Dr. Heather Locasha

Office Hours:

Heather Locasha, Dr. OT, MOT, OTR/L, CBIS, joined Allen College in August 2023 and serves as an Assistant Professor and the Capstone Coordinator for the Occupational Therapy Program. She brings extensive clinical experience across acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient for adults and pediatrics, home health, skilled nursing, and long-term care. Much of her clinical practice was centered in inpatient rehabilitation, where she developed a strong passion for occupational therapy with individuals experiencing brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke.

Before transitioning to academia, Heather spent five years as the inpatient therapy manager for occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology at UnityPoint Health Allen Hospital. In this role, she led several major initiatives, including departmental remodeling and relocation, development of competency and performance systems, and interdisciplinary collaborations with the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit. She also guided the therapy team through significant operational and clinical changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Heather’s academic and research interests focus on the role of occupational therapy in obesity and weight management, the influence of temporal routines on health behaviors, assistive technology innovation, and program development. She is completing a Post-Professional Dual Degree in Doctor of Philosophy in Occupational Therapy at Nova Southeastern University. Her long-term goal is to advance occupational therapy’s contribution to lifestyle-based interventions, strengthen the research-to-practice pipeline, and support student engagement in evidence-based and interdisciplinary care.

Joined Allen College: 2023
Joined UnityPoint: 2013

Education:
Dr. OT, Nova Southeastern University (2025)
MOT, Saint Ambrose University (2010)
BA, Psychology, Saint Ambrose University (2009)

Professional Certifications:
Certified Brain Injury Specialist

Professional Memberships:
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

Teaching Concentration:
Foundations of Occupational therapy, Health & Wellness, Culture in Healthcare, Leadership

Scholarship/Research:
Research, Leadership, Culture in Healthcare, and Capstone.

Community/College Service:
Graduate Health Science Curriculum Committee
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Curriculum Committee
Graduate Admission, Progression, & Graduation Committee

What do you enjoy most about teaching at Allen College?
I enjoy developing students in their education process to become an occupational therapist. Seeing the sparkle in a learner’s eyes when concepts begin to “click” and seeing a strong passion for occupational therapy emerge is one of my favorite things about teaching others. I am excited to continue to grow the field of occupational therapy scholarship by collaborating with my students in their research projects.