Editor Bio
Susan Coppola, MS, OTR/L, BCG, FAOTA, is associate professor in the Division of Occupational Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has an MS in occupational therapy from UNC and is enrolled in the university’s PhD program. She served as director of occupational therapy at Duke Medical Center from 1990 to 1996, and she has been a member of the UNC faculty since 1996. Coppola teaches courses on services for older adults and provides clinical service in the UNC Geriatric Clinic. From 2004 to 2006, she chaired the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) panel that developed competencies for board certification in gerontology.
Sharon J. Elliott, MS, OTR/L, BCG, FAOTA, has more than 20 years of experience working with adults and older adults in a variety of settings. She received her BS in occupational therapy from Kean University and her MS in occupational therapy from East Carolina University. She is board certified by AOTA in gerontology and served on that body’s gerontology board certification panel. Elliott teaches in the occupational therapy assistant program at Pitt Community College and works at the Therapeutic Life Center, a private practice outpatient clinic in Greenville, North Carolina. Her areas of interest, her presentations, and her publications are in the areas of gerontology, neurorehabilitation, wellness, community-based therapy, home safety and fall prevention, Alzheimer’s disease, community education programs, arthritis, and low vision.
Pamela E. Toto, MS, OTR/L, BCG, FAOTA, has more than 18 years of direct-care experience providing occupational therapy, primarily to older adults. She received her BS in occupational therapy and MS in health care supervision and management from the University of Pittsburgh, where she holds a position as an adjunct faculty member and research associate. Toto balances teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels with her role as primary administrator of the Performance Assessment of Self-Care Skills (PASS) for the University of Pittsburgh’s Late Life Depression Study. Toto has an ongoing practice as a home health occupational therapist and has begun studies toward a PhD in rehabilitation science. She has clinical experience in practice settings including skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), continuing care retirement centers, acute care hospitals, home health, and outpatient clinics. Her professional interests are diverse and include participation on her state occupational therapy licensure board and leadership roles within Rebuilding Together. Toto is a past chairperson of the AOTA’s Special Interest Section on gerontology, and she serves as chair of the AOTA’s Special Interest Section Council.