Meet the SIS LiaisonsTechnology: Karen MajeskiKaren E. Majeski, OTD, OTR/L is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. She received her BS in OT from Quinnipiac College and her post-professional OTD from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Her clinical practice background is in school based practice with children and adolescents and includes leadership roles in Transition Services and Assistive Technology practice. Her current scholarship efforts focus on occupational therapy’s role in postsecondary transition services. She is an active member of the AOTA Transition Community of Practice. She is the Special Interest Chair for Assistive Technology for ConnOTA and also serves as AOTA’s Technology Coordinator for the Developmental Disabilies SIS Section. She is a co-founder of the Cheshire-Quinnipiac Transition Collaborative Program in North Haven and Hamden, Connecticut and works as a consulting OT for the Cheshire Public School District. Karen is available to ConnOTA members who have questions in the area of Technology. She is open to suggestions for topics and invites members who have an interest in sharing their knowledge to present at an SIS session. Contact Karen
Children & Youth: Sharon McCloskey Dr. Sharon McCloskey received a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy from Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland (1985). She received a Master’s of Business Administration degree from University of New Haven (2007), and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Hartford (2019). With more than 30 years of clinical and administrative experience in both healthcare and education settings, Sharon has worked with a variety of patient populations across a number of practice areas, primarily pediatrics and school-based practice, and mental health (community-based and acute psychiatry). Sharon is currently a full time clinical assistant professor at Sacred Heart University. She continues to provide private OT services to children and young adults, as well as consultative services to the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and local school districts. Sharon is engaged in many professional volunteer activities for organizations such as CSDE, ConnOTA, and AOTA. She has received many awards during her career, and more recently was the recipient of the 2019 Joanne Andershonis-Reich Research Award. She has presented both locally, nationally, and internationally on a variety of clinical and service delivery topics. Sharon is a strong advocate and leader in the profession of occupational therapy, and is passionate about the education of future occupational therapy practitioners. Mental Health: Lola Halperin & Michele Stillman Lola Halperin Lola Halperin, EdD, OTR/L is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy in the College of Health Professions at Sacred Heart University. Dr. Halperin's specialty is psychosocial occupational therapy, and she designs, teaches, and coordinates the mental health curriculum at her school. Dr. Halperin earned her Bachelor in OT degree from Tel Aviv University, Israel and her Master of Arts degree from the NYU. She then completed her doctoral studies at Columbia University. Michele Stillman
Michele Stillman is an Occupational Therapist who works as an Occupational Therapy Supervisor for the Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services at Capital Region Mental Health Center – Young Adult Services in Hartford, CT. She earned her post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate from American International College in 2021. In her 25-year career as an Occupational Therapist, she has worked in the areas of subacute care, skilled nursing care, school-based practice, home care, and most currently community mental health, taking valuable lessons from each practice area to improve her professional practice. Michele has been in her current role in the area of mental health for nine years. During this time, she has increased her knowledge and skill in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) practice, been a trained facilitator of Be Proud Be Responsible and Circle of Security Parenting, and has been trained in various trauma-informed models, including Motivational Interviewing, the Attachment, Regulation, and Competency Framework, and the Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model. She is also a board member of the Attachment Network of CT. Michele is a level two fieldwork instructor and was honored with the Outstanding Fieldwork Educator award by the New England Occupational Therapy Education Council (NEOTEC) in 2019. Michele is also a professional Registered Nurse and a licensed foster parent. A great love in Michele’s life is raising her four sons using her occupational therapy skill to help them develop the skills needed to achieve their personal goals. Michele is available to ConnOTA members who have questions in the area of Mental Health. She is open to suggestions for topics and invites members who have an interest in sharing their knowledge to present as a speaker at an SIS session. Contact Michele Administration and Management - Tara Glennon
Tara J. Glennon, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA is the Owner of the Center for Pediatric Therapy with offices in Darien, Fairfield, and Wallingford, and Professor of OT at Quinnipiac University. Tara is currently part of AOTA’s CPT Coding Initiative Task Force and the Habilitative Workgroup. She has also served as the AOTA Administration and Management Special Interest Section (AMSIS) Chair, AOTA Private Practice Subsection Coordinator, and multiple roles within ConnOTA. Dr. Glennon has published and presented on a variety of topics related to management and administrative issues. Tara is available to ConnOTA members who have questions in the area of Administration and Management . She is open to suggestions for topics and invites members who have an interest in sharing their knowledge to present as a speaker at an SIS session. Contact Tara Productive Aging: Tracy Van Oss
Dr. Tracy Van Oss is a clinical professor in the Occupational Therapy Department. Tracy has earned a Doctor of Health Science degree, a Master in Public Health degree, a Bachelor of Science degree in Corporate Communication and a degree in occupational therapy from QU. She is a Community Health Education Specialist (CHES), and has an AOTA Specialty Certification in Environmental Modification. She also serves as a board member for the Columbus House, a homeless shelter in New Haven and is a Fellow with the American Occupational Therapy Association. She has also earned a certificate in experiential education from the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) and works to engage her students into real world scenarios. She works full time as a professor at Quinnipiac University and work per diem in home care for 20+ years. Tracy is available to ConnOTA members who have questions in the area of Productive Aging. She is open to suggestions for topics and invites members who have an interest in sharing their knowledge to present as a speaker at a SIS session. Contact Tracy Rehabilitation, Disability and Participation: Elizabeth Kloczko
Elizabeth Kloczko, OTD, OTR/L received her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from University of Scranton and her post-professional OTD from Quinnipiac University. For 10 years Elizabeth worked with the adult neurological population at NYU Langone Medical Center Rusk Rehabilitation. Elizabeth is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Quinnipiac University. She has presented both locally and nationally on topics including neurological visual assessment and intervention, spinal cord injury, physical rehabilitation, and adaptive sports. Elizabeth is actively involved with a CT based adaptive water and snow ski program. Elizabeth is available to ConnOTA members who have questions in the area of Rehabilitation, Disability and Participation. She is open to suggestions for topics and invites members who have an interest in sharing their knowledge to present as a speaker at a SIS session. Contact Elizabeth Interested in learning more about becoming an SIS Liaison or Mentor? Click here! |
