Rate My Professor Sara Story

Sara Story, Ed.D., OTD, OTR/L, BCG, CAPS, serves as Program Director and Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Valparaiso University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and a Master of Occupational Therapy from Spalding University. In 2011, she was awarded a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from the University of St. Augustine. She completed a Doctorate in Leadership (Ed.D.) from Spalding University in 2020. As a licensed occupational therapist, she holds board certification in gerontology through the American Occupational Therapy Association and certification as a Certified Aging in Place Specialist through the National Association of Home Builders. Dr. Story maintains an active clinical practice in gerontology and mental health, bringing current clinical perspectives to her classroom instruction.

Dr. Story’s research interests include aging in place, community mobility, and mental health services. She has delivered presentations at state and national levels. An active member of the American Occupational Therapy Association, she was recently elected to the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association Board of Directors as Chair of the Mental Health Special Interest Section. She directs Valparaiso University’s Occupational Therapy programs, including the entry-level Doctorate in Occupational Therapy launched in August 2023 and the post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, which prepares licensed occupational therapists for advanced roles in mentorship and scholarship. Under her leadership, the entry-level program received accreditation in December 2025 after she rebuilt the curriculum to ensure students are clinically ready and aligned with national standards. Dr. Story has contributed to scholarly work as faculty sponsor for the systematic review “Social Isolation in Older Adults: Systematic Review,” published April 25, 2024, and co-authored with students Maria Camacho and Peyton Throw, demonstrating fair evidence for occupational therapy interventions such as community programming and interprofessional services to reduce social isolation. She is also a co-author on the 2023 publication “Development and Validation of the Protocol for Administering the Performance Assessment of Driving Skills-2 (PADS-2) in a Driving Simulator.”