Kelsey Gately

Post-Doctoral Teaching & Research Fellow

JWU Faculty Since 2023

$imageAlt

Contact Info

Email
kgately@jwu.edu
Phone
401-598-2820
Campus
Providence

Kelsey A. Gately, OTD, OTR/L is a nationally certified and RI-licensed occupational therapist and researcher serving her second year as JWU’s first-ever Postdoctoral Teaching and Research Fellow. She teaches in the Health Science department, conducts research with the Center for Student Research & Interdisciplinary Collaboration (CSRIC), and supports the annual Student Research, Design & Innovation Symposium. Kelsey is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program and has earned bachelor’s degrees in both Sculpture and Photography from Marlboro College.

Prior to her current position, Kelsey has held various healthcare roles over the last 13 years in emergency and psychiatric settings. She has also held several positions in Respite, PASS, and HBTS programs, supporting children and families as a Direct Support Worker, Treatment Coordinator, and Program Coordinator.

During her time as a graduate student at JWU and during her postdoctoral career, Kelsey has focused her work on the intersection of disability and sexual/gender identity, particularly as it relates to health disparities and healthcare access. As a Graduate Health Equity Fellow, she had the opportunity to work with the CSRIC on the Health of Sexual and Gender Minorities Study and later continued the research during her doctoral capstone experience at the center. As a student, Kelsey was a member of the Student Occupational Therapy Association, Social Media Chair for the JWU chapter of the Coalition for Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity, founding secretary for JWU's Health Equity Club, and founding president of the JWU Chapter of Pi Theta Epsilon, the national honors society for occupational therapists.

In her first year as a postdoctoral fellow, Kelsey has taught several Health Science courses, mentored undergraduate Research Fellows, supported undergraduate research projects presented at various conferences, presented research findings at local and national conferences in public health, occupational therapy, and scholarship, and authored articles published in several peer-reviewed journals.

As an occupational therapist and as someone who has needed her own accommodations to access higher education, Kelsey is passionate about making research and coursework accessible to all students.

Education

  • Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD), Johnson & Wales University
  • BA, Sculpture & Photography, Marlboro College

Teaching Interests

• Health Research
• LGBTQ+ Health
• Scientific Writing

Scholarly Interests

• Health Equity
• Accessibility
• LGBTQ+ Health
• Disability Justice
• Neurodiversity
• Discrimination in Healthcare

Courses

  • HSC1010: Intro to Health Professions
  • HSC2040: Research Methods for Health Sciences
  • HSC4900 Data and Evidence in Health: Research Capstone
Toggle

Extra Curricular Roles

• JWU Student Research, Design, & Innovation Symposium (SRDIS) Committee
• JWU Center for Student Research & Interdisciplinary Collaboration (CSRIC)
• Peer Reviewer, Journal of American College Health (JACH)
• Peer Reviewer, Occupational Therapy Journal of Research (OTJR)

Toggle

Professional Affiliations

• Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE)
• American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
• World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT)
• American Public Health Association (APHA)
• Rhode Island Public Health Association (RIPHA)
• The Network for LGBTQ+ Issues in OT (The Network)
• Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD)

Toggle

Publications

Toggle

Honors And Awards

  • Original Scholarship Award, JWU Student Research, Design, & Innovation Symposium, 2023
  • Future Scientists in Occupational Therapy, 2023
  • Capstone Excellence Award, 2023
  • Pi Theta Epsilon, Occupational Therapy Honors Society
  • Lucy DeLaurentis Memorial Scholarship, Marlboro College, 2016
  • Rhode Island Honors Society


Q&A with Kelsey

At JWU, education is not confined to the four walls of the classroom. You’re not going to spend four years with your nose buried in a book, learning theories you may never get a chance to apply — you’re going to get out there and apply them, be it through internships, group projects, leadership opportunities, competitions and more.

What Is Your Favorite Teaching Moment?

I love when my students realize that I’m an occupational therapist with a bachelor’s degree in art. In that moment, it really clicks for some folks that it’s okay to change paths and bring learned skills with you on your new adventure.