University of Utah College of Health

06/04/2026

A lesser known health degree- recreation therapy- is helping burn victims heal. Proud of our alumni and masters student Eric Bonin who leads the climbing class.

05/29/2026

Parks Recreation and Tourism (PRT) is a lesser well known degree but can lead to some fun careers! Our alumni work for Snowbird, Alta, the Montage in Park City, the Indianapolis 500 and more doing management, community event planning, marketing, conservation, program management and more.

Alex Aguirre, featured in these photos, turned his passion for sports into a career through PRT. Hands-on classes and real-world internships helped prepare him for a competitive internship with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — an opportunity that ultimately led to a full-time role in sports marketing with them.

05/27/2026

Congratulations to Beth Cardell, PhD, lecturer, researcher, clinician, and program director with the University of Utah Department of Occupational & Recreational Therapies, on receiving the 2026 UOTA Eunice Chen Mentorship Award!

Cardell was recognized for her exceptional mentorship, staff education, and leadership in occupational therapy. Over her 30+ year career, she has helped shape hundreds of OT practitioners through client-centered, evidence-based mentorship and education.

Her work focuses on adult rehabilitation, functional cognition, interprofessional education, and student success, while her clinical practice has centered on supporting adults with neurological injuries and acquired brain injuries. She currently treats clients with high-functioning cognitive deficits at the Life Skills Clinic.

She is widely recognized as a phenomenal teacher, mentor, and leader whose impact continues to strengthen occupational therapy across Utah.

05/20/2026

Learning something new can feel exhausting—but there’s good news. Sleep doesn’t just help your body recover, it helps your brain keep practicing.

Genevieve Albouy, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Health & Kinesiology, is studying how sleep strengthens learning. Her research shows that while you sleep, your brain replays what you learned during the day, helping improve memory and performance.

Even more interesting, certain cues like sounds linked to learning can trigger this replay process. In one study, participants who heard a specific sound while learning—and again during sleep—were able to complete movement sequences more quickly after waking. After a full night’s sleep, their performance improved even further.

This process, called targeted memory reactivation, highlights how powerful sleep is for learning and long-term memory. It may even lead to new ways to support learning as we age or recover from neurological conditions.

Next time learning feels overwhelming, remember: sleep is part of the process.

https://utah-health.shorthandstories.com/ptf-cells-and-circuits/

05/15/2026

We would like to extend a warm welcome to Lisa Mische Lawson, PhD, CTRS, who has been named chair of the Department of Occupational and Recreational Therapies, effective Aug. 17.

Mische Lawson joins us from the University of Kansas Medical Center and brings nearly two decades of experience in therapeutic and recreational sciences, inclusive research, and graduate education. Her work focuses on adaptive recreation, disability inclusion, and water safety for autistic children.

She succeeds longtime chair Lorie Richards, whose leadership helped grow the department’s programs, research, and national visibility for more than a decade. Richards is returning to a faculty role.

Welcome to Utah, Dr. Mische Lawson—we’re excited to see what’s ahead!

05/09/2026

One of our occupational therapy patients, Teddy, was featured on KSL last week! And one of our rockstar OT professionals, Aubri Evans, was also part of the story sharing how OT looks like play but works on a number of skills for kids with autism.

If you're a parent wanting to explore OT for your child at the Life Skills Clinic, call (801) 585-6837.

Occupational therapy can help kids with autism build everyday skills through structured play. From stacking objects to navigating emotions, every activity is designed with a purpose.

05/08/2026

Last week we proudly celebrated the Class of 2026 at Spring Convocation!
About 700 students graduated with nearly 500 attended in person, crossing the stage after completing degrees across undergraduate, master’s, clinical doctorate, and PhD programs — preparing to lead the future of health, prevention, and care.
Dean Kelly Tappenden, PhD, reminded graduates they are redefining not just lifespan, but healthspan, while Dr. Bob Carter highlighted the class’s 59,000+ hours of community engagement and the growing demand for their skills across health care and wellness.
Graduate speaker Sohom Mookherjee and undergraduate speaker Madeleine Khoo reflected on resilience, perseverance, and stepping forward with purpose and care.
Congratulations, Class of 2026 — your next chapter begins now.

05/06/2026

It looks like play — but every activity has a purpose.
At the University of Utah’s Life Skills Clinic, occupational therapy helps children with autism build real-life skills in ways that feel engaging and achievable.
For Teddy, a 9 year old with autism, that includes working on:
- frustration tolerance
-identifying and coping with emotions
- feeding therapy to expand his diet, like learning to eat all colors and types of potatoes
Through individualized care, therapists help make hard or intimidating tasks feel more manageable — and progress adds up, one small step at a time. Parents interested in the clinic can call (801) 585-6837 for more information.
morelife

04/30/2026

“It’s my favorite thing to watch students have those lightbulb moments of understanding.”
That’s how Emma Caringella describes visiting local classrooms with the American Society of Biomechanics Student Chapter at the University of Utah.
Through monthly school visits and campus events like National Biomechanics Day, the student‑led chapter introduces young learners to biomechanics while helping its members grow as educators and leaders. Outreach highlights how science, technology, engineering, and math apply to health, including sports science, rehabilitation, orthopedics, balance, and human performance.
The chapter itself is truly cross‑campus, representing students from multiple areas including health and kinesiology and engineering, drawing members from at least 10 research labs and five or more departments across the university.

Read more: https://health.utah.edu/news/2026/04/student-led-outreach-brings-biomechanics-education-local-schools