Cristina Smith OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Biography

Dr. Cristina Reyes Smith is the current Vice President (2024 to present) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and serves on the Board of Directors.  She also serves as a Non-Voting Member on the Board of Trustees of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF).  She previously served in several national leadership roles including as a Director on the AOTA Board of Directors (2020 to 2023) and Editorial Board of the Journal of Occupational Therapy Education (JOTE) (2020 to 2024). She was the Founder and Business Development Coordinator (2012 to 2020) for Vida Bella Services, LLC, a pediatric agency providing early intervention and outpatient occupational therapy and physical therapy services with a focus on access to quality care with the local and surrounding rural communities.  

Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor in the College of Health Professions (CHP) Division Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).  She teaches courses on Leadership & Management, advises student organizations, and mentors doctoral capstone project students in the Entry-Level and Post-Professional OTD programs there.  Her accomplishments include publications and presentations across the U.S. and internationally. She has served as the Chair of the CHP Faculty Assembly (2023 to 2024), Chair of the MUSC Faculty Senate Institutional Advancement Committee (2021 to 2023), and Co-Director of the HRSA-MUSC Occupational Therapy Scholarship program (2020 to present). 

Dr. Smith is a graduate of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program at Thomas Jefferson University and the Masters in Occupational Therapy program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Through these programs she completed additional coursework Disabilities Studies, Global Health, and Graduate Teaching in the 21st Century.  She was a participant of the 2021 MUSC Emerging Leaders Program, the 2012 AOTA Emerging Leaders Program, and the 2005-2006 MUSC Presidential Scholars Program as a Student Scholar.  She has 20 years of experience in the field and has expertise in community health promotion, program development, and leadership development with a focus on access to care.  She has conducted presentations and published manuscripts locally, nationally, and internationally.