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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kalyn Myers Briggs
Kalyn Myers Briggs, a graduate student in the doctoral program, College of Health
Sciences, TWU, to be honored with Virginia Chandler Dykes Scholarship
Dallas, TX – January 21, 2010 – Kalyn Myers Briggs, MS, OTR/L, a Denton resident and
doctoral student in TWU’s College of Health Sciences, will receive one of four prestigious
scholarships given by Texas Woman’s University at the Eighth Annual Virginia Chandler Dykes
Leadership Award Luncheon, presented by Bank of Texas and Texas Woman’s University, Feb.
25, at noon, at The Belo Mansion and Pavilion. Briggs’ scholarship is sponsored by Edgemere
Dallas.
Briggs’ passion in advancing in the field of occupational therapy can be seen not only in her
research and teaching career in occupational therapy, but also in her aspiration to become an
academician.
Working toward her PhD in occupational therapy with a 3.87 G.P.A., she
anticipates completion in the fall 2010 or spring 2011 with the intent to become an academic
and begin a teaching career in occupational therapy. Her interest lies in the neurosciences and
adult physical disabilities, specifically adults with brain injury.
“Upon entering the PhD program, it was my hope to be able to develop and improve research,
to prepare myself to become an educator, researcher, and professional in the field, and to
contribute to the growing movement of evidence-based research,” stated Briggs. “I believe that
through my academic program and community activities, I have begun building the foundation I
need to meet these goals.”
Briggs has been a practicing occupational therapist for seven years, currently working at Denton
Regional Medical Center in Denton, Texas, where she is the lead occupational therapist in the
Outpatient Day Neuro Program, working with individuals who have sustained brain injuries.
Prior to working in Denton, she spent a year working full time at the Baylor Institute for
Rehabilitation in the inpatient stroke unit.
With a dissertation focused on stroke rehabilitation with an emphasis on the lived experience of
stroke outpatients and their perceptions regarding the adequacy and relevance of inpatient
rehabilitation, Briggs has made great strides in her research, focusing upon a much needed
area of clinical interest.
Briggs has been an invited guest lecturer at TWU’s OT program and a graduate assistant for
two semesters and an invited guest panelist in the 2007 TWU Phi Theta Epsilon Workshop and
has presented at several TWU OT workshops, including the Vanderkooi Lectureship and the
TWU Doctoral Research Symposium.
“Ms. Briggs is a dedicated practitioner who appreciates the necessity of producing more
research to guide practice,” said Sally Schultz, PhD, professor and coordinator, PhD Program,
Denton/Dallas/Houston. “I am convinced that she will become a contributor to the body of
knowledge on treatment of acquired brain injury. Awarding her with the TWU VCD Scholarship
is a sound investment that will impact the quality of care in stroke rehabilitation.”
A native of Glendive, Montana, Briggs credits her family for their guidance in leading her to a
career in occupational therapy. Both of her parents have been involved in education for over 30
years, and Myers Briggs has always wanted to be an educator. She received her bachelor’s in
university studies and her master’s in occupational therapy from the University of Mary in North
Dakota. She began working on her PhD at TWU in 2005.
“I became interested in occupational therapy in high school, and through all of my college years
I knew that teaching occupational therapy at the university level was a goal I wanted to pursue,”
she added. “My family has been so supportive of all my endeavors.”
“I feel so blessed to have been accepted into TWU’s PhD program in 2005, and I can’t even
count the opportunities and endless knowledge I have acquired since beginning the program,”
added Briggs. “I am very honored that the professors in the OT department felt I am worthy of
the Virginia Chandler Dykes Scholarship. I hope that I can continue to work hard, pursue my
goals, and use their guidance and knowledge in becoming a better OT and someday
academician. One day I would love to move back to my native Montana and start an
occupational therapy program at one of the major universities there.”
Briggs and her husband Ed reside in Denton.
For more information on the TWU’s Eighth Annual Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award
Luncheon and to purchase tickets, contact Karen Martin, Director of Development, Texas
Woman’s University, 940-898-3865 or KMartin9@mail.twu.edu.
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Texas Woman’s University occupies a notable position in higher education as the nation’s
largest university primarily for women. Its campuses in Denton, Dallas and Houston are joined
by an e-learning campus offering innovative online degree programs in business, education and
general studies. Seven consecutive years of growth have produced a record enrollment of
13,358. TWU serves the citizens of Texas in many important ways, including: graduating more
new nurses and health care professionals than any other university in Texas; easing the teacher
shortage by placing highly qualified professionals in the classroom; offering a liberal arts-based
curriculum that prepares students for success in a global society; conducting research that
impacts the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity, osteoporosis, stroke and diabetes.
For more information, visit www.twu.edu <http://www.twu.edu/> or call (940) TWU-2000.