USD School of Health Sciences Success Spotlight: Diana Feldhacker, PhD, OTD

Degree: PhD in Health Sciences

Current Position: Chair, Program Director, and Assistant Professor, Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program, Des Moines University

When Diana Feldhacker enrolled in the Occupational Therapy program at Creighton University, she had no inkling that she would eventually be developing an OT doctoral curriculum herself and even directing the new program.

"I was in practice and was feeling that I wanted to do more and give back in a different way," says Feldhacker. "I was encountering people who either seemed like they were kind of burned out or just weren't loving OT as much as they used to."

Feldhacker was hired to teach in the occupational therapy department at the University of South Dakota School of Health Sciences, which is where she first learned about the University's PhD program in Health Sciences.

"My program director at the time was director of the PhD program and I knew that it would be an incredible learning experience because she was incredible," says Feldhacker.

She enrolled in the program and focused on ways to apply its lessons in leadership, research and academia to occupational therapy, wherever possible.

"In one of my courses, I had the opportunity to design a PhD program," says Feldhacker. "That was the most valuable for me because it really helped me understand curricular and program design."

Feldhacker graduated from USD in 2021 and was soon hired by Des Moines University to design and direct a new doctoral program in occupational therapy. After a year spent in building curriculum and applying for accreditation, the program welcomed its first 24 students in August.

"I never in a million years thought I would ever be a program director, but things aligned that made me feel like it was a good fit," says Feldhacker. "I know that I wouldn't have this job - or even have had the confidence to apply for it - had I not gone through the program at USD."