Yda J. Smith, MOT, OTR/L
Occupational Roles
Professor, occupational therapist, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, mentor for Somali Bantu family, tap dancer, gardener, cat lover, straw house builder.
Occupational History
Yda grew up in various states in New England and then moved to Utah to pursue a degree in Modern Dance. After graduating and working for two years as a dance theater technician, she moved to Seattle and spent the next several years dancing, teaching dance, choreographing, working backstage as a lighting designer and stage manager and working at endless retail and restaurant jobs. She then attended the University of Puget Sound and received a Master's degree in OT. Missing the weather and scenery of Utah, she moved back to Salt Lake City and worked in Adult Rehabilitation for the next eight years.
Yda always knew she wanted to teach and was in the right place at the right time to land a job with the University of Utah Division of Occupational Therapy just as it was being developed. During her time as faculty she has shifted some of her energy and interests to work with refugees and is actively developing community-based occupational therapy with local refugee communities. She is also working on a dissertation which involves an examination of the Somali Bantu forced migration experience. She is married to Thomas Gourley who is both a software development manager at Utah Education Network and is a very talented photographer. She and her husband are building a straw bale house in Southern Utah and have spent much of the past two summers covered in straw and mud while working on the place.
Education
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Doctor of Philosophy (Cand.) in Education, Culture and Society
University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
Masters in Occupational Therapy, 1990
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance, 1977
NDT trained in Adult Hemiplegia and Advanced Upper Extremity/Fine Motor
Current Position
Assistant Professor (Clinical)
Director of Graduate Studies
Faculty Director for University Neighborhood Partners - Hartland Partnership
Research Interests
- Qualitative Research Design
- Occupation
- Neuro-Developmental Treatment
- Community-based Practice
- Refugee Resettlement
Recent Scholarship
Publications:
Smith, Y. & Munro, S. (2008). Anthropology & Occupational Therapy in Community-based Practice, Practicing Anthropology, Volume 30, No. 3, Summer 2008.
Smith, Y. (2003). OT's Challenge in Vietnam, Therapy Weekly, Volume 29, No. 26, Jan. 9
Smith, Y. (2001). One Volunteer's Experience in Vietnam and Thailand, World Federation of OT Bulletin, Volume 43, May
Presentations:
"Visiting Mae La Refugee Camp: Field Research on the Thai/Burma Border Experience", panel member, World Refugee Day Celebration 2008, Salt Lake City, UT, June 2008
"Contemporary Gentrification: Resettled Only to be Displaced Again", panel member, Society for Applied Anthropology 68th Annual Meeting, Memphis, TN, March 2008
"Participation Prospects and Challenges for Immigrants: Insights From Research, Education, and Practice", panel member, American Occupational Therapy Conference, St. Louis, MO, April 2007
"Global Solutions from Occupational Therapy, Occupational Science, Disability Studies and Anthropology: Community-Based Research and Practice", panel member, Society for Applied Anthropology 67th Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL, March 2007
"Global Studies: Occupational Science & the Understanding of Immigration", panel member Society for the Study of Occupation: USA Fifth Annual Research Conference, St. Louis, MO, October 2006
Contact Information
Email: ysmith@hsc.utah.edu
Phone: 801-585-9589
