OTD News Volume 5, Issue 3

Class of 2015 Selects Dr. Rick Davenport to Receive First OTD Golden Apple Award Page 3 OTDNews, Volume V, Issue 3 By: Ricardo C. Carrasco, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA Each year, graduating classes from most programs of Nova Southeastern Uni- versity select their recipient of the Golden Apple Award. At the Tampa Entry-Level OTD program, its inaugural cohort of 2015 selected Rick Davenport, PhD, OTR/ L as the first recipient of its Golden Apple Award during the 2015 Awards Dinner at the Signature Grand in Fort Lauderdale on the eve of the Commencement Ceremony held at the Don Taft Arena. In his role as Assistant Professor and Director of Research, Dr. Davenport over- sees the department’s research curriculum sequence, capstone projects, and the annu- al research colloquium. He joined Nova Southeastern University in 2011. Prior to this appointment he held research posi- tions at both the Gainesville Rehabilitation Outcomes Research Center (RORC) and Tampa Center of Excellence (COE) VAMC which have provided rich practical experiences that he is always excited to share with his students. His combined oc- cupational therapy experience spans over 15 years of practice in adult and produc- tive aging settings. Concurrently, as part of his service to the community, he serves as Soka Gakkai International –USA (SGI-USA) Men’s Division leader for Tampa Chapter. As the Men’s Division Chapter leader he supports 5-local Tampa Buddhist districts. His current scholarly re- search interests focus on older adults, virtual reality, gaming, and low-vision. He has recently completed a feasibility study to investigate interventions that may increase exercise adherence in older adults at risk for falls. He serves on state and local organizations, including Florida Occu- pational Therapy (FOTA) –Technology Special Interest (SIS) Chair, and Soka Gakkai Interna- tional-USA (SGI-USA) Men’s Division Chapter Leader. Above, Ricardo C. Carrasco, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA (left) & Ruck Davenport, PhD, OTR/L (right)