Faculty & Staff
Scott Truskowski, PhD, OTRL
OST Department Chair
Associate Professor
Office: RFH 204G
Email: [email protected]
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Jeanine Beasley, EdD, OTRL, CHT, FAOTA
Professor
OST Hybrid Program Coordinator
Office: RFH 216D
Email: [email protected]
Faculty Bio -
Jeanine Beasley, EdD, OTRL, CHT, FAOTA is a full professor at Grand Valley State University’s Occupational Science and Therapy Department and is the Coordinator of the Occupational Therapy Hybrid Program in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is a frequent guest lecturer and has spoken in 19 states and 7 countries. She has authored or co-authored several book chapters and journal articles many dealing with Arthritis and Orthotics. Awards include: 2018 GVSU Niemeyer Award for excellence in teaching, 2017 Honored Professor at the Philadelphia Hand Meeting, and in 2012 she became a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Breanna Chycinski, OTD, OTRL
Assistant Professor
Office: RFH 216B
Email: [email protected]
Faculty Bio -
Dr. Chycinski is the Level II academic fieldwork coordinator and teaches as an assistant professor within the Department of Occupational Science and Therapy. She graduated with a Master's degree in occupational therapy from Grand Valley State University in 2004 and obtained her post-professional occupational therapy doctorate degree from Eastern Kentucky University in 2020. Her area of clinical expertise is in school-based therapy, practicing for approximately 10 years within this setting, however she has been in academia since 2014. Dr. Chycinski's research interests include those that relate to the topic of fieldwork education (from the perspectives of the student, fieldwork educator, and academic program). Dr. Chycinski primarily teaches the Level I Fieldwork courses within the traditional and hybrid Master's-level programs and is currently Grand Valley State University's Pre-Occupational Therapy Club advisor.
Jennifer Fortuna, PhD, OTRL
Assistant Professor
Office: RFH 216F
Email: [email protected]
Faculty Bio -
Jennifer Fortuna, PhD, OTR/L is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Therapy at Grand Valley State University where she teaches courses in pediatric and adult practice, theory, and research. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Early Childhood Development. Dr. Fortuna earned a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy at Grand Valley State University and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences at Western Michigan University. She is the Art Editor at the Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). Dr. Fortuna’s research interests include health literacy, visual impairment, accessibility and universal design. She has published in national and international journals and facilitated presentations around the world.
Susan M. Cleghorn, Dr.O.T., OTRL, TRS, CAPS, FNAP
Associate Professor
DROT Program Director
Office: RFH 204H
Email: [email protected]
Faculty Bio -
Dr. Cleghorn is an Associate Professor in the Occupational Science and Therapy Department and serves as the Director of the Post Professional Doctorate Program (Dr.O.T.) and co-advisor for Pi Theta Epsilon. She began teaching at GVSU in 2008. Dr. Cleghorn graduated with a B.S. in Therapeutic Recreation from Illinois State University, an M.S. in Occupational Therapy from GVSU, and a Post Professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Creighton University. Dr. Cleghorn’s practice areas include school based occupational therapy working with students with conditions including vision, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, learning differences, etc. She has also worked as an OT in home healthcare and skilled nursing facilities/long term care settings with older adults with orthopedic and neurologic conditions. Dr. Cleghorn teaches courses in the traditional and hybrid masters programs as well as the Dr.O.T. program including Older Adult Practice and labs, Group Interventions, Conditions, Research, Culture & Context, Transformative Learning, and Policy & Advocacy. Her research interests include Autism Spectrum Disorder, Use of Sensory Spaces, OT Education, Use of Simulation in Education, OT Assessment, Aging in Place, Health Promotion and Wellness among Older Adults, and International Health and Wellbeing of Older Adults. She is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and a Fellow of the National Academies of Practice (FNAP). Dr. Cleghorn was awarded the Pew Teaching Award for Outstanding University Educator in 2017.
Carla Floyd-Slabaugh, Dr.O.T., OTRL, CBIS
Assistant Professor
OST Traditional Program Coordinator
Office: RFH 226
Email: [email protected]
Faculty Bio -
Carla Floyd-Slabaugh, Dr.OT, OTRL, CBIS, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Therapy at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and the Traditional MSOT Program Coordinator. She is also the recipient of the 2020 GVSU Pew Teaching with Technology Award.
Dr. Floyd-Slabaugh earned a bachelors in science degree as an occupational therapist from Northeast Louisiana University in 1991 and advanced to a clinical doctorate of occupational therapy from Chatham University in 2016. Dr. Floyd-Slabaugh’s 25+ years of clinical experience includes pediatric, adult, and older adults with neurological and orthopedic conditions in various settings.
Personal research interests of Dr. Floyd-Slabaugh are primarily related to neurological conditions, concussion, developmental vision, pediatric executive function, use of routines, and physical disabilities. Dr. Floyd-Slabaugh has also presented regionally at the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association and the Brain Injury Association of Michigan, nationally at the American Occupational Therapy Association, and internationally as an invited guest in Zacapa, Guatemala.
Shaunna Kelder, Dr.O.T., OTRL
Associate Professor
Doctoral Project Coordinator
Office: RFH 216A
Email: [email protected]
Faculty Bio -
Shaunna Kelder, Dr.O.T., OTRL is an associate professor at Grand Valley State University’s Occupational Science and Therapy Department (OST) and Doctoral Project Coordinator of the Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program (PPOTD) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has over 20 years of experience working with clients/patients aged birth to end-of-life, with physical, mental, and/or cognitive diagnoses. The bulk of her practice years were spent in pediatrics, having worked both in the school setting and an inpatient acute children’s hospital. She has taught courses in all OST programs, but currently teaches in the master’s OST hybrid and PPOTD programs. Her research interests are broad to support all occupation as a means and ends- contributing to occupational science to support occupational therapy practice. As such, she has completed research in a wide variety of areas including OT supporting Firefighters with PTSD, OT knowledge on the 8th sensory system, OT supporting the pediatric population, and OT’s role with breast cancer related lymphedema. She has co-authored a book chapter on occupational therapy’s role with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Outside of teaching, she actively volunteers in her community to support any person who experiences occupational deprivation/lack of access to meaningful engagement in the occupation area of Religious and Spiritual Expression.
Kelly Machnik, MS, OTRL
Assistant Professor
Office: RFH 216G
Email: [email protected]
Faculty Bio -
Kelly Machnik, MS, OTRL, is an Assistant Professor in the Occupational Science and Therapy Department at Grand Valley State University. She practiced in mental health, specifically on an inpatient psychiatric unit with adults. She is intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She has served as assistant co-chair, and has been part of the admissions committee and curriculum committee. Kelly teaches courses in both the traditional and hybrid Programs. Areas of research include mental health and criminal justice.
Ashley McKnight, Dr.O.T., OTRL, ATC
Assistant Professor
Office: RFH 216E
Email: [email protected]
Faculty Bio -
Dr. McKnight has been a Certified Athletic Trainer since 2003, and has been practicing occupational therapy since 2006. She has a bachelor of science degree in Kinesiology, and a master of science and clinical doctorate degrees in occupational therapy. Dr. McKnight specializes in adult neurorehabilitation where she worked as an OTR for 12 years in one of the top five rehab hospitals in the world. In 2017, Dr. McKnight transitioned from the clinic to academia where she enjoys teaching in the master of occupational science and therapy program at Grand Valley State University.
Adjunct Faculty
Heather Herrick Email: [email protected]
Barbara Spraggins Email: [email protected]
Leana Tank Email: [email protected]
Lauren Hohman Email: [email protected]