Susanne Lesnik-Emas is a Clinical Educator, Assistant Professor in the Department of Therapeutic Recreation. Susanne has had a long affiliation with Temple University’s Therapeutic Recreation curriculum through both grants and part time adjunct teaching; in 2003 she joined the newly independent department of Therapeutic Recreation in a full time academic capacity. Susanne has over 25 years experience as a therapeutic recreation practitioner representing a diverse mix of settings and disability populations.  Dr. Lesnik-Emas has significant practical experience with cognitive/communication impairments among adults/older adults, and caregiver (family & professional) education and training. Her undergraduate training was a double major in Zoology and Fine Arts, followed by a Master in Therapeutic Recreation and a doctorate in Health Studies/Therapeutic Recreation.

Susanne teaches in both the undergraduate and graduate programs.  In this capacity, she has actively sought to mesh the world of practice and academics through student assignments and projects that place them in service settings on a routine basis.  To this end, she has cultivated a relationship with the Northwest Interfaith Movement (NIM) and the personal care/boarding homes that they oversee through their ombudsman and service to the hard to reach & vulnerable populations programs, Philadelphia Developmental Disability Corporation (PDDC), Calcutta House & Serenity Court, Inglis House Foundation, and Temple Health Connection. In addition to her departmental responsibilities, Dr. Lesnik-Emas is the Co-Director of the Health Professions Advising Center where she provides career development support to students seeking careers in the health care arena; she has created a small learning community for freshmen and is teaching 2 of the 3 courses linked together in this academic experience.

With funding from the Bader Foundation and the University of Wisconsin La Crosse she has conducted professional caregiver research, developed education and training materials and completed her dissertation.  Since coming to Temple University full time, she has submitted 3 different grants as a primary or co-investigator (Philadelphia Corporation, National Alzheimer’s Association, & the PEW Charitable Trusts).  Dr. Lesnik-Emas has been a collaborating author on 2 professional publications (Department of Education/Rehabilitation Services Administration, Rehabilitation Psychology). Within the corporate world of health care Dr. Lesnik-Emas has conducted research on the integration of recreation in the rehabilitation process resulting in Maximizing the Integration of Recreation & Rehabilitation: Research in Long Term Care, an unpublished, proprietary document and is also the author of 17 proprietary publications (Genesis Rehabilitation Services/Genesis Health Ventures).

Dr. Lesnik-Emas has a long history of service to her profession and to the disability community at large.  On a national level, Dr. Lesnik-Emas has served as the American Therapeutic Recreation Association’s (ATRA) leader of the Joint Task Force on Long Term Care, co-leader of the Task Force on Clinical Supervision, and is currently the co-leader of the Ethics Committee.  On the regional level, Dr. Lesnik-Emas is a board member of the Mid East Symposium on Therapeutic Recreation and has been a regional representative for the Pennsylvania Therapeutic Recreation Association.  Locally, Dr. Lesnik-Emas is currently the President-Elect of the New Jersey/Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter Affiliate of ATRA.  Within the disability community, Dr. Lesnik-Emas currently serves on the planning committee of WHYY (public broadcasting)/Sound Partners foundation grant to produce Circle of Care project components; Circle of Care will present stories that use the arts to enhance communication and personalize the experience of health care.  Dr. Lesnik-Emas has also been actively involved in promoting professional self-reflection as a part of interdisciplinary education through the use of the American Foundation of Internal Medicine supported film The Choice is Yours: Viktor Frankl.

Susanne is a visual artist who paints, draws, quilts and embroiders, and creates collages.  Susanne is also an avid reader, music & theater lover, and a novice piano player.

Susanne Lesnik-Emas, Ed.D., CTRS

313 F 1700 N. Broad Street (062-55)

Temple University

Philadelphia, PA 19122

215-204-6817

slesnik@temple.edu