Steven Gerardi, OTD, PhD, OTR
Doctoral Coordinator, Assistant Professor, OT Programs
Campus
Austin, TX
College
College of Rehabilitative Sciences
Specialties
Hand Therapy
Mental Health
Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Occupational Oherapy, Texas Woman’s University
Doctor of Occupational Therapy OTD, South University
Master of Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago
Bachelor of Health Science in Occupational Therapy, University of Florida
Diploma, Physical Therapy Specialist, United States Army Academy of Health Sciences
Research Interests
Occupational Therapy for Veterans with Combat-Related Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
The Role of Exercise and Physical Activity on Mental Health
Dr. Gerardi joined the University in 2017. He previously served as the inaugural Program Director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Brown Mackie College–San Antonio. Other past academic appointments include visiting instructor in the Exercise Science program at Saint Mary’s University, an adjunct faculty member in the Baylor University/U.S. Army Doctor of Science in Occupational Therapy program, and Instructor and Chief of the Occupational Therapy Branch at the Army Medical Department Center and School.
Prior to pursuing his academic career, Dr. Gerardi retired from the U.S. Army in 2012, as a Lieutenant Colonel, after a 33-year career. Before discovering occupational therapy, Dr. Gerardi was trained as an Army physical therapy specialist. After becoming an occupational therapist, he spent much of his career working with clients with upper extremity neuromusculoskeletal conditions. He became a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) in 2003.
He has also spent time working with clients with mental health conditions and has worked in in-patient psychiatry and substance abuse rehabilitation, and he has commanded an Army Combat Stress Control Detachment.
Dr. Gerardi’s awards include The Order of Military Medical Merit, the “A” proficiency designator (awarded by The Surgeon General of the Army in acknowledgment of achieving the highest level of professional achievement within the field of occupational therapy) and the Myra McDaniels Writers Award, for the paper “The management of battle-fatigued soldiers: An occupational therapy model.”
Dr. Gerardi has been active in the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). He coauthored the AOTA Societal Statement on Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress and served on the AOTA Ad Hoc Group on Disaster Preparedness and Response. He was a member of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) Task Force on Occupation in Societal Crises and coauthored the original AOTA concept paper on “The Role of Occupational Therapy in Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery.”
Dr. Gerardi has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals including the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Military Medicine, the U.S. Army Medical Department Journal and WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation.