All of us have experienced academia as students, but have you ever considered moving out of the clinic and back into the classroom as an occupational or physical therapist? This podcast episode features Becky Neiduski, an OT, CHT, who soon after beginning her career as an occupational therapist found herself back in the classroom and never looked back. Becky offers some great tips on the variety of ways clinicians can get involved in educating the next generation of OTs and PTs as well as how to transition full-time into academia. 

Guest Bio:

Dr. Rebecca Neiduski received a Bachelor of Arts in Health, Kinesiology and Leisure Studies from Purdue University; a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis; and a PhD in Educational Foundations from Saint Louis University. 

Becky spent the first part of her career in St. Louis, Missouri, practicing as a hand therapist at the Milliken Hand Rehabilitation Center for 15 years, teaching at Maryville University for 10 years, and practicing at Shriner’s Hospital for Children for six years. She continued her academic journey with a move into administration and served as the Occupational Therapy Department Chair at Concordia University Wisconsin from 2013-2017. Becky relocated to Burlington, North Carolina in 2017 to serve as the Dean of the School of Health Sciences at Elon University. 

In concert with her academic appointments, she has consistently pursued professional leadership, scholarly, and humanitarian activities. Becky recently completed a second term as the Annual Meeting Chair for the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) and contributes to the Reverse Fellowship Task Force and the Hand Surgery Endowment Board of Governors for the American Association for Hand Surgery (AAHS). The majority of her scholarly work over the past 20 years has focused on application of the literature related to flexor tendon repair and rehabilitation. Her goal in publication and presentation is to advance clinical reasoning and ultimately maximize outcomes for patients with this complex and precarious diagnosis. She has offered education to therapists around the world, including Romania, Canada, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Guatemala. Becky has also provided occupational and hand therapy services in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Cambodia, bringing over 50 students on 17 medical missions over the past 13 years.

She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for several organizations, including the Guatemala Healing Hands Foundation, the Alamance County YMCA, and the Hospice and Palliative Care Center of Alamance Caswell. Becky was honored with the 2014 Paul Brand Award for Professional Excellence and the 2016 Nathalie Barr Lectureship Award from the American Society of Hand Therapists.