2026 Barbara A. Rider Colloquium
Bridging Practice and Possibility in OT
We hope you’ll join us on Friday, October 16th, 2026, for the annual Barbara A. Rider Colloquium. Our theme this year is “Bridging Practice and Possibility in Occupational Therapy”. We are looking forward to engaging sessions focused on non-traditional settings, emerging practice areas, entrepreneurship, and advocacy work in occupational therapy. Our Keynote speaker is Patricia Motus, who will be sharing about her “Uncommon OT Journey” to identify unmet needs and build meaningful solutions through mental health services, community-based practice, program development, and advocacy.
In addition to the keynote session, we will offer two sets of breakout sessions on a variety of topics. Back by popular demand, two of the breakout sessions will meet the requirements for Michigan LARA’s Implicit Bias training. We will end the day with light refreshments and poster presentations by our OTA students on their baccalaureate projects.
Previous Keynote Sessions
- 2025 - Jenn Soros & Beth Ann Walker - Breaking Silence Through Science: Transforming Approaches to Sexuality and Intimacy Through Evidence and Innovative Dissemination
- 2024- Rob Ferguson - Fulfilling President Lincoln's Promise: Overcoming the Stigma of Veteran Healthcare
- 2023 - Cheryl Esbrook- Early Mobilization: Research and Guidelines for Practice
- 2022 - Dr. Amy Lynch - Empathy Across the Lifespan: Considerations for Becoming a Trauma Informed Occupational Therapy Practitioner
- 2019 - Dr. Stacey Watson - Medical Overview of Pain and Pain Management: A Doctor’s Perspective on an Interprofessional Team Approach
- 2018 - Dr. Elizabeth Skidmore - Identifying Essential Elements to Promote Independence in Adults with Acquired Cognitive Impairments
- 2017 - Sherrilene Classen - Prevention Oriented Driving Rehabilitation Science: Blending a Public Health and the Health Professions Perspective
- 2016 - Wendy Wood - Nature-enriched Occupational Therapy, Imagine!
- 2015 - Carolyn Baum - Effective Assessment of Occupational Performance : Linking Brain to Everyday Life
- 2014 - Christina Metzler
- 2013 - Roger O. Smith
- 2012 - Sue Haward - Hippotherapy: How Does it Help our Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Clients?
- 2011 - Jan Davis
- 2010 - Dr. Winnie Dunn - Living Sensationally Understanding your Senses
- 2009 - Suzanne Peloquin
- 2008 - Dr. Wendy Coster - Embracing Ambiguity: Facing the Challenges of Measurement
- 2007 - Dr. Florence Clark - Lifestyle Redesign: How to Sculpt a Meaningful and Healthy Life in Older Adulthood
- 2006 - Dr. Mary L. Schneider - Primate Model of Sensory Processing Disorder: Neurobiological Correlates, Genetic Influences, and Possible Causal Mechanisms
- 2005 - Dr. Jim Hinojosa - Excellence in a Time of Hyperchange
- 2004 - Dr. Carolyn Baum - Making A Difference: Professional Vision, Values and Advocacy