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Alumni Spotlight: Julia Arau (Berkowicz) ‘16 (Psychology) Transitions to Roberts Occupational Therapy Doctorate
Here at Roberts Wesleyan College, we are pleased to share the accomplishments of one of our own graduates who is now one of our faculty. This April, Julia Arau ’16, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and Assistant Professor for the Candidate Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program, will be presenting a short course on practical tips for the transition to practice for occupational therapy students at AOTA INSPIRE 2021, the American Occupational Therapy Association’s annual national conference. Julia’s presentation was one of the 148 accepted among nearly 2000 submitted to the conference this year.
Julia regards her transformative experience as a student at Robert Wesleyan College as the foundation of her interest in higher education. “My professors at Roberts had such a profound impact on my professional development. I aim to have a similar impact in the lives of my future students.”
After obtaining her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy, Julia began her practice in pediatric occupational therapy. While working as a full-time occupational therapist in a pediatric clinic, Julia returned to school for her Post-Professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. In her doctorate program, she had the opportunity to specialize in higher education and design projects to meet the needs of current and future occupational therapy students, including her presentation which will be featured at the AOTA INSPIRE 2021 National Conference.
After obtaining her Doctorate, Julia transitioned back to Roberts Wesleyan College into her current role within Roberts’ Candidate Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program. As fieldwork coordinator, Julia has the “unique opportunity to help students bridge the gap between the classroom and the clinic to prepare for future practice during their fieldwork experiences.” She also shared that “there is currently an increased demand for occupational therapists, which is exciting for our profession, but external supports to help students transition to practice are limited and have failed to grow in proportion with the demand. As fieldwork coordinator, I am excited to have the opportunity to assist our students in having a positive transition into the practice setting.”
In light of this area of need, Roberts’ Candidate OTD program is taking extra steps to help students prepare for practice, such as offering a professional transitions course to their students. Click here for more information about Roberts' Candidate-Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program.
*The Roberts Wesleyan College entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. This program is pending the approval of the New York State Education Department and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
*Updated 8/17/22