February 2, 2005, Findlay, Ohio – Dr. Carolyn Baum, a national expert on enabling older adults to live independently and the president of the American Occupational Therapy Association, will present two public lectures on Thursday, Feb. 17, in the Alumni Memorial Union.

Her first talk will be at 4 p.m. and will focus on “The Older Adult: Occupational Performance and Rehabilitation Issues,” and her second lecture will be at 7 p.m. and will focus on “Building the Future in Occupational Therapy: Opportunities and Responsibilities.”

She will be on campus through Friday, Feb. 18, to meet with students in The University of Findlay’s Occupational Therapy Program and tour the program’s facilities. Her visit is sponsored by the University’s Convocations Committee.

Baum is the Elias Michael Director of the Washington University School of Medicine’s Program in Occupational Therapy in St. Louis, Mo. Her research on aging and rehabilitation has been recognized by funding from the National Institutes of Health, the James S. McDonnell Foundation, the Social Security Administration and the Older Adults Service and Information System.

She has co-authored and edited numerous books including “Occupational Therapy: Enabling Function and Well-Being,” which is used in occupational therapy curriculums all over the world. She also served on The Institute of Medicine committee that wrote the report, “Enabling America for Congress,” which subsequently was published as a book. She currently is an editor of the Journal OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health. She serves on the Executive Board for The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis.

Baum also has been involved in two major rehabilitation policy initiatives. She served on the National Institute of Health committee that wrote the rehabilitation plan for Congress that implemented the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research.

Her honors and awards include the American Occupational Therapy Association’s top two honors, the Eleanor Clarke Slagel Lectureship and the Award of Merit.

For more information about this free, public event, contact Dr. Thomas Dillon, director and associate professor of occupational therapy, at 419-434-5777.