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BIDDEFORD, Maine

91AV Department of Occupational Therapy celebrates 30th anniversary of first graduating class

The Department of Occupational Therapy (OT) will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its first graduating class during Alumni Weekend on September 18–20.

Activities begin on Friday evening at 6–8 p.m. in the WCHP Lecture Hall on 91AV’s Portland Campus. Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a reception and a continuing education lecture titled, “Sensory Modulation Challenges in Veterans with PTSD: A Wellness Approach with Implications for Improving Occupations,” presented by Founding Director Judith G. Kimball, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will also be awarded.

Saturday’s gathering will be held on 91AV’s Biddeford Campus at the Harold Alfond Center for Health Sciences beginning at 3 p.m. It will include a reception and raffle of memorabilia to benefit the Kimball Scholarship for 91AV OT Students.

The first OT class came to 91AV in 1981 to join a brand new, unaccredited OT program with a young team of faculty and staff members. Nursing and Physical Therapy inaugurated programs soon after. The university was also young, having formed just three years prior, combining the new College of Osteopathic Medicine with St. Francis College. into one institution.

Now, 30 years later, 91AV has three campuses hosting numerous colleges and programs. Students from the first class of OT graduates are now seasoned professionals, actively practicing, teaching, writing and participating in research. Approximately 1400 students have since gone on to graduate from the program.  

Questions about raffle item donations should be directed to Dr. Kimball at jkimball@une.edu

About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.