Muriel Driver Memorial Lecture (Virtual)
Deborah Laliberte Rudman

The Muriel Driver Memorial Lecture is given by the previous year’s Muriel Driver Memorial Award recipient. The Memorial lecture provides an opportunity to reflect on the current and future state of the profession, the way it is practiced and the way it could be practised. 

Deborah is recognized for her extensive contributions to occupational therapy and occupational science, for her support of students and researchers, and for her ongoing contributions to CAOT. Her scholarly work exploring the broader socio-political systems and structures that shape occupational possibilities, particularly for marginalized populations, has brought a fresh perspective to understanding occupation – one that challenges us to apply a critical lens to the use of power and privilege that influences opportunities to engage in occupation. 

Deborah has authored 23 book chapters, 88 peer reviewed articles, made 173 presentations at national and international conferences and has shown leadership in embracing innovative methods of disseminating her learnings, including through virtual conferences. She is a trailblazer at Western University, where she was pivotal in the creation of the Occupational Science field in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences graduate program and is admired by peers and students as an exceptional, inspiring role model. Deborah has successfully put her work into practice at Western by developing a strategy to support the academic success of Indigenous students, directly enabling their occupation through her support and leadership. Deborah’s contributions have been widely recognized, including by CAOT - as a past recipient of the CAOT Award of Merit, a CAOT Certificate of Appreciation, and as the Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation’s Lunch with a Scholar.