The University of Pittsburgh Department of Occupational Therapy (OT) is proud to congratulate Cara Lekovitch, assistant professor, on her induction into the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Roster of Fellows, one of the profession’s most distinguished honors.
Established in 1973, the AOTA Roster of Fellows recognizes occupational therapists who, through their knowledge, expertise, leadership, advocacy and/or guidance, have made a significant contribution over time to the profession with a measured impact on consumers of occupational therapy services and/or members of the Association. Induction into the Roster of Fellows represents a career marked by sustained commitment to advancing occupational therapy at both the individual and professional level.
About the “Poet of Gerontology”
An assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy within Pitt’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), Lekovitch has spent more than 18 years as a practitioner, educator and research program manager whose work has consistently centered on one deeply held conviction: that growing older should mean growing better. She has been described by those who know her work as a true “poet of gerontology” someone who goes beyond the technical and clinical aspects of aging to embrace the deeply human dimensions and personal experiences of older individuals. Lekovitch counters ageism, nurtures empathetic responsiveness and takes time to listen, understand and connect with the fears, wisdom, joys and struggles of older adults, finding meaning in the profound, every day and often difficult realities of caregiving. In the words of Robert Browning, whose sentiment animates everything she does: “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.” Because of Lekovitch’s work, that is not merely a poetic ideal, it is a tangible reality for the older adults and care partners she serves.
Clinical Expertise and National Recognition
Lekovitch’s deep commitment to geriatric occupational therapy is reflected in credentials earned through years of focused practice and scholarship. She holds AOTA’s board certification in gerontology (BCG), a mark of comprehensive knowledge and clinical excellence in geriatric care, and was elected a Distinguished Practitioner Fellow by the National Academies of Practice in Occupational Therapy (FNAP) for her exemplary career, commitment to interprofessional practice, advocacy for accessible and affordable health care, and enduring contributions to the field. Notably, Lekovitch was the first elected FNAP to also hold the BCG distinction, and she is among just 83 occupational therapists worldwide to hold the highly selective FNAP credential.
Her academic work spans several of Pitt’s Occupational Therapy programs, including the Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Clinical Science, post-professional Master of Science, and PhD in Rehabilitation Science. She is also an AOTA certified fieldwork educator, a credential that reflects her deep investment in shaping the next generation of practitioners.
Advancing Dementia Care at Scale
Among Lekovitch’s most significant research contributions is her work on the first-ever Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute-funded pragmatic randomized trial evaluating team-based approaches for optimizing care for patients with dementia in post-acute and long-term care settings. This landmark study addressed the recognized limitations of pharmacological options and answered the World Health Organization’s call for innovative dementia interventions. The project trained more than 1,350 professional health care providers, ancillary staff and administrators across 80 facilities throughout the United States in team-based and problem-based care approaches, improving care quality and outcomes for more than 10,000 patients with lasting impact continuing through every facility where trained providers now practice.
Lekovitch’s contributions to this work also laid the foundation for developing targeted communication curricula for family care partners, equipping them with skills and confidence to communicate more effectively with health care providers leading to better health outcomes and improved care partner experiences.
The Clinical I.D. Series: Building the Next Generation of Geriatric OTs
Lekovitch’s impact on the profession extends far beyond her research. As an educator, she recognized firsthand how increased complexity, high-stakes decision-making and demanding work environments were contributing to heightened psychological stress for practitioners and students particularly in geriatric care settings where the weight of providing compassionate, person-centered care to a vulnerable population is especially profound.
Her response was characteristically practical and visionary: she developed the Clinical I.D. Series, a curriculum addressing professional work behaviors and professional identity formation in occupational therapy students. Grounded in real-world geriatric scenarios and delivered through active learning strategies including problem-based learning, role-playing and small group discussion, the series builds the core competencies students need to provide quality, values-driven care to older adults. The Clinical I.D. Series reflects Lekovitch’s belief that strong clinical education must go beyond skill acquisition; it must cultivate a professional identity rooted in the values of occupational therapy and the unique needs of those we serve.
A Scholarly Voice for Older Adults
Across more than 60 publications and presentations, every piece of Lekovitch’s scholarly work is connected to older adults examining care options for addressing the many dimensions of aging, advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning in OT curricula, and elevating the stories and experiences of older individuals. Her peer-reviewed work includes a 2023 framework published in “OT Practice” to help students navigate challenging fieldwork situations, and two 2024 contributions to AOTA’s “Academic Education SIS Quarterly Practice Connections” one introducing an occupation-focused framework for modernizing course design, and another offering a practical model for teaching professional communication and work behaviors in fieldwork contexts.
Lekovitch is widely recognized as a go-to expert on older adult services, providing guidance, education, mentorship and advocacy to administrators, health professionals, educators, students, community members and above all older adults and their families. Her previous role as geriatric research program manager for the Rehabilitation Health Services Research Laboratory further cemented her reputation as a connector between evidence and practice. The countless hours of informal mentoring and consultancy she has provided over nearly two decades are not fully captured on any CV; they are reflected instead in the careers of the practitioners, students, and colleagues whose trajectories she has shaped.
A Legacy of Excellence at Pitt OT
Lekovitch joins a distinguished cohort of faculty from the Pitt Department of Occupational Therapy who have been inducted into the AOTA Roster of Fellows:
- Joanne Baird, Professor
- Angela Caldwell, Assistant Professor
- Denise Chisholm, Vice Chair for Department Affairs, Director of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program and Professor
- Natalie Leland, Professor
- Ketki Raina, Vice Chair for Academic Affairs, Director of the Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Science program and Professor
- Juleen Rodakowski, Department Chair, Associate Professor
- Elizabeth Skidmore, Associate Dean for Research, Professor
- Pamela Toto, Director of the Healthy Home Lab, Director of the Doctor of Clinical Science in Occupational Therapy program and Professor
This growing roster reflects the depth of expertise and dedication to the occupational therapy profession that has long defined Pitt OT and reaffirms the department’s standing as a national leader in occupational therapy education and research.
