Welcoming our 2026 Board Members

As the new year begins, the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) is proud to welcome four new members to our Board of Trustees. These exceptional occupational therapy professionals will continue to advance evidence-based practice by driving the foundation forward through their strategic leadership and guidance.

Executive Committee

We are thrilled to announce that Lisa Juckett, PhD, OTR/L, CHT, will serve as the new Vice Chair of our Executive Board!

Lisa Juckett, PhD, OTR/L, CHT, is an Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at The Ohio State University. She leverages her prior clinical experiences in physical rehabilitation and her doctoral training in implementation science to identify solutions that narrow the “research-to-practice” gap. Dr. Juckett and her team have developed and tested strategies to expedite the use of innovations (e.g., standardized outcome measures, fall prevention interventions) in real-world practice settings, including stroke rehabilitation units, community-based organizations, and aging service agencies. 

We are so honored to welcome Brent Braveman, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, as the new Treasurer of our Executive Board!

Brent Braveman has practiced as an occupational therapy clinician, educator, researcher, and manager since 1984. He currently serves as Director of Rehabilitation Services at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, recently ranked the top cancer hospital in the country, where he oversees over 140 occupational and physical therapy practitioners. His extensive volunteer leadership includes two terms on the AOTA Board of Directors as Speaker of the Representative Assembly and Secretary, and service on multiple national committees, including the NIH Working Group on Cancer Rehabilitation.

Board of Trustees

AOTF is proud to announce the inclusion of four new members to our Board of Trustees!

Jana Cason, DHSc, OTR/L, FNAP, FAOTA 

Jana Cason is a Full Professor and Director of Scholarship in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program–Honolulu at Hawaiʻi Pacific University. Cason is recognized as an early leader in the development and advancement of telehealth within occupational therapy. Her scholarly work has expanded to include innovation in artificial intelligence (AI), exploring ethical and effective integration of AI within healthcare settings. She serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Telerehabilitation and is a Fellow of both AOTA and the National Academies of Practice.

Tracy L. Jirikowic, PhD, OTR/L FAOTA 

Tracy Jirikowic has over 30 years of experience in occupational therapy with expertise in pediatric neurodevelopment and interventions for children and youth with developmental disabilities, with special research and clinical interests in children with prenatal substance exposure and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). She holds a clinical appointment with the University of Washington Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic and Prevention Network and serves as Program Director of the Master of Occupational Therapy program and Co-Director of the PhD in Rehabilitation Science Program at UW.

Rochelle Mendonca, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, FNAP 

Rochelle Mendonca is an Assistant Professor in the Programs in Occupational Therapy in the Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine at Columbia University. Her research focuses on developing technology-based interventions and accessibility apps for people with disabilities, and she has received approximately $4.5 million in federal grant funding. She is committed to improving functional outcomes, participation, and quality-of-life outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Aimee Piller, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, FAOTA

Aimee Piller is the owner and director of Piller Child Development, a multi-site pediatric therapy practice in the Phoenix area, specializing in sensory integration and feeding therapy. Her research at Texas Woman's University examined the impact of sensory environments on preschool participation. She is the author of Implementing School-Based Occupational Therapy Services: A Multi-Tiered Approach to Sensory Processing Needs.

Thank You to our Outgoing Board Members!

In addition to introducing the new members of our board, we are grateful to our board members whose terms have ended in 2025. Thank you to Mary Jane “MJ” Mulcahey, PhD, OTR\L, CLCP, FASIA, our Immediate Past Chair,  Janet L. Poole, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, our former Vice Chair Anne M. Bryden, PhD, OTR/L, our former Treasurer,  Hazel L. Breland, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Erik S. Johnson, OTD, MS, OTR/L, Andrew Persch, PhD, OTR/L, BCP FAOTA, and  Elizabeth Pfeiffer, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, FAOTA for your invaluable commitment to driving the science of occupational therapy forward as volunteer members of AOTF's board.

Interested in Getting Involved?

Are you passionate about evidence-based practice? Committed to advancing the science of occupational therapy? Learn more about other available volunteer opportunities with AOTF.