Recently, the inaugural class of Elizabethtown College’s Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) students presented their capstone projects over Zoom, completing the requirements for graduation through the School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS).
“I am very proud of the work of the students and faculty in the culmination of the new Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate program,” Tamera Humbert, Dean of the School of Human and Health Professions stated. “The work of these candidates brings expanded knowledge and application to the communities in which they serve as occupational therapists.”
The Post-Professional Capstone Experience allows students to apply advanced knowledge by developing, implementing, and disseminating an in-depth, evidence-based project of choice. The OTD students presented on the following topics:
- “Impact of an Interoception-Based Intervention on Self-Regulation in Adults with Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries: A Pilot Study” by Meghan Chemidlin ’19, M ’20, OTD ’22
- “Trauma, Interoception, and Executive Functioning: A Project Development” by Kelly (Kleindienst) Epps ’17, M ’18, OTD ’22
- “Adapting the Zones of Regulation Curriculum to Facilitate Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation in the Special Education Setting” by Maddy (Jackson) Moore ’13, M ’14, OTD ’22
- “Discovering Techniques to Promote Self-Regulation in Preschool Staff” by Holly Naradko ’12, M ’13, OTD ’22
The Post-Professional OTD program was approved in 2020 by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and is Elizabethtown College’s first doctorate program.
“I am truly honored and proud to be one of the graduates of Elizabethtown College’s first OTD class,” Maddy (Jackson) Moore ’13, M ’14, OTD ’22 said. “I originally returned to Etown to pursue a second Master’s, however, my advisor helped me navigate my education to complete the OTD instead, meeting my long-term learning goals.”
These students are Etown’s first graduates from the OTD program and all have previously earned their Bachelor of Science in Health Occupations and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Elizabethtown College.
“I was thrilled that my alma mater was offering a post-professional doctorate so that I would be able to rejoin the Occupational Therapy department once again,” Kelly (Kleindienst) Epps ’17, M ’18, OTD ’22 said. “The OT department at Etown is like a big family and being a part of it on any level is a joy.”
About the Etown Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program
Elizabethtown College’s Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate is designed for licensed occupational therapists with a master’s degree in occupational therapy and is directed by Dr. Kerri Hample. The interdisciplinary curriculum prepares students to explore new areas of interest and further develop advanced practitioner roles. The OTD program is offered through Elizabethtown College’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS) and is entirely online with a flexible schedule to fit into the lives of working occupational therapists.