Dr. thOTs

Khalilah and Ryan jump knees first into the topic of aging, including all the aches, pains, joys, and opportunities that come with more years. They talk about their personal experiences of getting a little older and what being "old" means to them. They unpack ageism and the ways our society can perpetuate it, breaking down some myths about aging and older adults. They talk the infantilization of o...

The twists and turns Ryan and Khalilah take you on in this episode will rock your kool-aid cups. The thOTs cover everything from problematic slide shows to spilling tea about the Well Elderly study - also Ryan has a stache! They dive into the politics of representation in the profession and the idolization of our founders and the biomedical model. They challenge practitioners to lean into our iden...

Ryan and Khalilah welcome Dr. Nancy Bagatell, everyone’s favorite boss… and also their actual amazing boss. Dr. Bagatell is the Director of the UNC-Chapel Hill Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy as well as many other things! The Drs. discuss giving and receiving feedback in academia and the ways we can keep our wits about us in the wild west of evaluations, manuscripts, and...

This episode is a tad longer than the usual duo episode, but that's because it's packed full of Ryan and Khalilah answering YOUR questions about them, their work, and their thOTs. They discuss everything from inspirational moments and people to what they got wrong about academia and what their hopes are for the OTPs who come after them. They talk about centering joy and showing up authentically an...

Khalilah and Ryan welcome Dr. Jaclyn Schwartz to the podcast this week to talk about medication management and occupational therapy practice. Dr. Schwartz is an assistant professor of occupational therapy and neurology at Washington University in St. Louis and also a new chicken farmer. While they start off the episode with a little tangent about chickens and antibiotics, the hosts dive right into...

Khalilah and Ryan welcome Mecca Williams (@meccapresents) back to the podcast for another lively, gem-filled, hilarious, and insightful conversations about relationships, both personal and professional. Relationshipping is the occupation of the hour, with Mecca dropping her wisdom, naming realities, and calling us into authentic relationships. They discuss the work of self to be able to be in rela...

Have you ever wanted to jump from the clinic to the classroom? From practice to pedagogy? From grading activities to grading papers? - well maybe not that last one. Either way, this episode is for you! The Drs. discuss the various journeys and pathways to becoming a professor or faculty at a university for practitioners. They touch on everything from which degrees you might have or want to pursue...

Khalilah and Ryan welcome Dr. Douglene Jackson, FAOTA to the podcast to talk about all things imposter syndrome and the future of OT practice.  They explore the places and spaces occupational practitioners are showing up and some of the challenges they face in believing they can translate their skills. Dr. Douglene reveals her tips and tricks for shifting your narrative around imposter syndrome an...

Welcome back to Dr. thOTs! Drs. Ryan Lavalley and Khalilah Johnson are excited for the next sassy installment of the podcast. Khalilah and Ryan jump straight into updating listeners on the last few months - mostly incubating babies, grants, and labs - as academics do! They discuss the transitions of motherhood and going from post-doc to full faculty member, and all the joys and challenges that acc...

Ryan and Khalilah jump into reminiscing about the past season and the lessons and takeaways they'll carry with them from it. We discuss the new ways science communication is evolving, the importance of how we learn from each and support each other in our professional spaces, and the hopes we have had for this podcast. We remember transformational moments from our guests and talk discussions we hop...

Khalilah and Ryan have the privilege and honor to sit with Dr. Elelwani Ramugondo and Dr. Frank Kronenberg to, oh you know, just casually discuss theorizing and disrupting for occupational therapy's future. This pair of professors seamlessly connect the story of their couple power to their immense individual contributions in the occupational therapy and occupational science realm, while being hila...

In this episode three queens kiki the house down with all the tea and shade we can muster, yaaasss gawd. Khalilah and Ryan invite Mr. George Barrett, executive direction of the Marian Cheek Jackson Center and concept queen extraordinaire, back to the podcast to talk queer culture in professional spaces, appropriation, and celebrating intersectional queerness. You betta believe these regular degula...

Khalilah and Ryan discuss preparing for the transition back to in-person teaching/work and managing the trauma of the pandemic and the catalyzing energy of social movements over the past two years. Habits and routines are changing; environments and energy demands are in transition - and they are feeling it. They discuss the ways they're planning on doing self-care to support returning to campus bu...

Ryan and Khalilah invite Dr. Kendra Heatwole-Shank and Dr. Amber Angell onto the podcast to discuss pregnancy, parenting, and academia. As Khalilah prepares to enter into academic mamahood, Amber and Kendra offer experiences, advice, and considerations for parents and parents to be navigating the complexities and demands of academic and professional spaces. Highlights include: Amber telling us how...

Khalilah and Ryan jump right into this episode and wander through the tensions and challenges of scholar/practitioner activism, exploring the situation of Ms. Nikole Hannah-Jones and UNC-Chapel Hill and the growing edges and frustrations they have as they navigate pushing for change. They discuss ivory town "activism" and connecting writing to action, while also recognizing how draining this work...

Kahlilah and Ryan welcome Mecca Williams (@meccapresents) to talk about about all things fashion, style, and mental health. Mecca is a licensed professional counselor and fashionista, named one of Richmond, VA's most fashionable people. We discuss clothing, colors, and comfort and how those play into our lives, practice, and therapeutic relationships. Mecca drops gems left and right about the art...

This episode is short but packs a punch! Khalilah and Ryan share their thoughts on thOTs - the name and the idea, discussing liberation on all fronts from language barriers and sexual liberation to self-examination and identity politics. They share how they manage thOT-iness in the classroom and beyond. Highlights include: Ryan somehow thinking he ever passes as straight and Khalilah dropping gems...

Khalilah and Ryan are joined by Dr. Jenny Womack and Dr. Virginia Dickie to discuss the dos and don'ts of conferences. We discuss being bold and sometimes contentious at conferences, the best places to find dissertation advisors at conference, and to "doing together" that can lead to some great relationships and collaborations. Highlights include: Dr. Dickie blowing our minds with facts about conf...

Ryan and Khalilah discuss how faculty can be accomplices when inviting guest speakers with minoritized backgrounds into the classroom, sharing stories from both being speakers and inviting speakers. Highlights include: Khalilah has a "pregnant" pause 😉 and PAY YOUR SPEAKERS

Khalilah and Ryan invite George Barrett, Executive Director of the Marian Cheek Jackson Center, to discuss the occupation of going to church, faith, and community. Speaking from the Southern Baptist, Pentecostal, and Catholic perspectives, we talk across the intricacies of race, queerness, and spirituality and how it has played into our everyday lives. Highlights include: Realizing that all educat...

Khalilah and Ryan unpack a recent visit to the emergency room, how costs of health care and power differentials influence access to and quality of care, and the importance of respect in occupational therapy practice and beyond. Highlights include Ryan breaking to Khalilah that he was only 8 years old in 1998 and Khalilah trying to grow a third leg. NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the pass...

Dr. Johnson and Dr. Lavalley welcome Dr. Katie Sorensen and Dr. Arameh Anvarizadeh to the podcast to discuss the trials and celebrations of the "Dr." title. We discuss when and where we do and do not want to be called Dr. and some of the underlying messages that can surround the use or not use of this title.

Khalilah and Ryan discuss memories when they learned about their identities as a Black woman and a queer man, what these experiences have taught them as they carry them forward, and how those lessons emerge in their practice, pedagogy, and personal life. "Come Clean" by Blue Cactus is highlighted as their conversation starter.

Ryan and Khalilah introduce the podcast and talk a little bit about their backgrounds, work together, and friendship, and describe hopes for the space this podcast can offer for themselves and for all the other occupation-oriented queens out there.