Riqiea F. Kitchens, PhD, OTR, BCPR, CSRS
Assistant Professor

Curriculum Vitae

Teaching Areas of Interest

Neurological Interventions, Conditions, Stroke Self-Management

Research Interests

Stroke self-management program implementation, chronic conditions, and DEI initiatives in OT education

Biography

Riqiea Kitchens, PhD, OTR, BCPR, CSRS is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy in the UTMB School of Health Professions. Dr. Kitchens received her B.S. degree from Jackson State University, her M.S. in Occupational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her PhD in Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University. Dr. Kitchens is a Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Specialist and has Board Certification in Physical Rehabilitation through the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Dr. Kitchens has clinical experience in adult physical disabilities and neurological rehabilitation across settings and has developed a stroke self-management program for medically underserved stroke populations. She provides instruction in the entry-level and post-professional OTD programs. Her research interests include stroke self-management program implementation and the promotion of DEI initiatives in occupational therapy education. She has presented and published her research at the local, state, national, and international level. Dr. Kitchens holds memberships in the National Black Occupational Therapy Caucus, the Texas Occupational Therapy Association, and the American Occupational Therapy Association where she serves the profession in multiple capacities.