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Joanne Baird is a professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy. She received her BS in Occupational Therapy from the University of Pittsburgh, her MA in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California and returned to the University of Pittsburgh to receive her PhD in Rehabilitation Science. Her clinical background includes extensive experience with the mental health, pediatric and geriatric populations across the healthcare continuum in a variety of national and regional sites. She is an inaugural Fellow in the Occupational Therapy Academy of the National Academy of Practice and is the Vice-Chair of the Pennsylvania State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure. She is a certified healthcare simulation educator and her research interests include experiential learning and the use of simulation to promote clinical reasoning and preparation for entry-level competence as well as forensic medical record review and analysis.

Departments

Department of Occupational Therapy

Programs

Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Post Professional Program in Occupational Therapy

Education & Training

  • PhD, University of Pittsburgh, 2011
  • MA, University of Southern California, 1989

Awards

  • Chair-elect, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure, Bureau of Professional & Occupational Affairs
  • Inaugural Fellow and Distinguished Scholar, National Academies of Practice for Promotion and Advocacy of Quality Healthcare Accessible for All
  • Academic Educator Award, Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association for Excellence in Innovation in Occupational Therapy Education
  • Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Award, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, for Strong Teaching Philosophy and Innovative Educational Opportunities
  • Roster of Fellows, American Occupational Therapy Association, for Pioneering Best-Practice Simulation in Occupational Therapy

Research Interests

  • Forensic Medical Record Review
  • Analysis and Experiential Learning
  • The Use of Simulation to Promote Clinical Reasoning and Preparation for Entry-level Competence