Joan Murray

Joan Murray is an adjunct faculty member in the Disability Studies Program at the CUNY School of Professional Studies. Ms. Murray earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY. Her early career experiences included working as an occupational therapist, with people with disabilities in acute care hospitals, nursing homes, and home care, including as the Director of Occupational Therapy at Peninsula Hospital Center in Far Rockaway, NY. Ms. Murray went on to open and serve as the director of a private practice, South Shore Rehabilitation OT, PC, providing occupational therapy services to people with upper extremity and hand injuries, for almost twenty years. In addition to her clinical work, Ms. Murray concurrently held adjunct teaching and guest lecturer positions throughout her career, at many New York City and Long Island-based occupational therapy programs. Ms. Murray was affiliated with the Occupational Therapy program at SUNY Downstate Medical Center (now SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University) for nearly thirty years, starting as a guest lecturer and retiring as a clinical assistant professor in 2017.  Ms. Murray earned her MA in Disability Studies from the CUNY SPS in 2014 and began teaching the course Disability Studies and the Health Professions in the program following graduation.

Ms. Murray is the recipient of a New York State Occupational Therapy Association’s Merit for Practice Award, as well as awards from SUNY Downstate Medical Center, including the inaugural “Excellence in Education” award for teaching in the College of Health-Related Professions in 2015. She has presented lectures and workshops, relating to occupational therapy, as well as disability studies, at local, state, and national conferences. In addition to her teaching at CUNY SPS, she holds guest lecture/adjunct positions in occupational therapy programs at SUNY Erie and the University at Buffalo.