Neil Harvison

Neil Harvison serves as a Lecturer in Occupational Therapy Assistant Studies within the School of Health and Natural Sciences at Mercy University, while concurrently holding the position of Chief Officer of the Knowledge Division at the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), where he leads state affairs, federal affairs, regulatory affairs, accreditation, education, research, practice standards, and continuing professional competency initiatives.

His academic credentials include:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy (Hons.) from the University of Queensland (Australia)
• Master of Arts in Developmental Disabilities Studies from New York University
• Doctor of Philosophy from the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University

Dr. Harvison's professional focus spans occupational therapy practice, healthcare education systems, accreditation frameworks, and developmental disabilities interventions. His 24+ years of clinical experience as a pediatric practitioner and hospital administrator—including 12 years as Associate Director for Outpatient Services at Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Center—inform his expertise in translating clinical practice into educational standards. His publications consistently address healthcare education innovation and accreditation excellence.

His distinguished professional recognition includes:

• Fellow of the National Academies of Practice (FNAP)
• Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association (FAOTA)

Dr. Harvison maintains clinical faculty appointments across multiple institutions and drives national policy development through his AOTA leadership role.