Rate My Professor Melissa Zahl

Melissa L. Zahl is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational and Recreational Therapies at the University of Utah, a position she has held since July 1, 2018. She also serves as Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training within the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. Prior to her appointment at Utah, Dr. Zahl was an Assistant Professor in recreational therapy at Oklahoma State University, joining the faculty there in 2014. Her academic credentials include a PhD in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Utah, an MS in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Utah, and a BS in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of North Dakota's Recreation and Leisure Services program in 1997. She holds professional designations of MTRS, CTRS, and FDRT.

Dr. Zahl's research focuses on the effectiveness of interventions and programming aimed at preventing secondary health conditions, promoting community engagement, and enhancing quality of life for individuals in physical medicine and rehabilitation populations, with particular emphasis on those with spinal cord injuries. Her work examines the role of adaptive sports, recreational activities, and mobile health interventions in non-pharmacological management of health issues. She also advances recreational therapy through collaborations, mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students, curriculum development, and interprofessional education. Key publications include 'Problematic secondary health conditions among adults with spinal cord injury and its impact on social participation and daily life' (2016, 184 citations), 'Community integration: Showcasing the evidence for therapeutic recreation services' (2015, 69 citations), 'Examining how the perception of health can impact participation and autonomy among adults with spinal cord injury' (2016, 22 citations), 'Interprofessional Education and Experiences Within Therapeutic Recreation Education' (2016, 18 citations), and 'The role of recreational therapy and allied therapies in rehabilitation after spinal cord injury' (2020). Her scholarship has accumulated over 421 citations on Google Scholar. Dr. Zahl received the 2024 Scholarly Achievement Award from the American Therapeutic Recreation Association and was elected to the Board of Directors of the Committee on Accreditation for Recreational Therapy Education. She previously served as Chair of the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification Board and directs undergraduate studies in recreational therapy at Utah.