Occupational Therapy Faculty

Core Faculty

Stacey Willis, OTD, BSOT, OTR/L

Dean & Program Director

Dr. Stacey Willis obtained her Doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California in 2012, and her undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy from California State University Dominguez Hills in 2002. Dr. Willis is an expert in psychosocial occupational therapy treatment, and has been working in community-based mental health for the past 12 years. Dr. Willis has extensive experience in the areas of management, leadership, program development, community integration, fiscal operations, and contract administration.

Dr. Willis served as the Intensive Services Director at the Occupational Therapy Training Program, where she was responsible for overseeing all daily and administrative operations of the Intensive Services Department. This included the oversight of three intensive programs funded by the county of Los Angeles (Wraparound Program, Center for the Assessment of Prodromal States Pilot Program, and the Full Service Partnership Program). Dr. Willis was able to identify, promote, and embed occupational therapy services into various community-based programs. As director Dr. Willis also provided ongoing management, training, and mentorship to an interdisciplinary mental health services team. Dr. Willis remains a consultant for the division.

Dr. Willis has spoken at numerous conferences, and community events emphasizing the importance and vital role that occupational therapy provides in the treatment of individuals living with mental illness.

Dr. Willis is an avid Lakers fan, self-proclaimed movie buff, and enjoys engaging in community outreach, in an effort to inspire youth to strive to reach their fullest potential. She and her husband’s favorite pastime is to cheer on their son and daughter at their numerous sporting events.

Diana Gantman Kraversky, OTD, MS, OTR/L, AP

Associate Professor

Dr. Gantman Kraversky began her pediatric therapy career as a speech therapist with a Masters of Science in Speech Pathology, Education and Child Development from Minsk State Pedagogical University in Belarus. Later, in the United States, she completed her degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Pittsburgh and a Post-Professional Doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy from the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.

Her extensive, over 15 years, experience of working with infants, children, adolescents, and young adults includes various practice settings, such as the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh, the Glendale Adventist Medical Center, private practice, in-home early intervention settings, and school districts. Dr. Gantman Kraversky served as a consultant for the center-based summer intervention programs and therapeutic camps for children with special needs. She developed new occupational therapy programs and specific interventions within various practice settings, such as functional feeding groups, handwriting, and sensory-motor programs.

Dr. Gantman Kraversky worked in the capacity of an occupational therapy coordinator and supervised both administrative and therapeutic staff. She has experience in conducting clinical research and continuing education courses for the interdisciplinary rehabilitation and special education teams. Dr. Gantman Kraversky has presented in occupational therapy at the local level as well as in the state of Pennsylvania and lectured in various higher education programs. Her leisure pursuits include traveling, reading, cooking and hiking with her husband, daughter and a family dog.

Michael Ang, OTD, OTR/L, CNS, CSRS, CBIS, HTC, PAM, SWC, CKTP, CAPS

Professor

Michael Ang created the Outpatient Occupational Therapy Program at St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he specialized in treating neurological and upper extremity conditions. He was the first Certified Stroke Rehab Specialist in Southern California, and has advanced practice certification in hand therapy, physical agents, and swallowing interventions. He has clinical experience treating adults in acute care, intensive care, transitional care, inpatient rehab, outpatient rehab, skilled nursing, assisted living, and home health therapy.

In 2018, Michael won a RAISE award (Raising Awareness in Stroke Excellence) with the National Stroke Association, and presents on a variety of neurological topics across the nation. He is the originator of the CNS (Certified Neuro Specialist) Method, and works closely with The Neuro Specialist Institute. Michael is a former professor at the University of Southern California, where he created a number of courses related to stroke and brain injury. At ��, Michael teaches Occupations in Practice and Preparatory Methods I and II.

Dr. Ronnie Dallatorre

Academic Fieldwork Coordinator/Assistant Professor

Dr. Dallatorre is a Navy veteran who grew up in Compton, CA and is motivated and passionate about serving his community. He was stationed in Everett, WA on the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) where he worked as a photojournalist and documented navy life during Operation Unified Assistance (Thailand 2004-2005), Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dr. Dallatorre is a three-time graduate from the University of Southern California. During his Residency in 2018 at Kedren’s Outpatient Wellness program, he developed and facilitated an Improv-based Interventions for Adults with Mental and Substance Use Disorder utilizing the Eight Dimensions of Wellness from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). His interests include baseball (Go Dodgers!!!), boxing, politics, and improv.

Kathryn B. Duke, OTD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor

Dr. Kathryn Duke is a licensed occupational therapist whose work has focused on better understanding the occupational needs of marginalized groups such as refugees with disabilities, people with limited English proficiency, and people with co-occurring mental and physical health conditions. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with her Master’s in Occupational Therapy in 2016 and Doctor of Occupational Therapy in 2017. Dr. Duke has presented at national conferences on topics related to mental health and diabetes self-management, interprofessional practice, occupational therapy student fieldwork evaluation, motivational interviewing, and income-generating occupations for refugees with disabilities. At the University of Illinois at Chicago, she was part of an OT research team tasked with validating the revised Fieldwork Performance Evaluation for Level II OT and OTA students; she was also part of an interdisciplinary team that developed the community-based Partners of Refugees in Illinois Disability Employment (PRIDE) program.

Prior to entering the field of occupational therapy, Dr. Duke taught English for international students and immigrants at universities and community-based organizations for 8 years. This experience sparked her passion for working with non-native English speakers from diverse backgrounds as an occupational therapy practitioner and instructor.

Dr. Duke is an avid reader. She also enjoys watching international films, traveling, taking long walks, and playing Scrabble.

Lauren Diaz OTR/L, CNS, RYT

Community-Based Fieldwork Instructor

Professor Lauren Diaz earned her Masters of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from �� in 2015. She began her career focusing on adult rehabilitation in both home health and inpatient settings. During this time, she was also provided the opportunity to develop a therapeutic garden at a community-based mental health facility in Los Angeles, CA. Through her work with individuals who experience homelessness and those residing in permanent supportive housing, she discovered her passion for advocating and developing OT’s unique role in emerging practice settings and improving health equity for our communities.

She along with fieldwork students develop and implement programs focused on health promotion, wellness, and recovery for marginalized and underserved populations. Their work with local non-profit agencies has been successful in the creation of a new OT position at one of their partnering sites. Professor Diaz is passionate and dedicated to fostering student learning and creating opportunities for students to gain the leadership and advocacy skills needed to propel the OT profession forward.

Professor Diaz has presented her research on the topic of Community-Based Fieldwork and its Impact on Population Health at the national level which has been integral for the creation of the Community-Based Fieldwork Instructor positions at ��.

Professor Diaz enjoys watching live music, spending time in nature, going out to restaurants with friends and family, and cuddling up with her OT husband and dog Rocco.

Manisha Sheth, OTD, OTR/L

Associate Professor

Dr. Manisha Sheth obtained her Post Professional clinical Doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy from the Boston University, MA in 2016. Her doctorate research was focused on how does non-pharmacological occupational therapy interventions improve sleep in clients who undergo fast track joint replacement surgery.

Dr. Sheth has worked as a clinical specialist and lead OT for Comprehensive Joint Replacement Center at Norwalk Hospital, CT for past 16 years. Dr. Sheth is NOMAS (Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale) licensed professional for past 11 years. Her extensive, 30 years experience of working with adult and older adult populations includes various practice setting such as acute care, acute rehab, skilled nursing facility and home health.

Prior to teaching at ��, Dr. Sheth served as an adjunct faculty at Dominican College, NY for 2 years. Dr. Sheth has spoken at numerous state and national conferences and has written a chapter about sleep disorders in breast cancer survivors in the book titled “The little book for menopause: Living with the challenges of breast cancer.” Dr. Sheth has been passionate about health promotion and wellness programs focusing on sleep hygiene for older adults.

Dr. Sheth has travelled extensively across North America, West Europe and South East Asia. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, cooking vegetarian world cuisines, and exploring Southern California.

Aaron Picus, OTD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor

Dr. Aaron Picus is a licensed occupational therapist with a wide range of scholarly interests, focusing on the lived experiences of disability and the tactics everyday practitioners employ to create change within their organizations. Born and raised in Houston, TX, he eventually made his way to the Los Angeles region by way of New Orleans & Chicago. He received both his Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and post-professional clinical doctorate from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has created multiple continuing education programs, one of which empowers occupational therapy practitioners with the evidence base for generating a change unique to their own organizational contexts. He considers himself a pediatric practitioner, specializing in Early Intervention. Dr. Picus is passionate about addressing ableism in his practice and often finds himself drawing upon his own experiences receiving occupational therapy as a child.

Working in the Early Intervention system provides him the opportunity to connect with caregivers and create life-lasting changes in a child’s developmental trajectory. Dr. Picus also has experience in outpatient pediatric settings, with expertise related to DIR/Floortime & Sensory Integration. He especially enjoys the mentoring process and witnessing students as they develop into future clinicians. During his free time, he enjoys cooking, hiking, reading, and exploring new neighborhoods across LA county.

Valerie C. Perry, OTD, OTR/L, CNS

Assistant Professor

Dr. Valerie Perry is a licensed occupational therapist specializing in adult rehabilitation. She earned her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree from �� in 2020. For her capstone project, Dr. Perry was invited to collaborate with the occupational therapy department at WCU-CGS to expand the curriculum on treatments for mental health patients with a trauma-informed care approach. Additionally, she promoted interprofessional education and communication through a workshop series that involved graduate students from the occupational therapy, physical therapy, and pharmacy departments at WCU-CGS. These events provided an opportunity for these three disciplines to collaborate in both classroom and off-site settings.

Following graduation, Dr. Perry pursued a career serving the adult and geriatric population and is currently practicing as a home health clinician. She has experience treating neurological conditions, orthopedic, cardiothoracic, and progressive diagnoses. To advance her capability to provide effective neurological rehabilitation, Dr. Perry also earned her certification as a Neuro Specialist (CNS). She seeks opportunities to augment students’ learning by incorporating examples from her practice in lectures to facilitate students’ comprehension.

In her spare time, she enjoys snowboarding, swimming, reading, and escaping to the mountains with her husband.

Elise Leizerovich, OTD, OTR/L

Capstone Coordinator, Assistant Professor

Dr. Elise Leizerovich received her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University in 2014 and her Post-Professional Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in 2020. Her doctoral capstone project focused on the development of an occupational therapy case management program for individuals with serious mental illness. While Dr. Leizerovich has experience in a variety of OT settings, her primary areas of interest are mental health and school-based OT. Dr. Leizerovich enjoys cooking, playing tennis, traveling, and going to sporting events.

Dr. Rhonda Windham, OTD, OTR/L,

Assistant Professor

Dr. Windham is committed to using evidence-based strategies to promote mental health, healthy lifestyle choices, and the benefits of engagement in meaningful occupations to help in the prevention of chronic conditions. A licensed, clinical occupational therapist, Dr. Windham is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at �� and presides over the occupational therapy doctorate program at OTTP, a non-profit mental health agency providing interdisciplinary behavioral health services to youth and their families. Dr. Windham advises doctoral students during their residency while guiding their research concepts. In her clinical practice, Dr. Windham provides individual and group therapy services to youth, families, and athletes and assists them develop skills for optimal function and performance; while helping them identify coping strategies to address mental, emotional, and environmental barriers.

Dr. Windham is a graduate of the University of Southern California, and a noted “triple Trojan” holding doctorate and master’s degrees in occupational therapy and an undergraduate degree in sports marketing and broadcasting.

Dr. Windham is an accomplished sports professional who worked in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers, and WNBA as the inaugural general manager of the Los Angeles Sparks. Dr. Windham’s passion for sports and healthy living are staples in her daily life, as her favorite occupations include bike riding, working out, kite flying, and taking nature walks with her wife.

Adjunct Faculty

Stephanie Attenni, OTD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor, Adjunct

Dr. Stephanie Attenni obtained her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2014. Following graduation, she worked in both geriatric and school-based settings. Dr. Attenni served on the board of her state association as both recording secretary and newsletter editor. She also served as an adjunct faculty member at Temple University.

In 2016, she moved to California to attend the University of Southern California. She completed her residency at the USC Lifestyle Redesign(TM) Faculty Practice and obtained her Post-Professional Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy in 2017. Her doctoral studies focused on chronic disease management, prevention, and wellness.

Prior to teaching at ��, she worked in travel therapy, home health and inpatient acute care, experimenting with integrating her wellness and mental health knowledge into these traditional settings. Dr. Attenni has also presented at the AOTA National Conference, served as a panelist for new practitioners at AOTA/NBCOT Student Conclave, and has contributed to the AOTA Student Pulse E-Newsletter. She is a certified yoga teacher and Reiki Level II practitioner. Dr. Attenni is a multi-passionate practitioner who believes that all people have the right to live a healthy and meaningful life. Her goal as a professor is to ensure that all students feel confident in addressing patients holistically.

Dr. Attenni is an avid reader and writer. She loves to travel and cook with her husband, spend time with her family and friends, go to the beach, and explore various metaphysical healing modalities including Astrology & Human Design.

Bryant Edwards

Assistant Professor, Adjunct

Bryant Edwards earned his Masters of Arts and Occupational Therapy Doctorate from the University of Southern California, and his Masters of Public Health from The Ohio State University. Having spent the entirety of his occupational therapy career working with children and adolescents, he is Board Certified in Pediatrics through the American Occupational Therapy Association. Dr. Edwards is currently the Occupational Therapy Manager at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, overseeing a staff of over 50 occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and therapy aides. In addition, he has served as a consultant for school districts and therapy agencies. His volunteer leadership has included serving as the Secretary for the Occupational Therapy Association of California for 4 years, and he is currently the Vice President of the Association. He has served as adjunct faculty at �� since 2016.

Bianca Callier, OTD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor, Adjunct

Bianca Callier earned her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree from �� in 2020. Dr. Callier has had numerous experiences providing community-based mental health services to women experiencing homelessness, survivors of human trafficking, and children and adolescents with mental illness. When educating on topics of mental health, she challenges her students to advocate for the role of OT and mental health and use empathy and compassion when developing occupation-based treatments for future clients.

Following graduation, Dr. Callier focused her career on gaining experience as an early intervention pediatric therapist and starting a business in aquatic occupational therapy. Dr. Callier is passionate about advocating for OTs unique role within aquatic therapy. She developed her doctoral capstone project to provide an aquatic wellness program to a marginalized community through the lens of a trauma-informed care approach. During the 2020 OTAC Conference, Dr. Callier presented a poster and short course presentation session of her capstone project and the research outcomes. Her presentation has been accepted to present at the upcoming World Federation of Occupational Therapy Conference in Paris, 2022.

Dr. Callier is dedicated to the mission to increase diversity and inclusion within the profession of occupational therapy as an active member of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity, COTAD. As a leader of the COTAD Community committee, she organizes and facilitates community service projects during each annual AOTA Conference. In addition, Dr. Callier serves on the OTAC Membership Committee and the OT Program Advisory (PAC) Committee at ��.

Dr. Callier enjoys her yearly trip to Yosemite, cooking, going on walks with her family and Goldendoodle, swimming, and looking for dolphins at the beach.

Celine Banaga, OTR/L, CNS

Assistant Professor, Adjunct

Professor Celine Villanueva Banaga received her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from �� in 2016. She pursued a career in predominantly serving the adult and older adult populations in various settings including outpatient, inpatient, and home health settings. Through her experience working in the field, she developed a deep interest in neurological rehabilitation as well as upper limb amputation and prosthetic training and has earned her Neuro Specialist certification (CNS) and certification in OSSUR Upper Limb Prosthesis.

Professor Banaga is currently a practicing home health clinician who aims to bring relevant day to day experiences into the classroom to further her students’ skills in clinical problem solving, patient communication, and foundational techniques, to further the growth of Occupational Therapy as a profession.

Matcha latte in hand, Professor Banaga loves to go thrift shopping with her husband, frequenting various restaurants in search of the perfect french fry, spending time with her two dogs (Milo and Potato), and traveling.

Michelle Kornet, MBA, MS, ORT/L, CHT

Assistant Professor, Adjunct

Professor Kornet is originally from the Hudson Valley, New York, and relocated to California in 2019. She graduated from The Sage Colleges with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and began her career in OT working with members of both the United States Military and Airforce to rehabilitate orthopedic injuries. Professor Kornet was mentored and trained by both surgeons and therapists to become a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) in 2018.

Additionally, Professor Kornet has completed a second master’s degree in Business Administration. She currently maintains a clinical caseload in hand therapy in addition to being the Director of Clinical Services at a private clinic in Los Angeles. She believes in quality patient care and is dedicated to the advancement of the field of hand therapy. Professor Kornet serves as a volunteer mentor through the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) and a fieldwork supervisor for current OT students.

In 2020, Professor Kornet joined the ��, occupational therapy faculty, as an Assistant Professor in both the masters and doctoral programs. She is currently lecturing on topics related to lifespan and physical dysfunction including her passion: upper extremity rehabilitation.

In her spare time, Professor Kornet can be found running, practicing yoga or enjoying the outdoors with her two beagles.

Patricia Bartolome, OTD, OTR/L, CNS, PAM, ITOT

Assistant Professor, Adjunct

Dr. Patricia Bartolome earned her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree from �� in 2022. Dr. Bartolome’s passion for neurorehabilitation and education are the main driving forces of her occupational therapy career. Her doctoral capstone project was the development, implementation, and evaluation of “Certified Neuro Practitioner (CNP)”, a neurorehab certification course specifically designed for healthcare students.

Dr. Bartolome is a licensed occupational therapist specializing in adult rehabilitation in the acute rehab and inpatient hospital settings, where she also serves as a clinical instructor for OT fieldwork students. Additionally, she has clinical experience working in skilled nursing and outpatient therapy. Dr. Bartolome holds various specialty certifications in treating the neurological population, including Certified Neuro Specialist (CNS), IMPACT Trained Occupational Therapist (ITOT), and Physical Agent Modalities (PAM).

During her free time, Dr. Bartolome enjoys indoor cycling, watching anime, spending time with loved ones, and eating at the next best restaurant in Los Angeles.

Rani Waterman, OTD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor, Adjunct

Dr. Rani Waterman is a licensed occupational therapist specializing in pediatric acute care. She graduated from the University of Southern California with her Master’s in Occupational Therapy in 2016 and her Post-Professional Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy in 2017. Her doctoral research focused on maternal wellbeing within the population of children with severe feeding issues.

She has worked in primarily in acute care with both adults and children. She currently works at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles treating children 1+ years with a variety of diagnoses. She has advanced practice in Swallowing Assessment, Evaluation or Intervention and specializes in neuro rehab and hand therapy.

Dr. Waterman enjoys cooking, hiking and anything that has to do with her dogs.

Kendra King, OTR/L, CBIS

Assistant Professor, Adjunct

Professor King is an Assistant Professor of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate and Masters program at ��. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater and Dance from University of Texas at Austin in 2006. She spent four years working as an actress in New York City, but discovered her passion for working with children when she began volunteering at the Creative Arts Workshops for Kids in Harlem. This motivated her to return to school and in 2013 she graduated with her Masters in Occupational Therapy from University of Southern California.

Professor King began her OT career working in the Inpatient Rehabilitation unit at Cedars-Sinai. After two years she transitioned to Acute care at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). In her five years at CHLA, Professor King became an essential team member and resource for patients with brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury earning her CBIS (Certified Brain Injury Specialist) in 2017. Professor King also works in the CHLA Outpatient Hand Clinic and is the Co-Chair of the OTD Committee at CHLA. She is currently pursuing her SWC (swallowing assessment and intervention) and hopes to one day sit for her CHT (Certified Hand Therapist). She has presented on a wide range of topics at AOTA, OTAC, and guest lectures at USC.

Abraham Kim, OTD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor, Adjunct

Dr. Abraham Kim obtained his doctorate degree in occupational therapy from Rush University College of Health Sciences in Chicago. Having lived in multiple Asian countries, his doctorate research focused on stigma on mental health amongst occupational therapists in South Korea. His experience in occupational therapy expands from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seoul.

Dr. Kim currently is a practicing clinician as well as the director of rehabilitation in an outpatient clinic in Los Angeles. His work outside of teaching focuses on, “getting patients back to what they want and need to do”.

Dr. Kim enjoys watching the Lakers, collecting action figures & sneakers, golf, and filming/editing.

Azada Hsu, MA, OTR/L

Assistant Professor, AFWC

Professor Azada Hsu is a licensed occupational therapist. She obtained her Master of Arts degree in Occupational Therapy from University of Southern California in 2018. While studying at USC, Professor Hsu was involved in Global Initiatives, a program focused on building and expanding the division’s collaborative relationships globally and supporting international students enrolled in the division’s academic programs. While Professor Hsu has experience in OT settings across the lifespan, her primary areas of interest are mental health, acute care, and emerging areas of practice.

Currently, at ��, Professor Hsu assists with teaching fieldwork courses and works collaboratively with students and fieldwork sites to provide enriching learning experiences. Professor Hsu is passionate about supporting students holistically, by instilling in students the importance of creating daily rhythms for occupational wellness while making progress towards their personal and professional goals. In her spare time, Professor Hsu loves being in nature, eating good food, traveling, and spending time with her husband, young children, and labradoodle.

Staff

Teresa Cisneros

Program Manager

Teresa Cisneros is originally from Phoenix, Arizona and moved to Los Angeles in 2015. She obtained her B.A. in Business Communication and B.S. in Justice Studies from Arizona State University (ASU). Teresa has worked in higher education since 2013 when she worked for the Graduate Education Office at ASU as a Student Support Specialist. There she was able to help graduate students with the application process and later transitioned into a Format Advisor assisting students with their thesis and dissertations.

Teresa became part of the Department of Occupational Therapy in May of 2016. She enjoys working with students and building partnerships with fieldwork sites.

On her spare time, Teresa enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to the movies, and party planning.

Brittany Crow

Academic Fieldwork Administrative Assistant

Brittany Crow received her Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Communication at California State University of San Bernardino in 2015. Her experience in higher education developed at the Art Institute of Orange County California in 2016, where she was an Assistant Director of ��. While holding her previous title, she gained the passion for guiding each student in their desired career path.

Brittany joined the �� team in December 2018, and is excited to continue working at a University. Brittany enjoys spending time with her family and friends on weekends, trying out different restaurants and going on getaways

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