Jamesdean Visley

Assistant Professor

Joined the Huntington University faculty in 2020.

Dr. Jamesdean Visley received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and was among the first graduating class of Huntington’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program. In 2016, he was honored with the Servant Leadership of the Year Award, as voted on by faculty and fellow students. Dr. Visley is passionate about assistive technology, and has specific interests relating to home modifications, virtual reality, work and industry, sensory integration (SI), and disability ministries. He currently teaches the assistive technology course at Huntington’s OTD program and serves as the committee chair for admissions/recruitment and the Fort Wayne Area Interprofessional Education Consortium (FWAIPEC). He also serves as the program’s Academic Fieldwork Coordinator (AFWC).

Prior to becoming an OT, Dr. Visley worked with children with special needs for several years at a private school near his hometown in Pittsburgh, PA. Before coming to Huntington University, he worked with EBS healthcare for several years and was contracted out of New York City. He gained experience in a multitude of settings, treating a caseload of over 75 children each year throughout an elementary school, outpatient pediatric clinic, and various homes throughout NYC. He also served as the primary evaluating therapist at a pediatric clinic in Brooklyn, NY. Dr. Visley has contributed to research and scholarly articles relating to the work and industry practice setting, the impact of service-learning opportunities for student perceptions of working with persons with disabilities, and the development of disabilities ministries. He became certified as an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) through the Rehabilitation and Engineering Society of North America (RESNA) and acquired an Executive Certificate in Home Modifications (ECHM) through University of Southern California’s School of Gerontology in 2022. He is actively exploring research relating to virtual reality and home modifications to help assist individuals with aging in place.

He and his wife Sarah have two boys, a 3-year-old and 1-year-old. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, exercising, cooking, exploring new restaurants, and spending time with his family. Together, JD and Sarah are actively involved in church where they serve as children’s leaders and youth leaders and they are both passionate about local and international missions.