A new assistant professor for TCU’s recently launched Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) aims to help students become “thoughtful, client-centered professionals.” Leah Botkin, Ph.D., OTR, brings both expertise from her academic background and experience as a practicing clinician to the new program in the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
Throughout her career, Botkin has focused on health services, the implementation of evidence-based care and populations with neurological conditions. In her time at Boone Health, a neurorehabilitation clinic in Missouri, she established a Parkinson’s Disease clinic, where she spent time researching the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment® BIG (LSVT BIG) and the barriers practitioners face when implementing the protocol and ensuring patient fidelity to their treatment program at home. She also worked as a clinical occupational therapist in various settings, including inpatient and outpatient care, as well as dedicated nursing facilities.
“I hope to use this experience to teach OTD students how to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world practice,” Botkin said.
She continues her clinical work as an occupational therapist at a hospital in Flower Mound weekly to ensure she’s up to date with both academic and practical developments in her field.
Botkin was attracted to Harris College’s reputation for evidence-based practice, community engagement and supporting relationships between students and faculty, as well as the chance to be an inaugural faculty member for the OTD program.
“I was really drawn to TCU by the opportunity to create something new,” she said. “Beyond the classroom, I look forward to collaborating across Harris College to strengthen interdisciplinary education and engaging with both the TCU community and the greater DFW area through service, collaboration and outreach.”
Before coming to Fort Worth, Botkin’s only experience in Texas came from some time as an undergraduate at Baylor University. But the moment she arrived on the TCU campus for her interview, she was struck by the “positive vibe” from students, faculty, staff and the pride Fort Worth has as the home of TCU.
“I am already looking forward to being an active part of the TCU campus, whether that’s attending sporting events, joining campus activities or simply walking between buildings and chatting with students and colleagues,” she said. “I’m excited to explore more of my new home. I have the Fort Worth Zoo and the Fort Worth Stockyards at the top of my list.”
Botkin received her bachelor’s in health science and doctorate in health and rehabilitation from the University of Missouri in her hometown of Columbia and her master’s in occupational therapy from Washington University in St. Louis.