Dr. Jennifer Pitonyak, Occupational Therapy Professor, Awarded Tenure

Dr. Jennifer Pitonyak, director of Pacific University's School of Occupational Therapy, has been promoted to full professor and awarded indefinite tenure.

She has practiced in early intervention, the neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric rehabilitation, and a variety of community settings developing mental health promotion programs for infants and families. She holds American Occupational Therapy Association specialty certification in feeding, eating, and swallowing and is a certified infant massage instructor. Her scholarly interests are at the intersection of mental health promotion, occupational justice, and scholarship of teaching and learning — particularly structural influences on occupation, trauma-informed environments, and inclusive pedagogy.

Pitonyak earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Allegheny College, a master's degree in occupational therapy from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and a PhD in health policy from University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.