Jeanne R. Eichler

Jeanne R. Eichler, Ed.D., OTR/L, MT, serves as Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy and Director of OTD Admission at Augustana University's School of Health Professions Education.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from St. Louis University
• Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) from University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
• Bachelor of Music Therapy (BMT) from Loyola University

Dr. Eichler's research centers on transition to adulthood, specifically college and career pathways, examining how sensory preferences impact occupational success and retention across neurodiverse populations. She develops innovative interdisciplinary frameworks integrating engineering and occupational therapy to address systemic barriers in educational and professional settings.

She co-founded the OT-U Collaborative to define occupational therapy's global role for post-secondary students and co-created the NSF- and Microsoft-funded "Engineering Brighter Futures for Autism" initiative with UT-Dallas Mechanical Engineering. This project fosters therapist-engineer-neurodivergent collaborations to design inclusive workplace practices, while her DISC-profile certifications and arts-integrated methodologies create dynamic learning environments across community, school, and workplace contexts.