Vikram Pagpatan

My name is Vikram Pagpatan and I am an OTRL from New York City. Being of South Asian descent (Indian-American) and as a first generation university graduate, establishing pathways and mechanisms of recruitment, mentorship, and retention in higher education, especially for students from disadvantaged and under-represented communities is a powerful passion of mine as I currently practice as a full time faculty member and admissions coordinator of the State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University MSOT program in Brooklyn, New York. My clinical background is in adult and pediatric rehabilitation with a focus on assistive technology practice and acute care practice. I am a strong believer in not allowing inequities of any form to stand in the way of positive sustainable changes through powerful actions and am privileged and honored to serve the OTP community and its stakeholders at large as an elected AOTA Board Director and as the newly elected President of the Association of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Occupational Therapy (www.aapiot.org), non-profit knowledge based organization committed to educating the public, healthcare practitioners and students on issues impacting the AAPI communities. These national leadership roles have enabled me to look back and extend a hand of support to the next generation of emerging leaders, acknowledging their potential, their proven skills, talents, and merits for success.