Karen Jacobs

Karen Jacobs serves as Clinical Professor and Associate Dean for Digital Learning & Innovation at Boston University's College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, where she also directs the Online Post-professional OTD program. With a distinguished career spanning decades, she has held significant leadership roles including President of the American Occupational Therapy Association (1998-2001) and various positions within the International Ergonomics Association and Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Dr. Jacobs' research focuses on the critical intersection of environment and human capabilities, particularly in educational settings. Her work examines ergonomics related to notebook computing, iPad usage, backpack design, and telehealth technologies for occupational therapy service delivery. She has secured substantial research funding from organizations including NIDRR, OERC, and the Harvard-NIOSH Education and Research Center, with support also from industry partners like Hewlett Packard and Microsoft. Her current projects include an ecological momentary assessment study on remote workers' well-being and an interprofessional leadership certificate program.

Dr. Jacobs has received numerous prestigious honors including the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship Award, multiple Award of Merits from professional associations, the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship, and Fellow status in both the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and International Ergonomics Association. Her recent accolades include the Linda Savino Award for Outstanding Political Activism (2023) and the IEA Fellow Award (2022).

As an educator, she teaches foundational and advanced courses in occupational therapy practice, professional service management, and doctoral studies. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes connecting theoretical knowledge with practical application, particularly through innovative online learning approaches. She has developed and implemented the Interprofessional Leadership in Healthcare Certificate program, which has demonstrated significant impact on participants' leadership and collaborative practices.

Dr. Jacobs maintains an active international presence, having conducted research and presented in numerous countries including Iceland, Croatia, Sri Lanka, Israel, Japan, and China. Her work bridges occupational therapy, ergonomics, and educational innovation, making significant contributions to both research and practice in these fields.