Skip to main content

Allison Calhoun

Position: Academic Fieldwork Coordinator; Clinical Assistant Professor Department: Occupational Therapy

Contact Info

Office: FL Atkins Building, Room 443 Phone: 336-750-3185 Fax: 336-750-3173

Biography

I have been an occupational therapist for over 20 years and have enjoyed roles as a clinician, consultant, fieldwork educator, manager, and faculty member. My clinical practice experience has been in working with older adults along a continuum of care from independent living to assisted living, skilled nursing, and dementia care. I have enjoyed working on initiatives to address older driver wellness and community mobility, aging in place, design and programming for dementia care environments, meaningful occupational engagement for older adults, therapeutic horticulture, and low vision. In my current roles, I enjoy working with students to set up meaningful, educative, and innovative fieldwork experiences throughout their time in the Occupational Therapy program and as a clinical assistant professor for several of their graduate course throughout the curriculum.

I also serve in several roles for community and grant partnerships. I am the liaison between the WSSU School of Health Sciences (SOHS) and Senior Services of Forsyth County for WSSU's dedicated space presence in the innovative, new, state of the art Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness (Generations Center). This involves overseeing programming for education, research, and service in WSSU's dedicated 6,500 square foot indoor and 2,500 square foot outdoor space. It also entails facilitating and maintaining collaborative programmatic and/or grant partnerships between WSSU SOHS programs and any of the other 20 space partners in the Generations Center. The overall purpose is to collaboratively enhance and broaden access to health care, therapeutic, wellness, and arts-based services to multiple generations of diverse citizens in Forsyth County. I also serve as the grant manager for a sub-award that the Department of Occupational Therapy has received in partnership with Senior Services of Forsyth County for an Administration of Community Living $1,000,000 grant. The Department of Occupational Therapy's sub-award is targeted at implementing the "Tailoring Activities for Better Days" (TAP) program for individuals living with dementia in their own homes with caregivers in Forsyth County. 

Educational Background

  • MS, Occupational Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • BA, Psychology, Wake Forest University

Research and Project Interests

  • Health and Wellness for Older Adults
  • Community-Based Practice
  • Dementia
  • Driving and Community Mobility

Calhoun, A. D. (2020). The development and future of occupational science. A budding occupational scientist’s reflections and assertions about the discipline. Journal of Occupational Science, 28(2), 193-207. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2020.1801492

Coppola, S., Darwin, A., et al. (2008, December). Innovative FW II projects with older adults: Stories of learning and contributing. Gerontology Special Interest Section Quarterly, 31(4), 1-4.

Darwin, A. (2008, May). NCOTA members trained to coordinate carfit. NCOTA Newsletter, issue 152, 1-2. Darwin, A. (2007, May). A bracing experience. OT Practice, 12(8) 9-12.

Darwin, A. (2007, March). Addressing driving wellness in your community. The Hotline: Continuing Care Community Residents of North Carolina, 13(1), 1-4.

Darwin, A. (2007, February). Older driver information and resources, NCOTA Newsletter, issue 148, 7-8. Jennings, J. and Darwin, A. (2003). Efficacy beliefs, everyday behavior, and memory performance among older elderly adults. Educational Gerontology, 29, 71-91.