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Daus, Diana

Daus, Diana

Assistant Professor

Occupational Therapy

Phone:
Office Location: AC-1E12D
Email: ddaus@york.cuny.edu

Diana Daus, PhD, OTR/L is a full-time assistant professor at York College. She attained her Master’s Degree in occupational therapy from Touro College. She attained her PhD in Global Health Education and Research. Dr. Diana Daus, PhD, OTR/L Program Director for the Department of Occupational Therapy York College, City University of New York (CUNY) Dr. Diana Daus is a licensed occupational therapist, Assistant Professor, and Program Director of the Occupational Therapy Department at York College, CUNY. With over 30 years of clinical and academic experience, Dr. Daus is widely recognized for her contributions to curriculum development, accreditation leadership, and innovative pedagogical practices in health science education. As an educator, Dr. Daus teaches across the occupational therapy curriculum, including Kinesiology, Activity Analysis, Psychosocial Occupational Therapy, Professional Development & Leadership, and Evidence-Based Research and Practice. She integrates real-world clinical experience with scholarly inquiry, fostering student competence in both foundational knowledge and critical thinking. Her student evaluations consistently reflect excellence in teaching. Dr. Daus’s research is grounded in the application of occupational therapy within complex health conditions and education. Her doctoral dissertation analyzed cognitive, psychiatric, and fall-related hospitalizations among individuals with Huntington’s Disease using the National Inpatient Sample. Building on this, she developed a 12-week OT group protocol in collaboration with the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA), with ongoing research and clinical outcomes evaluation. Her recent scholarly work explores the role of motivational interviewing in health professions education and the use of emoji-based feedback to enhance communication in multicultural, online OT classrooms. Her research has been accepted by peer-reviewed journals and the New York State Occupational Therapy Association (NYSOTA), and she has contributed to the professional discourse on health disparities, culturally responsive pedagogy, and interprofessional training models. A strong advocate for inclusive education, Dr. Daus promotes reflective, empathy-driven communication skills among students navigating today’s evolving healthcare landscape. Her work also addresses health equity, focusing on how occupational therapy can reduce disparities across race, ability, and socioeconomic status. As Program Director, she leads faculty recruitment, ACOTE compliance, curriculum revisions, and strategic planning to ensure students are well-prepared for the NBCOT exam and for dynamic clinical practice. She continues to mentor students in capstone research and supports faculty development in evidence-based instruction. Dr. Daus remains committed to advancing occupational therapy through research, teaching, and service—preparing future practitioners who lead with competence, compassion, and scientific rigor.

Office Hours

DayTime
Tuesday10am-12pm
Wed12-2
As per appointment

Education

DegreeInstitutionFieldDates
PhD Trident University International Global Health Science Education and Research 2018 
MS Touro College Occupational Therapy 2001 
BS C.W. Post/ LIU Psychology 1995 

Areas of Expertise

  • neuro-based interventions
  • health disparities
  • enhancing pedogogy
  • communication
  • mental health

Publications in Field Of Expertise

Other