
researchers, who will provide empirical
evidence for the validity and reliability of the
driving simulator.
BraZIL
In 2011, with the FAPESP/Brazil –
UWO, a collaboration was formed between
Dr. Sandra Maria Galheigo, University of
Sao Paulo and Drs. Elizabeth Kinsella (PI)
and Magalhaes fromWestern.
Their project is entitled:
Community of
practice: A methodology to improve occupa-
tional therapy practice?
To date there were
visits to Brazilian and Canadian sites and
research partnership is ongoing.
As a result of collaboration with the
Federal University of Sao Carlos, furthered
through Dr. Malfitano’s post-doctoral fellow-
ship at Western during 2013, Dr. Magalhaes
was able to secure funding from the Brazilian
National Council for a study entitled:
Social
issues and occupational therapy: Mapping
the discussion and building international
dialogues.
Other faculty contributions in
Brazil included: Dr. Malgalhaes offering an
occupational science workshop in 2012; Drs.
Galheigo and Malfitano participating in a
symposium at Western, along with Dr. Liz
Townsend, on
Social Perspectives in Occu-
pational Therapy
, in 2013; and Dr. Kinsella
presenting a key note address in 2012 at the
University of Sao Paulo entitled:
Phronesis
as Professional Knowledge: Practical Wisdom
in Occupational Therapy
.
These global connections and colla-
borations are contributing to Western’s
capacity to deliver education that inspires
occupational therapy and occupational
science students around the world to become
competent global citizens. International
research is expanding our potential to
contribute to important social change and
improve occupational therapy around the
world.
Continued from Page 1
Western School of OT: going global
western oT students at osloaskerhus University of College
of applied Sciences, Norway.
