Doctor of Occupational Therapy Faculty
Julie Kugel, OTD, OTR/L, OTD Program Director
Dr. Kugel completed her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy from Loma Linda University in 2006. Her experience with research and program development in the master's program led her to pursue and complete her post-professional doctor of Occupational Therapy degree via distance learning from Loma Linda University in 2009. Her capstone project explored the role of occupational therapy in occupation based childhood obesity prevention and treatment.
Her experience in online learning was one that was professionally inspiring and personally life changing; it is her desire to make the online learning experience the same for students in the doctoral program. She has been teaching in the online doctoral program as an adjunct professor for the past two years and is excited to be joining the faculty full time at Loma Linda University. With her experience both as a student and faculty member she has developed strategies for teaching and learning in the online setting using a variety of media and technology approaches. Dr. Kugel's personal research interests are in the area of pediatrics, preventative medicine and family centered therapy.
Heather Javaherian-Dysinger, OTD, OTR/L, Associate Professor
Dr. Javaherian has been teaching full time at the university level in a variety of areas including mental health, neurorehabilitation, and occupational justice. She has served as a faculty research mentor for undergraduate students and will be team-teaching graduate-level research at Loma Linda in the Department of Occupational Therapy. She is a current member of the School of Allied Health Professions Research Committee.
Dr. Javaherian completed her post-professional doctor of occupational therapy in May 2004 via distance learning and on-site intensives at Creighton University focusing in domestic violence. As an online doctoral student for three years, Dr. Javaherian has experience with various web-based programs and student-faculty interaction. She has incorporated Blackboard into many of her courses to enhance the teaching and learning experience. She has also taught a course dedicated to technology that included topics such as web page design, Blackboard, iMovie, and various software programs. Dr. Javaherian has published in the area of online learning and student learning. She is a member of the Technology Mediated Learning Committee in the School of Allied Health Professions.
Liane Hewitt, DrPH, OTR/L, Department Chair, Associate Professor
Liane Hewitt has been teaching full time at the university level and has been the Department Chairperson since 2000. She completed her doctorate in public health in 2007. Ms. Hewitt is working with other faculty to develop teaching and learning strategies for an online degree program. She has completed two online classes. Ms. Hewitt developed a distance education program for the occupational therapy assistant program in Fresno, California and was a key instructor in the program utilizing various distance technologies. Ms. Hewitt is a member of the Technology Mediated Learning Committee in the School of Allied Health Professions.
Esther Huecker, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Associate Professor
Dr. Huecker has been teaching full time at Loma Linda University for more than 10 years. She is Program Director for the entry-level master's degree in occupational therapy. In August 2005 she completed her doctor of philosophy in occupational science at the University of Southern California. With a focus on ethnographic research methods, her dissertation incorporated extensive use of video and audio recorders. Dr. Huecker has integrated Blackboard into graduate classes and taken professional online courses. She has guided curriculum development in the master's program for five years and is a member of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Curriculum Committee. Dr. Huecker is also a member of the PhD in Rehabilitation Science Committee in the School of Allied Health Professions.
Grenith J. Zimmerman, PhD, Associate Dean of Research
Dr. Zimmerman is the Associate Dean for Research for the School of Allied Health Professions. She is also Program Director for the PhD in Rehabilitation Science Program. Her teaching responsibilities include research and biostatistics courses for the master's programs in occupational therapy and physician assistant and for doctoral programs in physical therapy. She does research and statistical consultation for her school and for researchers within the university and is an Academic Associate for Quest Diagnostics. Her personal research interests lie in the area of health-related quality of life for patients with various diseases and problems.
Heather Thomas, PhD, OTR/L, Associate Professor
Dr. Thomas is Associate Professor at Loma Linda University in southern California. After obtaining her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California in 1998, she studied health care administration at Touro University and gained her Ph.D. in Health Science in 2011. Dr Thomas focuses her clinical work in the adult acute rehabilitation settings. From 2000 to 2002, she was the director of the Assistive Technology Center and from 2007 to 2008 she served as the Director of Occupational Therapy at Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation in Pomona California.
She has been actively involved in various positions within the Occupational Therapy association of California, and has presented at State and AOTA conferences as well. She currently serves as the California AOTA Representative, Expanding occupational therapy's reach into areas which are underserved, she is the co-program director for the rehabilitation technician program at a university in Haiti. In 2011, she published her first text book, "Occupation-based Activity Analysis" which is used by OT programs nationwide. Research interests lie in quantitative studies surrounding treatment methods used in physical disabilities as well as the impact of disabilities on pet care.
A yoga instructor for many years, she now enjoys practicing yoga at home in Los Angeles, snow skiing, playing with and doing agility with her dogs, and social activities with friends and family.
Siroj Sorajjakool, PhD, Professor of Religion, Psychology and Counseling, Loma Linda University
Dr Sorajjakool received his PhD in Theology and Personality (Psychology of Religion) from Claremont School of Theology and currently serves as Professor or Religion, Psychology and Counseling at LLU. He has been practicing counseling for the past 12 years during which time he has also serves as a clinical supervisor. He is a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.