Randi Johnson Hanson: From 27 Years in Practice to Foundation Research Award
Dr. Randi Johnson Hanson, PP-OTD, OTR/L, brings 27 years of clinical expertise in occupational therapy to her role as Assistant Clinical Professor of Occupational Therapy and Doctoral Capstone Coordinator at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. Since joining the college in July 2025, she has bridged clinical practice and academic excellence, maintaining hands-on experience through pro bono clinics and community programs to ensure her teaching remains grounded in real-world application.
Her transition to higher education followed completion of her Post-Professional Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the impact of her work has already garnered national recognition. The American Occupational Therapy Foundation honored her with the Mary J. Bridle First Research Award for her doctoral capstone research, which will be presented at the AOTA Conference.
Throughout her career, she has specialized in geriatric rehabilitation, adult mental health, assistive technology, and wheelchair seating and positioning. Her focus centers on helping individuals maintain independence through personalized interventions and adaptive equipment solutions, translating clinical scholarship into practice that makes a tangible difference.
Beyond the classroom and clinic, she volunteers with Eagle Mount Billings, providing adapted sports and recreation for people with disabilities, and leads therapeutic groups at the YWCA Billings temporary women and families shelter. She maintains active membership in the American Occupational Therapy Association, World Federation of Occupational Therapy, and Montana Occupational Therapy Association.
Mentorship stands at the core of her professional philosophy. Growing up in the 1970s with parents who encouraged ambition without gender-based limitations shaped her worldview. "I was never told 'you can't, won't, don't, couldn't, shouldn't, because you're a girl,'" she reflects. Her father, a teacher who championed her against naysayers, remains a daily influence. Influential educators, including an 8th grade English teacher with whom she maintains contact decades later, reinforced that foundation.
She now advises young women entering the field to "come into this profession with an open mind and an open heart." She encourages assertiveness, noting that qualities once dismissed as "opinionated or bossy" are actually strength and leadership. "I'm assertive and I'm actually taking control of my own locus and where I want to be," she explains.
Her message emphasizes seeking mentors and championing others. "It is such a wonderful thing to realize that you've got somebody that you've met who just cares about you in a professional realm," she notes, describing the mentorship relationships that have shaped her journey and now define her approach to developing the next generation of occupational therapists.
