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OBU—Oklahoma Baptist University

Brown selected as director of OBU’s planned Doctor of Occupational Therapy program

January 24, 2024

OBU is excited to announce that Dr. Brandy Brown will serve as director of the planned Doctor of Occupational Therapy program. Her employment will begin Feb. 1.

This marks the first hire for OBU’s four planned graduate healthcare programs which are pending accreditation. Each program will require programmatic and HLC accreditation. The Doctor of Occupational Therapy program is expected to launch in January 2026, with the application opening in early 2025. In addition, OBU is adding accelerated graduate healthcare programs including Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology (MS-SLP) and Master of Science in Physician Associate Studies (MS-PAS). The MS-SLP program is slated to begin in fall 2026, followed by MS-PAS in early 2027 and DPT in fall 2027.

The healthcare industry faces many challenges in filling needed positions as there are too few graduates to meet current demand. Employment of occupational therapists is projected to grow 12 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 9,600 openings for occupational therapists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

"We are thrilled to have Dr. Brown join OBU as the first director of our new graduate programs in healthcare,” said Dr. Micah Meek, associate dean for online, nontraditional and graduate education. “Dr. Brown brings vast experience in occupational therapy, both as a practitioner and an educator. Her passion for equipping students, experience in accreditation, and commitment to integrate faith into learning made her a clear choice to develop and guide our Doctor of Occupation Therapy program. We prayed earnestly that God would send us the right leader for this exciting new program, and Dr. Brown is definitely that person."

Brown, who will assume her duties effective February 1, comes to OBU after serving as an associate professor and program director of the Master of Science of Occupational Therapy program at the University of Charleston located in Charleston, West Virginia.

She received her Doctor of Occupational Therapy from Chatham University in 2011 and her Ph.D. in Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences from West Virginia University in 2022.

Brown has experience in clinical and academic settings with various client populations. Most of her clinical experience is in rehabilitation and community reintegration, including returning to work. She and her husband of 14 years, Ben, have two sons, ages 9 and 6 years old. The youngest child has special healthcare needs. So, Brown has direct experience with many of the challenges facing parents/caregivers in this unique role. She has also served as a “special buddy” at church, assisting children with special needs so their parents can attend services.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as the director of the Occupational Therapy Program at Oklahoma Baptist University,” Brown said. “It was clear from my visit to campus that OBU isn’t just another university. There is a level of community, commitment, humility, and faith across all levels that sets it apart. I am excited to become a part of that both personally and through the development of the Doctorate of Occupational Therapy program. This program will provide students with the option to obtain a graduate degree in the only healthcare-related field shown to get people home and keep them there. They will discover their spiritual gifts, expand their minds, challenge their way of seeing the world, integrate faith into practice, and learn how all those come together with the ultimate goal of helping others improve their lives.” 

The degree programs will be built and delivered using a hybrid and accelerated education model which will make them highly accessible to aspiring health care professionals throughout Oklahoma and the entire nation. Courses will primarily be taught online, with portions of the program delivered in person on the OBU campus through hands-on lab immersion experiences. Each program will also include clinical and capstone requirements. This accelerated hybrid model is career-focused with a seamless transition into clinical practice and post-professional education programs.

 “At OBU, we are focused on providing well-equipped, faith-forward professionals to meet the needs of our communities,” said OBU President Dr. Heath A. Thomas. “With these degrees in particular, we will be able to help our communities meet severe healthcare needs and address employee shortages we are experiencing in Oklahoma and throughout the nation.”

“The accelerated hybrid model in graduate healthcare helps students reach their professional goals more quickly while training them with excellence in the field,” said Dr. Larinee Dennis, co-provost and dean of business, health, science and education. “OBU is excited to pursue this option for tomorrow's future shapers in the allied health industry.”

The occupational therapy, physical therapy and physician assistant programs will each span two years (six semesters), while the speech-language pathology program covers one and one-third years (four semesters). Learn more about our upcoming programs.