A founding director of three occupational therapy programs with four decades of leadership experience in clinical practice, education and military service, Dr. Jose Rafols has been tapped to lead UNC Pembroke’s new Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT).

UNCP welcomed its first cohort of 21 students this fall. Seven members of the inaugural class are UNCP graduates. The MSOT program is a vital component of the university’s major push to move the needle on healthcare in the region. Since 2022, UNCP has established four health-related degree programs, including a doctoral program in optometry, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) and MSOT.

“I’m honored to be chosen as the director,” Dr. Rafols said in a press release. “It’s a great feeling to become an integral part of the College of Health Sciences because this is a big step for the university. And the university is experiencing a lot of firsts.”

Rafols comes to UNCP as an OT program pioneer. He is credited with creating a master’s and a doctorate-level program at St. Augustine University and a post-professional OTD program at South University in Florida. Most recently, he taught in the entry-level and post-professional programs in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Baylor University.

“I look at this blank slate (at UNCP) where we have an opportunity to create something from nothing,” Rafols said in a press release. “That’s where my talents come in. I’m grateful that the university has faith in me to get the train moving down the track, but I must have faith in the institution that insulates me because I can’t do this alone.”

Rafols has begun networking with faculty members from nursing and other departments on campus but is also looking to build connections with the regional medical community which will be essential in developing clinical partnerships.

Rafols’ long-term vision is to create a legacy program that includes bridge programs to delineate UNCP’s program from other OT programs across the state. He envisions a bridge program to a post-professional OTD at UNCP and connecting with community colleges that offer OT assistant programs.

“The vision is to cast the net wide and not just offer a master’s level OT program, but also have bridges that bring in qualified students,” he said in a press release. “That way, it gives students a broader vision of OT and how OT fits within the hierarchy as a national policy. We want to build organic capacity that will remain here, not graduate students who will go to South Carolina, Virginia and beyond.”  

UNCP’s MSOT will prepare a health workforce that is already facing a shortage in southeastern North Carolina, which is predicted to increase by 17% by 2030.

“I know there is a disparity and a shortage throughout the state and it’s more pronounced throughout the southeast region,” he said in a press release. “If we recruit students from within the state, they typically remain in the state to practice because they want to affiliate with a place where they feel comfortable.”

A licensed occupational therapist from Florida, Rafols has 36 years of experience in clinical orthopedics, upper extremity rehabilitation, polytrauma, traumatic brain injuries, long-term care, wound care, home health and telehealth. He has also worked in diabetic foot and vascular insufficiency care, outpatient neurorehabilitation and burn centers.

Dr. Rafols has significantly contributed to academia by developing and managing doctoral capstone experiences, aligning them with accreditation requirements. His military experience spans 28 years of combined active and reserve duty in the Navy, Marine Corps and Army. During a combat deployment in Afghanistan, he helped set up on-site clinical rehabilitation and restoration centers for service members with post-blast concussive injuries. 

Rafols earned a bachelor’s degree in OT from East Carolina University, a master’s degree in health administration from Barry University, a post-professional OTD from Creighton University and a Doctor of Education from the University of St. Augustine.

Rafols was among several new faces greeting students and faculty at the Weinstein Health Sciences Building this fall. Dr. Rich Castillo, founding dean of the College of Optometric Medicine, will lead the state’s only public doctoral program in optometry. He comes to UNCP from the National Board of Examiners in Optometry, where he served as senior director of clinical examination development and administration. Before that, Dr. Castillo spent nearly three decades at Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry as a clinical professor, assistant dean and chief of surgical services.

Dr. James Rogala was recently welcomed as the new College of Health Sciences associate dean. Dr. Rogala brings extensive optometry experience in higher education and recently served as a visiting professor with the School of Optometry at Indiana University.