The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Health Professions has named Charlotte Royeen, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy.
An accomplished occupational therapist, educator, researcher, and academic leader, Royeen joins UTMB from RUSH University in Chicago, where she served as dean of the College of Health Sciences. Her career spans roles as a faculty member, department chair, associate dean for research, and dean, reflecting a longstanding commitment to advancing occupational therapy education, research, and practice.
Royeen said she is thrilled to be settling in Galveston just in time to avoid another Chicago winter.
Her path to occupational therapy began long before her academic career.
“My mother was on the Board of Directors of New Jersey Neuro-Psychiatric Institute outside Princeton, New Jersey,” Royeen said. “Naturally, I started volunteering there during the summers and ended up employed there through high school and the early years of college. I loved working in the occupational therapy department, and it was a natural progression to study occupational therapy at Tufts University in Boston.”
That early exposure to occupational therapy sparked a passion that would shape a career dedicated to helping individuals participate more fully in their daily lives while advancing the profession through education and scholarship.
Throughout her leadership roles, Royeen has championed faculty development, student success, innovative academic programming, and research growth. Her contributions have earned national recognition, including being named by the American Occupational Therapy Association as one of the profession’s 100 most influential occupational therapists.
As she begins her tenure at UTMB, Royeen sees an opportunity to build on the department’s strong foundation while enhancing its national prominence.
“I would like to see the occupational therapy program at UTMB regain its preeminent status and produce practitioners who will take care of all of us in our aging years,” she said.
Her vision aligns with the School of Health Professions mission to educate future healthcare professionals and advance research that improves health and well-being across Texas and beyond.
Royeen is looking forward to spending as much time as she can at the beach and birdwatching.
“I once saw a roseate spoonbill in Galveston over 15 years ago,” Royeen said. “I want to see one again!”