Dr. Sharon Pape, OTD, MS, OTR, FNAP is a Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director of the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Vera Z. Dwyer College of Health Sciences. She joined the faculty in July 2020 after serving for 12 years as Senior Lecturer and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator (AFWC) for the occupational therapy program at Indiana University Indianapolis
Dr. Pape earned her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree from Saint Louis University, a Master of Science in Health Sciences Education from Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is a Distinguished Scholar Fellow of the National Academies of Practice (NAP).
With more than 38 years of clinical experience, Dr. Pape has practiced occupational therapy across diverse settings and populations in Indiana and West Virginia. Her areas of clinical and teaching expertise include mental health/functional cognition, post-acute and primary care practices. She was the founding faculty advisor for the occupational therapy clinic within the Indiana University Student Outreach Clinic (IUSOC), an interprofessional, student-run clinic established in 2009 that provides free health and wellness services to underserved members of the Indianapolis community.
Dr. Pape's scholarship focuses on interprofessional education and the impact of innovative pedagogical approaches implemented within student-run health clinics. Her research examines how collaborative learning experiences influence student outcomes and prepare future health professionals for team-based practice.