Misericordia University’s (MU) Board of Trustees recently awarded the rank of professor emeritus to Joseph Cipriani Ed.D., OTR/L to recognize his 34 years of exceptional service in teaching, research, and contributions to the university.

In addition to the contributions Cipriani has made to teaching, research and service, he helped shape the lives of numerous students as a teacher and mentor, demonstrating an impressive record of scholarly achievement, authoring papers—both presented and published—and providing extensive service to his discipline, to MU and to the larger community.

During his tenure he served as chair of the Occupational Therapy Department for more than three years, and he received the Misericordia University Teaching Excellence Award, the Louis & Barbara Alesi Excellence in Scholarship Award, and the Pauly and Sidney Friedman Excellence in Service Award.

Cipriani assumed multiple leadership roles during his tenure at MU and developed several courses and experiences for students to gain real-world experience while serving their community. He created an occupational therapy elective that included working with Ruth’s Place in Wilkes-Barre as well as an elective that incorporated service-learning in Jamaica, working in concert with Mustard Seed communities.

Cipriani leaves an impressive legacy at Misericordia University, where his teaching portfolio included vital courses such as Applied Functional Anatomy, Geriatric Occupational Performance Intervention, Research Design, and Contemporary and Emerging Interventions.

His extensive involvement in the field of occupational therapy is widely recognized. Cipriani’s work on topics such as horticulture therapy, occupational therapy interventions for mental health, and international service learning has garnered recognition and significantly advanced occupational therapy practice. He has presented extensively at national and international conferences and published numerous articles in esteemed journals, including serving as a reviewer for the Journal of Occupational Science, OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, and Occupational Therapy in Mental Health. He also served on the editorial board of Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics.

Throughout his career, Cipriani has been an active member of leading professional organizations, including the American Occupational Therapy Association, the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, the Occupational Therapy Association, and the PA Occupational Therapy Association. His commitment to service extended to numerous university committees, including the Middle States Self-study Steering committees and the Mission and Values Committee, and he advised the student honor society.

Cipriani shared his insights in the classroom from his clinical experience as an occupational therapist at Geisinger Health Care System and the Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at Allied Services.

Cipriani earned his Ed.D. in higher education from Nova Southeastern University. He holds a Master of Arts degree in community psychology from Wichita State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in occupational therapy from College Misericordia, in addition to a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Wilkes College.