Karen Kowalski

Ever since she was a middle-school volunteer at Overlook Hospital, Karen has been drawn to health care, with a personal investment toward the promotion of independence for individuals with all levels of ability. A registered occupational therapist, Karen has worked at P.G. Chambers School as Clinical Supervisor of Occupational Therapy and Children’s Specialized Hospital (New Brunswick) as an occupational therapist and fieldwork coordinator. She served as Instructor and the inaugural Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for the Rutgers Occupational Therapy Assistant Program for which she coordinated fieldwork experiences for students at locations that included The Arc of Somerset County – Branchburg ATC/OTC site. She maintains clinical practice at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (Somerset) on a per diem basis.

Having a passion and talent for music, Karen developed a specialty for adapted music access through her work within the Somerset County Park Commission – Therapeutic Recreation Program, private piano lessons, professional publications, presentations and most notably within The Arc of Somerset County, through the very successful development and implementation of the “Accessing Music Promoting Success” program at Branchburg ATC/OTC site. Karen’s publications include a book entitled, “Playing It Their Way: An Innovative Approach to Teaching Piano to Individuals with Physical or Mental Disabilities”. She received the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission Excellence in the Arts Award in 2017.

Karen graduated from Kean University with a Bachelor of Science - Occupational Therapy and University of Medicine and Dentistry with a Master of Public Health. She is an active member of American Occupational Therapy Association and New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association wherein she is Awards Committee Chair.