Occupational Therapy Chair Receives Roster of Fellows Award
December 18, 2023 – Since 1973, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has been recognizing accomplished occupational therapists with their prestigious Roster of Fellows award. Each year, the award recognizes dedicated occupational therapists who have made a significant impact on the profession by contributing to knowledge and advocacy through scholarship and service.
Dr. Shanese Higgins, Occupational Therapy chair and professor at Kettering College, is a proud recipient of an AOTA Roster of Fellows award for her impactful work on committees and in her classrooms. Her colleague, Dr. Rhonda Davis-Cheshire, Occupational Therapy associate professor, nominated Dr. Higgins for the award, which required a lengthy interview and application that ensured Dr. Higgins met several criteria.
Dr. Higgins has sat on several different committees here at Kettering College as well as at the AOTA. Her work with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has been an integral part of her career and innovations. She was on the DEI task force that initiated and created a strategic plan and sat on the inaugural DEI committee as the vice chair.
She is proving that talking about DEI is important, but what’s more impactful is when the words turn to action. At last year’s AOTA conference in St. Louis, she proposed that marginalized students from the area attend the conference to learn and see what a career in occupational therapy entails, and the idea was approved by the AOTA.
The students enjoyed the experience, and as a result, every year the AOTA conference will now partner with an organization that identifies at-risk students within the community where the conference will be that year. Whichever city the conference is in each year, they will bring in at least 30 students who will be introduced to new ideas and thinking they would not have otherwise been exposed to, all thanks to Dr. Higgins’ idea to turn words into action.
Another innovative way she is bringing DEI to life is through a cultural fair she presented at the AOTA conference. She discussed the importance of knowing the different grooming needs of various cultures when practicing occupational therapy. It was a hands-on experience that she brought back to her classrooms to allow students to understand firsthand the necessity of being comfortable with differences.
Because of her continual efforts to make DEI equate to action, other vendors at the AOTA conference followed her lead and brought in various stations that showed different aspects of cultures rather than simply discussing them. These DEI experiential stations have been well received and will be a part of future AOTA annual conferences.
Dr. Higgins has also made an impact on the profession through her study of mental health. She has attended conferences and workshops, presented materials, and delivered keynote speeches. At last year’s AOTA conference on mental health, she presented on how DEI relates to mental health.
A unique aspect of mental health that Dr. Higgins has focused on is not only the mental health of consumers of occupational therapy but the mental health of occupational therapists themselves. She says, “When we have practitioners from underrepresented backgrounds, we need to think about what their mental health is like while practicing.”
This year, Dr. Higgins will be a primary speaker at the AOTA conference, discussing DEI. She says, “The idea is about ‘getting down to brass tacks’ and examining what it looks like to implement DEI. So many times at conferences there is so much talking. Talking is great, but it’s just a starting point. We’re beyond continuing to talk about DEI. People are becoming fatigued by it, not because they don’t think it’s important. People now want to help by doing something.”
Her goal for this upcoming conference, and everything she focuses on, is for people to gain thoughtful, practical actions they can put into their practice. This immersive way of experiencing DEI in occupational therapy is creating a path for new discussions and understandings. It’s also gaining recognition for Dr. Higgins from the AOTA, as is evidenced through this Roster of Fellows award.
She admits, although it’s wonderful to be acknowledged by a national association, it’s especially rewarding to be appreciated by her peers who nominated her. She says, “Just the fact that my peers see me and recognize me is very meaningful. It’s great to be acknowledged, but when you do work in ways people outside of this building might not see, it is such an honor to be seen and recognized.”
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