Undergraduate Megan Emge Prepares to be an Outstanding Occupational Therapist

Learn more about Human Development and Family Studies Senior Megan Emge and her journey to Occupational Therapy

Megan is a senior in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in the College of Human Sciences. Her goal is to become an Occupational Therapist and work with individuals who have special needs. She decided to pursue a degree in Human Development and Family Studies to build a foundation of knowledge pertaining to how individuals develop.

"Because I will be working with individuals that may not be developing in a typical way, it will be useful to have the knowledge of what typical development looks like in order to assess where my patients are developmentally."

Megan said her major provides her with many different perspectives She said her major will provide her with a vast amount of background knowledge she will be able to use as a stepping-stone in her career.

One of Megan's most notable achievements is her co-authorship of a case study on liver physiology.

"With the help of my coauthors, Zenobia N. Okwunwanne, Raphinos Uragu, Johanna L. Yowell and Dr. Breanna N. Harris, we created a case study we were passionate about and proud of. We hope the study benefits other professors who use the NSF National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science."

Megan's case study, A Yellow-Bellied Lawyer: A Case Study in Liver Physiology follows a Harvard law graduate with a heavy drinking problem. The study is designed to provide professors with a resource to assess their students' knowledge and ability to apply concepts taught in class, specifically liver function and liver disease.

"Our case study allows students to dive deeper into the topic of liver function and disease, and see what happens physiologically within the body can cause outcomes that are relevant to our society, as well as commonly seen."

Megan said she and her coauthors put in an immense amount of dedication and work to complete this case study.

"When we started the process of writing our case study, we didn't realize how much work would be required of us. However, I feel confident saying that in the end we all feel that it was worth the work."

Megan said her time as an undergraduate teaching assistant was rewarding, and educational. She was given the opportunity to further her knowledge in physiology while assisting other students to be successful in the course.

"My time as an undergraduate teaching assistant challenged me to better my knowledge of physiology and push myself to learn the application of the material in order to be the best resource possible for students."

Dr. Breanna N. Harris said, "Megan is one of those students who makes you proud to be a professor. She is a great embodiment of what it means to be a Red Raider."

Dr. Harris said Megan is a motivated, bright, and accomplished student. She said Megan is also a very personable individual and she has thoroughly enjoyed working with her.

"In the classroom, Megan is dedicated and resourceful. She takes her work seriously and makes an effort to get to know her professors. As an undergraduate teaching assistant, Megan shows commitment, enthusiasm, and mastery of the subject. Due to this, she is an exceptional mentor. Megan and her groupmates created an interesting, creative, and insightful case study on liver physiology. They took the extra steps necessary to work with me to prepare the case study for submission."

Outside of the classroom, Megan is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, Pre-Occupational Therapy Club, and Phi Eta Sigma. She is also involved with Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Kappa Phi. Additionally, Megan works as a behavioral technician, where she has the opportunity to work with children that have autism.

"I have the chance to teach these children a variety of things that I hope will make an impact on their lives. It challenges me while allowing me to view the perspectives of these children. I am very passionate about what I do and it is a very rewarding job."

Megan said she has learned an immense amount of information that she will take with her into her future career, and she owes this to her experience in the College of Human Sciences.

"The best part of the College of Human Sciences is the professors within the college. The professors who teach our courses are not only knowledgeable, but extremely passionate about what they are teaching."