Dr. Gail Whiteford - 2022

Dr. Whiteford has been an active contributor to occupational therapy and occupational science for three decades. She has served in clinical, managerial, academic and consulting roles including for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Australia. Her contribution to the profession has been recognised through awards from international bodies including the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Australia and her giving keynote addresses in 11 countries. She was made an inaugural Fellow of the Occupational Therapy Research Academy in 2017 and has 4 books and numerous referred publications. Professionally, Gail has held a number of senior academic, executive and conjoint appointments in Australia, New Zealand and Canada and served as Australia’s first Pro Vice Chancellor of Social Inclusion. She was the Strategic Professor and Conjoint Chair of Allied Health and Community Wellbeing and was appointed by the Minister of Health to a regional health district board with oversight of 7 hospitals. Dr. Whiteford has published extensively in the Journal of Occupational Science and has mentored many occupational scientists around the world.

She currently leads an international team on the World Federation of Occupational Therapists Occupational Narratives Data Base project.

Zemke Lectureship Title: Towards Salience and Solidarity: The Importance of Epistemic Development in Occupational Science, Occupational Therapy and the Relationship Between Them