Dr. Jane Case-Smith, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA, was affiliated with The Ohio State University Division of Occupational therapy for 25 years including her time served as the director of the Division of Occupational Therapy for 10 years before her passing in July 2014. During her tenure, the program was and continues to be ranked as one of the best in the nation. She was an internationally respected author, lecturer, and researcher in the area of pediatric occupational therapy. She was much loved by her students, colleagues, friends, and family. The Dr. Jane Case-Smith Occupational Therapy Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in her memory to help provide scholarships to students in the OSU Occupational Therapy program. Our signature event is an annual Run, Walk, and Roll 5k in Dr. Case-Smith’s memory.
But who really was Jane?
beyond the boring biographical details in the race information. That’s unfortunate because the
best ever and would tell me how much she loved her students. As busy as her professional
life was with teaching, books, committees, research and speaking engagements (and raising
2 boys), when you were with her – no matter who you were – you were the most important person
in the world. However for me the race was never about remembering Jane (she always
disdained any recognition) but rather perpetuating a chain of like-minded OTs. Hopefully
the scholarship in some small way will help produce the next generation of OT leaders;
but my real hope is that the race become an OSU tradition of our OT students doing
something that will help one of their own. I really think Jane would have been happy to have
just been a nameless link in that process of inculcating that dedicated and caring spirit