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Florence A. Clark

Last updated 10/11/2021

Florence A. Clark, Professor Emerita of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

For more than four decades, Florence A. Clark has inspired the USC community with her exemplary work as a teacher, mentor, and academic leader. A co-founder of the discipline of occupational science, she helped build our university’s Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy as a faculty member and division chair. Under her leadership, the Chan Division launched the world’s first Ph.D. program in occupational science, established a thriving faculty practice, and developed a top-ranked graduate program in occupational therapy.

As a researcher, Professor Clark has championed occupational therapy’s importance in everyday life as a tool for healing. She is best known for her large-scale scientific trials that focus on improving the quality of life for vulnerable and underserved people. Her findings have great influence in the medical community, as seen in her more than 90 peer-reviewed articles and 2,500 scholarly citations. This work has helped advance the prestige of her profession within the public eye and opened doors for generations of her colleagues.

Professor Clark’s forward-looking work has received much well-deserved recognition. She has received numerous honors from the American Occupational Therapy Association for her research and leadership, and her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health. She is also a recipient of the USC Presidential Medallion – a tribute to her many compassionate contributions to our Trojan community.

Professor Clark’s legacy touches everyone in the fields of occupational science and occupational therapy. Through her work, the world gains a fresh perspective on how to help people live longer and healthier lives.

Read more about Professor Clark here.

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For her pivotal contributions to occupational science at USC, and for leadership, teaching, and research that bring international recognition to her field, the University of Southern California is proud to recognize Florence A. Clark with the USC Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award.