Profile for Polly Berra

Polly Berra

Clinical Assistant Professor

Health Professions

Specialty area(s)

Older Adults, Adult Physical Dysfunction, Outpatient Rehabilitation, Certified Lymphedema Therapist, Fieldwork Education

Brief biography

Polly is a 2004 graduate of UW-La Crosse's Occupational Therapy program and practiced primarily in skilled nursing and outpatient settings for more than 14 years prior to joining UWL in 2019. She completed her Doctor of Education (EdD) in Health Professions at A.T. Still University in 2024, researching predictors of student success in graduate occupational therapy programs. Her Master of Science (MS) from Mt. Mary University was completed in 2019 with a research interest in occupational therapy interventions to reduce hospital readmission rates. She also served as adjunct faculty at UWL since 2009, teaching a clinical discussion session as part of anatomy coursework.

Kudos

presented

Polly Berra, Natalie Brauer, Naghmeh Gheidi, Molly Loy, Amanda Martin, Brandon Mccauley, Emma Mickelson, Julia Seidel and Madison Wrobleski, all Health Professions, presented "Occupational Therapy for Chronic Pain: Practitioner Insights on Barriers, Gaps, and Future Directions" at the American Occupational Therapy Association Conference on April 23 in Anaheim, CA.

This experience provided an outstanding opportunity for students to share their research on a national platform, engage with clinicians and researchers from across the country, and build valuable professional connections within the occupational therapy community. The positive feedback and strong interest from practitioners highlighted the importance and relevance of this work to current clinical practice. We are proud of our students for their professionalism, dedication and enthusiasm throughout the research and presentation process. We also extend our appreciation to the faculty mentors and the OT program for fostering a supportive environment that encourages scholarship, collaboration, mentorship and experiential learning opportunities. Congratulations to everyone involved in this meaningful accomplishment and representation of our program at the national level!

Submitted on: May 5

presented

Polly Berra, Health Professions, presented "Predicting OT Student Success: The Role of Undergraduate Admission Factors & Student Characteristics" at the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) INSPIRE Annual Conference on April 24 in Anaheim, CA.

Submitted on: May 4

Memberships & affiliations

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