Ruth Zemke, PhD, FAOTA, is an internationally recognized leader in the development of occupational science. As co-principal Investigator on the USC Well Elderly Project, she utilized her interest in applying concepts of occupational science to occupational therapy practice. Her basic focus remains on understanding the characteristics of occupation, especially the temporal and spatial ones. Awards include occupational therapy’s highest academic honor, the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Award (2004); the USC International Student Assembly Faculty Appreciation Award; and the Award of Excellence from the Occupational Therapy Association of California. Over the course of her career, she has provided substantial leadership in occupational science to academic programs and graduate students in Japan. Read Zemke’s Slagle Lecture.