• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • MyUSA
  • Library
  • USAHS Shop
  • Continuing Education
  • Request Information
  • Apply Now

University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

Clinical Excellence Through Graduate Education

Menu
  • Academics
    • DEGREE PROGRAMS ― Click here to browse all of our degree programs
    • College of Rehabilitative Sciences
      • Occupational Therapy Programs
        • Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)
        • Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
        • Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PPOTD)
      • Physical Therapy Graduate Programs
        • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
        • Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy (tDPT)
      • Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP)
    • College of Health Sciences
      • Master of Health Administration (MHA)
      • Master of Health Science (MHS)
      • Doctor of Education (EdD)
      • Graduate Certificates
      • School of Nursing
        • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
        • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
        • Post-Graduate Nursing Certificates
      • Continuing Education
        • Clinical Orthopedic Residency
        • Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship
        • Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
        • Physical Therapy Online Courses for International Students
      Close
    • Admissions & Aid
      • Admissions & Aid

        USAHS focuses on providing the best and more appropriate academic and financial aid counseling throughout the admissions process. Whether applying to a first-professional, campus based program or a post-professional distance program, an assigned Enrollment Advisor is available to assist you from application to acceptance.

        Admissions & Aid Home
      • Application Deadlines
      • Catalog/Handbook
      • Financial Aid
      • Academic Calendar
      • COVID-19 Information
      Close
    • About
      • General
        • History
        • Accreditation
        • B Corp Certified
        • Student Achievement Data
        • Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
        • News
        • Diversity and Inclusion
        • Partnerships
      • People
        • Alumni
        • Leadership
        • Board of Directors
        • Careers
        • Student Ambassador Program
        • Our Faculty
        • Contact Us
      • Campuses
        • San Marcos, CA
        • St. Augustine, Florida
        • Miami, FL
        • Austin, Texas
        • Dallas, Texas
      • Campuses and Locations
      • Admission Questions? Get In Touch
      Close
    • Events
    • MyUSA
    • USAHS Shop
    • Continuing Education
    • Blog

    July 2022 Leave a Comment

    MS-SLP Alum Brings Music to the Profession

    MS-SLP Alum Brings Music to the Profession

      Briona Daugherty’s (MS-SLP ’22) speech-language pathology (SLP) path began on board a cruise ship. Daugherty graduated from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in theatrical performance. She studied opera and musical theater, originally wanting to be a touring singer for Broadway-style shows. After spending time as a professional singer in Las Vegas and New York City, she began a career performing on cruise ships, including five years in China, Japan, Korea and Thailand. The longer she worked on cruise ships, the more she aided other vocalists in adjusting to life onboard. This included helping entertainment employees maintain their voices for more than two hours a night in a 2,000-seat theater. After witnessing Read more

    Recent University News

    USAHS Students Form Student Veterans of America Chapter

    USAHS Students Form Student Veterans of America Chapter

    OTD Alum Aids Rural City in Earning $100,000 Access Grant

    OTD Alum Aids Rural City in Earning $100,000 Access Grant

    Student Associations COTAD and SPEAK Promote Diversity

    Student Associations COTAD and SPEAK Promote Diversity

    USAHS Reentry Plan

    USAHS Reentry Plan

    More Like This

    • USAHS
    • All stories
    • Videos
    Home of USA.edu - Health Sciences
    Menu
    • Academics
      • DEGREE PROGRAMS ― Click here to browse all of our degree programs
      • College of Rehabilitative Sciences
        • Occupational Therapy Programs
          • Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)
          • Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
          • Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PPOTD)
        • Physical Therapy Graduate Programs
          • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
          • Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy (tDPT)
        • Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP)
      • College of Health Sciences
        • Master of Health Administration (MHA)
        • Master of Health Science (MHS)
        • Doctor of Education (EdD)
        • Graduate Certificates
        • School of Nursing
          • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
          • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
          • Post-Graduate Nursing Certificates
        • Continuing Education
          • Clinical Orthopedic Residency
          • Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship
          • Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
          • Physical Therapy Online Courses for International Students
        Close
      • Admissions & Aid
        • Admissions & Aid

          USAHS focuses on providing the best and more appropriate academic and financial aid counseling throughout the admissions process. Whether applying to a first-professional, campus based program or a post-professional distance program, an assigned Enrollment Advisor is available to assist you from application to acceptance.

          Admissions & Aid Home
        • Application Deadlines
        • Catalog/Handbook
        • Financial Aid
        • Academic Calendar
        • COVID-19 Information
        Close
      • About
        • General
          • History
          • Accreditation
          • B Corp Certified
          • Student Achievement Data
          • Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
          • News
          • Diversity and Inclusion
          • Partnerships
        • People
          • Alumni
          • Leadership
          • Board of Directors
          • Careers
          • Student Ambassador Program
          • Our Faculty
          • Contact Us
        • Campuses
          • San Marcos, CA
          • St. Augustine, Florida
          • Miami, FL
          • Austin, Texas
          • Dallas, Texas
        • Campuses and Locations
        • Admission Questions? Get In Touch
        Close
      • Events
      • MyUSA
      • USAHS Shop
      • Continuing Education
      • Blog
      • Request Information
      • Apply Now
      Categories
      Close
      • Physical Therapy PT
      • Occupational Therapy OT
      • Speech-Language Pathology SLP
      • Nursing MSN & DNP
      • Health Administration MHA
      • Editorial
      • News
      COVID-19 Updates
      Blog home  >  Occupational Therapy OT  >  Alumna Honored with …

      October 2021 Leave a Comment

      Alumna Honored with AOTA Roster of Fellows Award

      Elizabeth Fain, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA

      Elizabeth (“Beth”) Fain, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is an occupational therapy educator who earned her Doctor of Education degree in 2014 from USAHS. In April, she was presented with the Roster of Fellows Award, one of the most prestigious honors given by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). 

      “It’s kind of like a lifetime achievement award,” says Dr. Fain. “The nominating committee looks at your service to AOTA and the community at large, as well as your engagement with OT education and mentorship.” She received the award at the 2021 AOTA Annual Conference & Expo in San Diego, which was held virtually this year.

      And indeed, a glance through Dr. Fain’s 17-page resume shows that her storied career has taken her to a range of settings and roles within the occupational therapy profession—and to locations around the world. 

      As a young clinician with a bachelor’s degree in OT, she chose to work in facilities serving a variety of populations so she could gain wide clinical experience. Within five years, she had moved into clinical leadership roles—developing new programs for staff and patients, directing rehabilitation departments in healthcare organizations, and supervising interprofessional teams that included occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists.  

      “I have always loved helping and sharing knowledge with others,” says Dr. Fain. “However, one senior PT who worked for me said, ‘I have only worked for two bosses whom I actually respected, and you are one of them. You should go into academia so that you can help shape future practitioners!’ That quote became an inspiring catalyst for me to move forward into academia.”

      Earning Her Doctor of Education Degree at USAHS

      She got in touch with a former mentor with connections to USAHS, who encouraged Dr. Fain to pursue our Doctor of Education program. 

      “My time at USA was a phenomenal experience,” says Dr. Fain.

      In the EdD program, she focused on developing curricula for occupational therapy. She appreciated the program’s focus on healthcare and on interprofessional teamwork. “Working side by side with classmates from other disciplines such as physical therapy and speech, you learn about each other’s roles more intimately,” she says. “It gives you ideas for starting your own interprofessional education programs.” She says that today, when hiring faculty members, she looks for people who have extensive experience as clinicians and minimal experience in academia so that she can mentor faculty in the educational best practices she studied in our EdD program. 

      Honoring Diversity

      In early 2019, Dr. Fain founded the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) at Pfeiffer University in Albemarle, North Carolina. She has recruited diverse faculty members who bring different ideas and areas of expertise. The student body is diverse, as well—the most diverse she’s ever seen. She says that in the student admissions process, the enrollment team looks for characteristics that correlate with successful fieldwork and clinicals, such as emotional intelligence, grit factor, locus of control, and observation skills. She notes that there are more African-American students in her MSOT program at Pfeiffer than when she worked as an assistant professor at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), a historically Black institution. She believes that it’s important to graduate diverse clinicians because “patients who are vulnerable need clinicians they can relate to. We all feel more comfortable with people who are like us.”

      Alongside her work directing the MSOT program, Dr. Fain teaches a capstone course and a course in movement and occupation. She has also formed a pro bono clinic in which OT students treat patients from the local community.

      “I want to ensure that our OT graduates are lifelong learners—and ethical, visionary leaders in the making.”

      She leads fun class projects, such as dancing with students in a TikTok video about an OT sensory pathway down a school hallway that includes hopscotch, jumping jacks, and standing wall push-ups. 

      Recently, Dr. Fain launched a project to create a 3D-printed milk carton opener after she observed that many senior citizens who get Meals on Wheels have trouble opening the milk cartons they receive. She helped design the device in a collaboration between her MSOT students, a local senior program, and an engineering program at a nearby private school. Her students will help with printing and distributing the devices and educating seniors on how to use them.

      The MSOT program is currently a candidate for accreditation by ACOTE. Dr. Fain says that winning the Roster of Fellows Award “will certainly help with recruitment of faculty and students for the MSOT program at Pfeiffer. And being able to say that the program director has achieved such a status will strengthen our case with the accreditation reviewers.” She knows what reviewers look for because she has conducted accreditation reviews for the accrediting arm of AOTA, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). This is just one of several roles she has assumed in service to AOTA, alongside coordinating research and reviewing practice guides and conference proposals.

      Embodying the Range of the Profession

      In previous faculty roles, Dr. Fain has prioritized engaging students in client-centered learning across diverse ethnic and cultural populations. As an assistant professor at WSSU, she set up a pro bono clinic in which interprofessional students treated patients who were underinsured. She also took students on a Level I fieldwork trip to Ecuador. “You have to really use your critical thinking and problem-solving skills to accomplish the same goal with fewer resources, across the language barrier,” she says. Her students taught Ecuadorian staff and other students professional skills such as transfers, splinting, and therapeutic interventions. 

      If all these accomplishments weren’t enough, Dr. Fain is a Certified Therapy Dog International Handler and gives presentations on H.O.T. (Higher Order Thinking), an education reform concept. As a researcher, she has examined the effect of early-learning initiative art programs for Latino preschool children. She has published scholarly articles in multiple journals and textbooks, including chapters within Adult Physical Conditions: Intervention Strategies for Occupational Therapist Assistants and Best Practice in School Based Occupational Therapy. Publications and presentations are another factor in the nominations for the Roster of Fellows Award, she says.

      “USAHS provided me with multiple opportunities to collaborate with other disciplines, to develop various educational curricula, and to learn from peers and faculty,” she says. “I can wholeheartedly say that I learned from the best—and I will always value my educational experiences with USAHS.”

      It’s inspiring to see how Dr. Fain has embodied so many diverse roles within the OT profession: clinician, educator, researcher, advocate, policymaker, administrator. Her resume could be a list of what’s possible in OT. And she attributes some of her success as an educator to her time at USAHS.

       

      The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) offers an online Doctor of Education (EdD) program focused on healthcare education. Designed for working clinicians and healthcare educators, the program has two required residencies and optional on-campus immersions (scheduled to resume in 2022). Specializations include Nursing Education, Athletic Training, Teaching and Learning (with a teaching internship), and Executive Leadership. Design a customized plan of study that takes advantage of our acceleration options and wide array of electives—and prepare to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals. 

      USAHS offers hands-on Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) and Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degrees. Join a collaborative cohort of peers who learn under the mentorship of expert faculty-practitioners. Practice with mock patients in our state-of-the-art simulation centers and learn anatomy with our high-tech tools. Prepare for clinical practice with patients across the lifespan, as well as advanced roles in research, practice leadership, and policymaking. Residential (online coursework + in-person labs on weekdays) and Flex (online coursework + in-person labs on weekends) formats are available. 

      Blog Single Post: Sidebar

      Want to learn more?
      Contact an enrollment advisor.
      Request Information

      Latest Stories

      MS-SLP Alum Brings Music to the Profession

      Speech-Language Pathology SLP, Alumni Stories

      MS-SLP Alum Brings Music to the Profession

      USAHS Students Form Student Veterans of America Chapter

      Occupational Therapy OT, Alumni Stories

      USAHS Students Form Student Veterans of America Chapter

      OTD Alum Aids Rural City in Earning $100,000 Access Grant

      Occupational Therapy OT, Alumni Stories

      OTD Alum Aids Rural City in Earning $100,000 Access Grant

      More Occupational Therapy OT

      MS-SLP Alum Brings Music to the Profession usahs

      Speech-Language Pathology SLP

      MS-SLP Alum Brings Music to the Profession

      sva-flsa-usahs

      Occupational Therapy OT

      USAHS Students Form Student Veterans of America Chapter

      OTD Alum Aids Rural City in Earning $100,000 Access Grant-01-usahs

      Occupational Therapy OT

      OTD Alum Aids Rural City in Earning $100,000 Access Grant

      Footer

      • Schedule a Tour
      • Apply for Admission
      • Upcoming Events
      • News
      • Financial Aid
      • Faculty Directory
      • Social Media Guidelines
      • Library
      • Continuing Education
      • Careers @ USA
      • MyUSA
      • Webmail
      • Catalog/Handbook
      • Media Resources
      • Legal and Consumer Disclosures
      • State Licensure

      University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Instagram
      • YouTube
      • Linkedin

      San Marcos, CA Campus
      700 Windy Point Drive
      San Marcos, CA 92069

      St. Augustine, FL Campus
      1 University Boulevard
      St. Augustine, FL 32086

      Miami, FL Campus
      Douglas Entrance North Tower
      800 S. Douglas Road, Suite 149
      Coral Gables, FL 33134

      Austin, TX Campus
      5401 La Crosse Ave
      Austin, TX 78739

      Dallas, TX Campus
      5010 Riverside Drive, Suite 120
      Irving, TX 75039

      General Inquiries: (904) 826-0084
      Media Inquiries: (760) 407-2301
      Fax: (904) 826-0085
      Registrations: (800) 241-1027

       

       

      Copyright © 2022 Legal & Consumer Disclosure  •  Title IX / Safety & Security  •  Privacy Policy  •  Program Data  •  Accreditation  •  Contact