Bridgeside Community Member Spotlight: Jennifer White
Meet Jennifer White, Assistant Professor of the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Occupational Therapy. When she isn’t busy teaching four different classes and serving as the Program Director for the Occupational Justice clubs, you can find her spending time with her family and dog, traveling with her husband, and cooking vegetables from her very own garden.
Jennifer White, Assistant Professor of the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Occupational Therapy
As part of our Community Member Spotlight series, and in honor of April being Occupational Therapy (OT) Month, we caught up with Jennifer about what she enjoys most about teaching, what she does in her free time, and some interesting facts about her!
Q: In your role, what are you responsible for?
A: My primary responsibilities are:
Teaching four classes in the OTD curriculum (Clinical Conditions 1 & 3, Biomechanical Theory & Practice, and Advanced Concepts in Professional and Clinical Reasoning)
Serving as the Program Director for our Occupational Justice clubs, where staff, students, and faculty discuss issues surrounding justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Mentoring OTD students in the completion of their Capstone Projects.
Serving as the faculty advisor to two student organizations, The Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) Pitt Chapter and TransformOTive Justice, a grassroots, student-led organization designed to critically analyze the manifestations of systemic racism.
Representing SHRS as one of six fellows in the Health Sciences for the Social Justice Fellowship. As a Social Justice Fellow, I will be working with a community partner, The Black Equity Coalition, to develop an innovative digital toolkit for federally qualified health centers. We will focus on providing resources to improve social determinants of health.
Q: What's something about you that's not on your resume?
A: I have run five marathons in three cities: Portland, OR, New York City, NY, and Pittsburgh, PA. I have also completed three Olympic Distance Triathlons, all in Bend, OR.
Q: What excites you the most about what you're studying (or teaching)?
A: That's a tough question, because I genuinely love each class that I teach! What excites me most is the opportunity I have to be an instructor in terms 2, 3, 4, and 7 in conjunction with serving as a faculty mentor for Capstone Projects in terms 7 and 8. I get to see the students grow in both clinical and professional reasoning, from the time they start the program to the time they graduate three years later. It's a similar experience to seeing patients meet their goals throughout the continuum of care. The progress that the students make inspires me and it brings me joy to know that the profession I am so passionate about will be in great hands.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your time off?
A: I love traveling with my husband, running, cooking, eating (especially cooking and eating the vegetables that I grow in my little city garden), seeing live music, spending time with family and friends, and taking city and trail hikes with my dog, Monty.
Q: What's one thing you would tell people about the Bridgeside Point community?
A: We are a tight-knit community that looks out for one another and who lifts each other up so we all succeed. We could change the world if more communities modeled themselves in our footsteps.
Q: What's your favorite restaurant/café in Oakland?
A: It's a tie between the tacos at Las Palmas grocery store on Atwood Street and Mount Everest Sushi.
Jennifer and her husband, Sean.
Jennifer’s beloved dog, Monty, in her backyard.
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