Skip to main content

Wendy Stav, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA

Department Chairperson; Professor
Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

The wide and gaping chasm which exists between the complexity of illness and the commonplaceness of our treatment tools is, and always will be, both the pride and the anguish of our profession.

- Reilly, M. (1962). Occupational Therapy can be one of the great ideas of 20th medicine: 1961 Eleanor Clark Slagle Lecture. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 16, 1-9.

Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy, Quinnipiac University
  • Ph.D. in Occupational Therapy, Nova Southeastern University

Research Interests

  • Occupation-Based Practice
  • Relationship Between Occupation and Health
  • Professional Development
  • Implementation Science

Publications and Media Placements

Stav, W. B. & Psillas, S. (2027 In Press). Dynamic model of occupation-based practice. In D. P. Dirette, & S. A. Gutman (Eds)., Occupational therapy for physical dysfunction (9th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

Stav, W., & Baudhuin, R. (2026 In Press). Psychometric properties of the Occupation-Based Practice Assessment. Hong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapy.

Lambdin-Pattavina, C., Stav, W., Dunbar Smalley, S., & Quint, N. (2026 In press). An occupational revolution: Reclaiming what matters. Open Journal of Occupational Therapy.

Wolf, M. S., Stav, W., & Herman, A. (2026 In Press). Doing, being, belonging, and becoming: An occupational response to trauma. עשייה, הוויה, שייכות והתהוות: מענה תעסוקתי לטראומה Israeli Journal of Occupational Therapy,

Walden, K., Stav, W., Bloch, E., & Pizur-Barnekow, K. (2026). Conceptualizing parent–infant co-occupations in the neonatal intensive care unit for measurement: A delphi study. OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 0(0). doi:10.1177/15394492251407630

Cancio, J. M., Stav, W. B., Mills, D. S., Richley, B. M., & Colaianni, D. (2026). Interrater reliability of the Suitcase Packing Activity in individuals with hand burns. OTJR: occupation, participation and health, 15394492251407603. https://doi.org/10.1177/15394492251407603 

Skuthan, A., Stav, W. B., McVey, G., Martinez, J., Diroll, E., Flanangan, M., & Hunter, M. (2026). An occupation-based review of occupational therapy assessments used in pediatric practice. Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 14(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.2403

Cancio, J. M., Stav, W., Mills, D., Colaianni, D., & Cancio, L. C. (2025). Concurrent validity of the suitcase packing activity in the assessment of upper extremity functions after burn injury. Burns, 51(9), 107701. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2025.107701

Cancio J. M., Stav, W. B., & Colaianni, D. (2024). An occupation-based review of outcome measures used to assess hand function after burn injury. Journal of Burn Care & Research, 46(1), 28-37. https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/irae130

Skuthan, A., & Stav, W. B. (2023). Occupation-based assessments in pediatric occupational therapy practice. OTJR: Occupation, Participation, and Health, 44(2), 159-167. https://doi.org/10.1177/15394492231188315

Skuthan, A., & Stav, W. B. (2023). Profile of assessments in pediatric occupational therapy practice. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(5), 7705205010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2023.050190

Psillas, S. M., & Stav, W. B. (2022). Development of the dynamic model of occupation-based practice [Entwicklung des dynamic model of occupation-based practice]. Ergoscience, 17(4), 150-157. doi:10.2443/skv-s-2022-54020220403 

Stav, W., & Herman, A. (2022). An occupation-based clinic makeover: Perceptions and experiences of occupational therapy practitioners. Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 10(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408 

Stav, W., Brothag, A., Krenik, E., Rohr, L., Rubeck, C., Singer, K., & Zukowitz, L. (2022). Establishment of reliability of the Occupation-Based Practice Assessment. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 42(2), 146-153. https://doi.org/10.1177/15394492211050633

Psillas, S. M., & Stav, W. B. (2021). Development of the dynamic model of occupation-based practice. Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 9(4), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.1807

Non-Peer Reviewed

Wolf, M. S., Stav, W., & Herman, A. (2026, February). Doing, being, belonging, and becoming: An occupational response to trauma. OTPractice, 31(2),10-13.

Stav, W., Psillas, S., & Herman, A. (2023, April). Choosing wisely: Championing evidence in occupation-based practice. OTPractice, 28(4), 33-35.

Honors and Awards

  • Spirit of Occupational Therapy Award from the California Association of Occupational Therapy, 2024
  • Choosing Wisely Champion Recognition Award from the American Occupational Therapy Association, 2022
  • Distinguished Professor of the Year from the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences, August 2018
  • Richard E. Davis Award of Excellence in Scholarship from the Nu Sigma Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Eta, August 2018
  • AOTA Roster of Fellow Award April 25, 2009
  • Maryland Occupational Therapy Association Award of Merit November 7, 2008
  • Nova Southeastern University Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award January 24, 2008

Professional Organizations and Associations

  • Missouri Occupational Therapy Association, Member 2021 – present 
  • Society for the Study of Occupation, Member 2010 - Present
  • World Federation of Occupational Therapists, Member
  • American Occupational Therapy Association, Member 1989 – Present