Dalmina Arias, OTD, OTR/L

Dalmina Arias, OTD, OTR/L, is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy within the College of Applied Health Sciences. With extensive experience as an occupational therapist, Dr. Arias has worked with the aging population across inpatient, outpatient, and home care settings. As an educator, she specializes in foundational occupational therapy concepts, payment systems, policy, advocacy, access, and program development. Dr. Arias is deeply committed to addressing health disparities, particularly among racially and ethnically diverse minoritized communities. Her research focuses on evidence-informed, culturally relevant, and strengths-based interventions that aim to improve healthcare delivery for these populations. Inspired by her own experience as the child of Mexican immigrants, she has witnessed firsthand the challenges her parents faced in navigating the U.S. healthcare system. This personal connection fuels her passion for studying the racial, ethnic, and cultural influences on aging within minoritized communities. Her career goals focus on creating culturally and contextually relevant interventions to support the preservation of function and prevention of cognitive decline in aging Latinx adults. Dr. Arias is dedicated to fostering equitable healthcare solutions that address disparities in the well-being of Latinx older adults and their families.