Faculty Focus: Caitlyn Foy, DOT, MOTRL, CLA

Being in on the ground floor of establishing Salus University’s Occupational Therapy (OT) department was a memorable time for Caitlyn Foy, DOT, MOTRL, CLA.

“It was exciting to work for a program during its initial Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) accreditation,” said Dr. Foy, who joined the faculty in 2013, a year after the program launched, and is now director of the post-professional doctorate OT program and advanced specialty certificates. “There was a lot of work to be done. Sometimes history and tradition can bog you down or impede growth. In our program everything was built purposefully from the ground up.”

Dr. Foy attended the University of Pittsburgh and earned her undergraduate degree in Rehabilitation Science and then received her master’s in OT from Temple University. After working for six months, she went back to Temple for her post-professional doctorate in OT.

“I found OT and I loved it, and when I was in my master’s program, I thought I might like to work in academia. That’s why I went back for my doctorate as soon as I could. Having the post-professional doctorate in occupational therapy has opened many doors for me as a young professional,” said Dr. Foy.

She started teaching at Philadelphia University and served as an adjunct for a few years before hearing about a job opening at Salus. Fern Silverman, EdD, OTR/L, of the Salus OT program, was one of Dr. Foy’s professors at Temple and encouraged her to apply.

Dr. Foy believes the Salus OTD program stands out because of its focus on interprofessional practice, teaching in higher education, and advanced specialty tracks in Health and Wellness, Remedial Vision Rehabilitation, and Low Vision Rehabilitation.

“Our OT students report feeling very supported by faculty and don’t feel like they’re just a number here. We take time to get to know our students and support them,” she said. “Once students join the program, we do everything we can to support them and prepare them to achieve their professional goals. We encourage students to take advantage of the many leadership opportunities and experiences offered at Salus.”

In addition to her teaching duties, Dr. Foy is the University’s MSOT Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) advisor and serves on the Faculty Executive Council (FEXCO) as president. Serving on FEXCO has given her the opportunity to get to know more of the University’s faculty members and learn about the University’s academic history.

When she’s not at work, Dr. Foy spends time with her family, which includes her husband Pete and their three children, May, 7; P.J., 5; and Wally, 2. She helps coach P.J.’s soccer team and also volunteers on the Newtown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, parks and recreation board.

In the midst of her professional and personal commitments, Dr. Foy is considering continuing her academic journey and securing her doctorate in education.

“I’d like to learn more about teaching excellence and administrative roles and leadership in higher education,” she said.