Dr. Iwama Visits CSUDH
Diane Mayfield, Ed.D., OTR/L
Dr. Michael Iwama is the author of an innovative book, on theory and culture in health titled: “The Kawa
Model; Culturally Relevant Occupational Therapy. I heard him speak at the AOTA International luncheon in April 2007. Since then, he has been one of my heroes in the Occupational Therapy profession. I
use his Kawa Model to guide my non-profit practice in South East Asia. So, you can imagine my delight
when he found time to visit us on our campus! Dr. Iwama spoke to a group of students and faculty in
Claudia Hampton Hall on October 16 from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. The focus of his presentation centered on
cultural sensitivity and diversity in health care.
To make a point, he presented us with a picture:
And reminded us that our culture has influenced our interpretation of this object. If something this simple and basic can mean something different to each one of us, then we should recognize the importance
of trying to look at health and intervention through the eyes of our clients. On another note, Dr. Iwama
is a big fan of ‘In and Out Burgers’, thank to Dr. Peralta!
OT Department Annual Thanksgiving Student Appreciation Dinner
Lisa D. Langford, MA Edu. Counseling
On December 4th, we held our Annual Student Appreciation dinner for Cohort 10 at El Pollo Inka in
Gardena, California. This annual dinner is sponsored by the Department to encourage students as they
have reached a pinnacle in the program finishing the first three semesters, two fieldwork I experiences, and
their first of two research projects. We had over 95% of the students, along with faculty and staff attend
the event and the food is always great! We congratulate Cohort 10 on their accomplishments, and look
forward to seeing them after the holiday break.
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