Karen Hoover, OTD, OTR

Assistant Professor
Department of Occupational Therapy

I have been an occupational therapist for over 19 years and have had the privilege of working in many practice settings, including adult physical disability, geriatric care and pediatrics. My most recent clinical experience is in school-based pediatrics. I believe that collaboration between educators and occupational therapists is vital to the success of the children we treat in the school system. As such, my OTD capstone project included the development of an educational program targeted to early childhood teachers. This program provides an introductory understanding of the role of OT in the school system and offers strategies that could be incorporated in the classroom.

I have had the opportunity for duality of employment opportunities during my career, and for the past 16 years I have maintained clinical practice while working in OT education. I have been employed at Seton Hall since 2010 and am proud to be part of a strong, experienced faculty dedicated to educating our future occupational therapists. In addition to teaching, I am also a Director of Clinical Education at Seton Hall. In this role I am able to mentor and assist students as they apply to practice the skills learned in the classroom. It is rewarding to watch students develop into confident, competent entry-level OT practitioners.