Poster Session #2

Dr. Barbara Elleman is an assistant professor in the Occupational Doctorate Program at Xavier University. Barb has been involved with the OT program as an adjunct professor since 2014 and provided guest lectures for many years prior to that. Barb graduated from East Carolina University in 1992 (B.S in OT) and earned a post professional Masters i(MHS in OT) from the University of Indianapolis in 2002. She completed a post professional doctorate (OTD) at Eastern Kentucky University in 2020 and is currently pursuing a PhD through the University of Kentucky.

Barb began her career working in inpatient rehabilitation with adults and children and has worked with individuals across the lifespan in varied settings including home health, acute care, rehab, skilled nursing and outpatient; however much of her career has involved work with children and infants. Barb’s research interests relate to pedagogy of teaching and learning, intervention to support mothers and infants and children exposed to opioids in utero and supporting student scholarship. In teaching Barb enjoys incorporating flipped classroom, active learning and authentic learning experiences into the courses she teaches. She is thrilled to join the Xavier faculty and excited for the opportunity to mentor students to become competent pediatric practitioners and support student research and scholarship. Outside of work, Barb enjoys playing tennis, hiking and spending time with her husband, her adult and teenage children, grandson and her dog Brutus. Barb can be reached at ellemanb@xavier.edu..

Dr. Nicole Stotz completed her Occupational Therapy Doctorate Degree in 2009, and PhD in Health Education in 2023. Her clinical expertise includes the adult and geriatric populations and has worked in various therapeutic settings, including skilled nursing, home health, acute care, and inpatient rehabilitation. She is an Associate Professor in the OTD Program at The University of Toledo and has been working in academia since 2015. Her teaching responsibilities include content focused on models of practice, adult rehab, clinical reasoning, OT process and interventions, as well as advocacy.

Dr. Alexia E. Metz trained as an occupational therapist at Eastern Michigan University (’95) and practiced in several clinical settings, primarily with children. She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Northwestern University (’06).  She is currently a Professor and OTD Program Director at the University of Toledo, where she has been on faculty since 2007.Her research interests include sensory processing and sensory processing disorder; occupational therapy approaches to maximize participation for children, especially those with special needs, through family-centered practice; application of contemporary neuroscience principles to occupational therapy practice; and best practices in interprofessional teaming in service to young children and their families.

Dr. Barbara Elleman is an assistant professor in the Occupational Doctorate Program at Xavier University. Barb has been involved with the OT program as an adjunct professor since 2014 and provided guest lectures for many years prior to that. Barb graduated from East Carolina University in 1992 (B.S in OT) and earned a post professional Masters i(MHS in OT) from the University of Indianapolis in 2002. She completed a post professional doctorate (OTD) at Eastern Kentucky University in 2020 and is currently pursuing a PhD through the University of Kentucky.

Barb began her career working in inpatient rehabilitation with adults and children and has worked with individuals across the lifespan in varied settings including home health, acute care, rehab, skilled nursing and outpatient; however much of her career has involved work with children and infants. Barb’s research interests relate to pedagogy of teaching and learning, intervention to support mothers and infants and children exposed to opioids in utero and supporting student scholarship. In teaching Barb enjoys incorporating flipped classroom, active learning and authentic learning experiences into the courses she teaches. She is thrilled to join the Xavier faculty and excited for the opportunity to mentor students to become competent pediatric practitioners and support student research and scholarship. Outside of work, Barb enjoys playing tennis, hiking and spending time with her husband, her adult and teenage children, grandson and her dog Brutus. Barb can be reached at ellemanb@xavier.edu..

Monica L. Robinson, PP-OTD, OT/L, BCMH, FAOTA, FNAP is a nationally recognized educator and occupational therapist with over 30 years of experience across diverse care settings. Her work has spanned acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient services, psychiatric and residential mental health, skilled nursing facilities, and community-based primary care.

Her credentials reflect both her depth of knowledge and her national impact. She holds a Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy and an MS in Advanced Practice Occupational Therapy, and she is board certified in Mental Health by the American Occupational Therapy Association, a distinction earned by fewer than one percent of occupational therapists.

At the core of Dr. Robinson’s work is a passion for improving how students learn. Her teaching and scholarship focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), metacognition, interprofessional education, and creating a sense of belonging in the classroom.

She has taught more than 100 courses across occupational therapy, health sciences, and graduate education. Bringing innovative, evidence-based teaching strategies into every learning experience. Her approach emphasizes active learning, real-world application, and critical thinking, ensuring students are prepared not just to succeed academically, but to lead in complex health care environments.