Acord-Vira Earns Professor Emeritus

Amanda Acord-Vira, EdD, OTR/L, CBIS, FAOTA, has been awarded Emeritus status by West Virginia University and is now Professor Emeritus in the Division of Occupational Therapy.

According to chairperson, Dr. Diana Davis, “Emeritus status is a great honor and is given to individuals who have made significant contributions to the University, and Dr. Acord-Vira is deserving of this honor. During her time with the Division of Occupational Therapy, Dr. Acord-Vira has been responsible for many of our greatest accomplishments. She built the Division's reputation as a leading authority in Traumatic Brain Injury rehabilitation in rural settings. Dr. Acord-Vira was the primary investigator on three grants totaling over $ 2.5 million and a co-investigator on many more. She is the most extensively published faculty member within the division, with over 24 peer-reviewed publications, multiple national presentations, and has co-authored the Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for TBI twice.  She was honored for her extensive contributions in education, clinical care, and research by being inducted as a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association.”

Davis further described the impact of Acord-Vira’s mentorship. “Despite all of the above, Dr. Acord-Vira’s greatest contribution is her teaching and mentorship. She has been recognized multiple times for her excellence in teaching. She is an expert in designing and implementing experiential learning for students and is responsible for leading the integration of summative practical exams into the OT curriculum. Her advisement of the Student Occupational Therapy Association has led to the organization's recognition as a leading student organization in community engagement. In addition to mentoring students, Dr. Acord-Vira mentored many new faculty in the Division of OT. She is responsible for helping most of us achieve our first publication and is always generous in sharing professional growth opportunities with the OT faculty.”

Congratulations on earning Professor Emeritus status, Dr. Acord-Vira!