Since 2021, he has been involved in national leadership on the Board of Directors as Treasurer of the Society for the Study of Occupation: USA. Currently he is running for national office at the American Occupational Therapy Association as a Treasurer Candidate on the Board of Directors. Dr. Mernar has been an occupational therapist since 2000 and has had wide array of practice experience working clinically in acute and sub-acute traumatic brain injury units, sub-acute skilled nursing, long-term care, and assisted living facilities. He currently teaches courses in occupational science and research across both Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy programs at Gwynedd Mercy University.
Dr. Mernar has publications in the journals of Occupational Science, Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Gerontology Special Interest Section Quarterly, and in the Nursing Home Research Sciences. He has recently earned a sub-award grant from the National Science Foundation to work on a qualitative research study on the experiences of using innovative technologies to track older adult participation in self-care activities within assisted living environments for older adults.
He earned his Ph.D. in Occupational Science from the University of Southern California in 2008, a M.S. in Occupational Therapy from Seton Hall University in 2000, and a B.A. in Biology from Rutgers University in 1996.
