Alyssa Smith

Preferred Pronouns: She/her/hers
My name is Alyssa Smith and I am a second-year occupational therapy student here at UW. I graduated with a BS in Exercise Science and a minor in Psychology from Michigan Technological University in the UP of Michigan. There, I gained a passion for rural healthcare and an interest in a variety of settings for occupational therapy from mental health to general rehabilitation. My academic and professional goals include obtaining a PhD in Kinesiology to address community healthcare needs in rural areas and create programs to help increase health and wellbeing in rural-dwelling families. I am also currently enrolled in the AHEC Rural Scholar Program where I am receiving additional education on the specific needs of rural communities all over Wisconsin. I hope to help make a difference in both the lives of future students and clients through evidence-based practice and clinical research. My involvement in the Ausderau lab includes work with the Zika project involving rhesus macaques and neurodevelopmental growth in affected infants. There is always an exciting study to help within our lab making this an exciting experience as an OT student!