Morse Scholar Alumni 2021–2024
Current Position
Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholar
Institute for Research in Inclusive Education
Masaryk University, Czech Republic
Contact
About
Libby am a PhD Candidate in Kinesiology – Occupational Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on the health and well-being of families with children with developmental disabilities and community participation. She has a particular interest in collaborations with cultural institutions, such as museums, libraries, and performing arts spaces. Her research interests are informed by her experience working as a theatre director and her clinical experience as an occupational therapist. She uses Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) principles to guide her work, often using collaborative and participatory methods to understand the lives of people with disabilities and create positive change in society.
As part of her studies at UW-Madison, she has completed a Community Engaged Scholarship Certificate through the Morgridge Center for Public Service. Through the Waisman Center, she is currently part of the Morse Society, a fellowship for training and research in Childhood Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities.
When she is not doing research or working as an OT, her meaningful occupations are centered around spending time with her spouse and child. They love to build legos, make meals together, and be near trees. They love to travel, especially to their family who lives in the Czech Republic.
Education
| 2003 | BFA | Theater Arts | DePaul University |
| 2019 | MSOT | Occupational Therapy | University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| 2024 | PhD | Kinesiology – Occupational Sciences | University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| 2021–2024 | Morse Scholar | Major Professor: Karla Ausderau, PhD | Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison |
In the News
Selected Publications
-
Hladik, L., St John, B. M., Korbel, A., Nelson, N., Umana, M., Kant, S., & Ausderau, K. K. (2025). “Giving Me the Self-Confidence to Tackle It”: Mothers’ Experiences Participating In The Engaged Eaters Program, A Caregiver-Mediated Feeding Intervention. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 55(3), 1045–1056. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06250-4
-
Caudill, A., Hladik, L., Gray, M., Dulaney, N., Barton, K., Rogers, J., Noblet, N., & Ausderau, K. K. (2024). Health Narratives as a Therapeutic Tool for Health Care Access for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Occupational therapy in health care, 38(3), 750–767. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380577.2022.2099603
-
Hladik, L., St John, B., Carbery, M., Gray, M., Drew, J. R., Jr, & Ausderau, K. K. (2023). Benefits and Challenges of a Telehealth Eating and Mealtime Intervention for Autistic Children: Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Perspectives. OTJR : occupation, participation and health, 43(3), 540–548. https://doi.org/10.1177/15394492231175069
-
St John, B. M., Hickey, E., Kastern, E., Russell, C., Russell, T., Mathy, A., Peterson, B., Wigington, D., Pellien, C., Caudill, A., Hladik, L., & Ausderau, K. K. (2022). Opening the door to university health research: recommendations for increasing accessibility for individuals with intellectual disability. International journal for equity in health, 21(1), 130. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-022-01730-4
-
Hladik, L., Meyer, R., Allen, S., Bonnici, S., Froelke, N. A., Romaniak, H., Ougayour, Y., Nelson, N., Alkhamees, A. K., Davis, H., & Ausderau, K. K. (2022). Accessibility and Inclusion for Families with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Cultural Institutions. Curator : a quarterly publication of the American Museum of Natural History, 65(2), 435–449. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12468
-
St John, B., Gray, M., Malzacher, A., Hladik, L., Lurie, S., & Ausderau, K. (2021). Using photovoice with people with intellectual disability to illuminate definitions of health and factors influencing participation in health promotion. Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID, 34(3), 866–876. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12868