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University of Southern California
University of Southern California
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
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Education
Education

Post-Professional Doctorate (OTD)
of Occupational Therapy
Previous OTD Leadership Presentations

In fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctorate of Occupational Therapy degree, doctoral candidates complete a formal presentation regarding their residency and highlighted accomplishments. Presentations typically include a summary of the evidence informing their residency experience, evidence-based deliverables and overall outcomes.

2022 Presentations

Joana Akrofi
The Power of Identity: Exploring the Diagnostic Odyssey of Autism in Greater Accra-Ghana

Deena Alhusseini
Making Play Time Matter: Creating Successful Play Time in Family Routines

Kaainat Ali
Sensory Outcomes Using Sensory Electrical Stimulation with the Stroke Population in the Acute Rehabilitation Setting at Rancho Los Amigos

Jerzl Awit
Beyond the Classroom: Cultivating Resilience Among Graduate Students through Mentorship

Amanda Balido
Promoting Best Practices in Occupational Therapy for Stroke Recovery Throughout the Continuum of Care

Jennifer Bianzon
Paving the Path to Inclusion in Early Learning: An Occupational Thera- pist’s Role in the Service Delivery Evaluation and Improvement

Jillian Bothwell
Embracing Neurodiversity in Occupational Therapy Practice

Elizabeth Broske
Acute Oncology Care and the Study of Functional Cognition Following Immunotherapy Cancer Treatment

Denise Bui
“When Life Gives You Hands, Make Hand-ade”

Alyssa Capellino
Identity Transformation through Life Transitions: Supporting Occupational Roles and Identities

Daphne Carcedo Cravens
Facilitando Cambios: Enhancing Culturally Responsive Clinical Care for Spanish-Speaking Populations and Establishing OT’s Role in Post-Op Gender-Affirming Surgery Patients

Gabriel Carcedo Cravens
TRANScending Teaching: Queering Academia to Foster Growth in Undergraduate Students at the Occupational Science Minor Program

Monica Caris
Supporting Autism Through Training for Exceptional Responders (SAFER): An Innovative Training Program for Law Enforcement Officers

Elaine Carreon
The Power of Lived Experience Narratives: Shifting Autism Research and Practice with Diverse and Underrepresented Groups

Kathryn Cassutt
Developing Professional Identity as a School-Based Occupational Therapist

Emeli Castillo
Bariatric Primary Care: The Need for OT Generalists

Justin Chan
All Hands on Deck: Ushering Healthcare into the Next Generation of Gaming

Maggie Chen
Inspire, Amaze, and Motivate: Empowering the Occupational Therapy Profession Through Global Engagement

Kayla Chism
Optimization of Oncologic Evaluation and Intervention in Acute Care

Dain Choi
Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: “Living Life on My Own Terms”

Danielle Cooper
Expanding Occupational Therapy’s Role in a Non-Traditional Setting

Sophie Cross
Feeding Fun: A Social Feeding Group for Kids

Sara Delucchi
Occupational Therapy Services in Permanent Supportive Housing

Katherine deMuth
Developing Advanced Skills in Neuro OT through the Utilization of Various Treatment Techniques in both the Inpatient and Outpatient Settings

Karen Diaz
Professional Development and Mentorship in Occupational Therapy: Advanced Practice in Hand Therapy

Galen Freedman
Spinal Cord Injury Outcomes: Implementing Standardized Assessments and Establishing a Database to Track Functional Outcomes in OT Outpatients at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center

Jenna Freeman
Occupational Therapy Interventions for Graduate Student Mental Health and Wellness at Keck Graduate Institute

Kayla Gan
Socioemotional Wellness in Chronic Condition Management: Highlighting Resilience in the Face of a Life-altering Diagnosis

Stephani Gharehptian
Visibilizing the Invisible: Adapting to the Evolving Needs of a Pediatric Mental Health Clinic

Chen Gong
Research and Evidence-based Practice in Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Upper Extremity: A Clinical Pathway of OT Intervention for Scleroderma

Margaret Goodfellow
Embracing the Messiness: Finding Resilience and Building Relationships in Medically Complex Children

Elizabeth Goodman
Environmental Barriers and Facilitators to Primary Health Care for Autistic Adults

Emily Heerde
Exploration and Expansion of the Pediatric Occupational Therapist’s Role in Providing Parent/Caregiver Support

Katrina Hoffman
Growing Occupational Therapy Primary Care Practice on a Street Medicine Team

Carli Jimenez
Making Health and Wellness Accessible: OT in Primary Care

Kayla Johari
Diving Deep to Discover Innovative Ideas Around Flourishing and Well- being in Pediatric Mental Health: An Occupational Therapy Perspective

Caitlin Jolette
Understanding the Experience of Dental Care in a Sensory Adapted Dental Environment: Overt Behavioral Distress and Self-reported Satisfaction

Caroline Klein
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and their Impact on Functional Status in the Oncology Population

Brittany Koenke
Bridging Research and Practice to Promote Earlier Detection of Autism

Ashley Kwasniuk
If Cancer Isn’t Enough: Living a Purposeful and Functional Life With Chemo-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Ho Ching (Serg) Lam
Understanding the Physiological Differences of Infants at Risk with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Brendan La Scala
Stewarding Global Citizenship at USC: Building a Value-Driven and Culturally Responsive Community

Jeanette Le
Advancing the Role of Occupational Therapy within the Classroom

Alex Lee
Enriching Patient Experiences through Multi-sensory Environments in the Acute Psychiatric Setting

Calvin Lee
The Power of Storytelling in Communication and Media: Professional Growth Through International Collaborations

Hyun Joo (Heidi) Lee
On the Frontier of Chronic Condition Management: Promoting Occupational Engagement for Healing in a Primary Care Setting

John Jazin Lee
Hand in Hand: Addressing Student Needs in Role-Emerging Fieldwork

Sophie Lipman
Circle of Support: OT Led Parent Support Group

Julia Lisle
Going Beyond a Seat at the Table: Engaging Multiple Stakeholder Perspectives in Autism Research

Lamoni Lucas
Refining the Journey: Increasing Access and Participation at the Beginning, Middle, and Late Stages of ALS

Savanna Lurie
Becoming a Change Agent: Bridging Research and Practice in Inpatient Rehabilitation

Sydney Lyng
Advancing Trauma-Informed Occupational Therapy in Community-Based Pediatric Mental Health

Jillian Marucci
Residential Treatment Homes for Serious Mental Illness: An Occupational Therapist as Program Director Model

Diana McAndrews
Promoting Co-Regulation within the Classroom

Alicia McConnell Hatch
Occupational Therapy in a Homeless Services Primary Care Setting

Riley McGuire
A Step into Academic Research: Exploring Sensory Sensitivities in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

Hannah Mansour Morad
Hands on Hand Therapy: Providing Client-Centered Interventions to Enhance Therapeutic Outcomes

Sarah Morris
Promoting Preventative Occupational Therapy: Contributing to the Legacy of Lifestyle Redesign®

Katherine Narbutas
Improving Mental Health with the Pediatric Population Through Sleep Interventions

Courtney Nguyen
Advocacy and Expansion of Occupational Therapy’s Role within a Collaborative Model

Adi Nisimov
Occupational Therapy’s Role in Concussion Care: Bridging the Gap Between Occupational Needs and Current Practice

Jeffrey Palomino
Promoting Participation in Valued Occupations of Adolescents through Activity-based Group Mental Health Rehabilitation

Angela Pham
Building Expertise as an Occupational Therapist in Forensics Mental Health Residential Treatment

Elizabeth Phelps
Development of the Pediatric Sensory Clinical Global Impressions scale through stakeholder engagement

Megan Price
Occupational Therapy’s Role in Increasing Children’s Literacy Through Equine-Assisted Activities

Jessica Pryt
Cool Down Crew: Empowering Teachers to Support Student’s Self- Regulation in the Classroom

Lizeth Rivera
An Innovative Approach in Hand Therapy: Lifestyle Redesign and Treatment of the Hand and Upper Extremity

Elaina Rodriguez Garza
Depression Self-Management Support for Latine Clients with Diabetes in a Primary Care setting

Bridget Rogers
Developing Through Dance: An Evidence-Based Dance Program in a Pediatric Occupational Therapy Setting

Marisa Rojo
Enhancing the Environment through Artwork in a Psychiatric Hospital

Alana Schoenhals
Enhancing Occupational Therapy’s Role in Acute Care for Liver Trans- plant Recipients

Delaney Smith
Improving Outcomes of High-Risk Infants Who Start Their Lives in the NICU

Morgan Smith
Occupational Therapy’s Role in Early Engagement for Cardiothoracic and ICU Patients

Jenny Song
Occupational Therapy in College Setting: Serving Under-Resourced Communities in LA Inner City

Lawrence Stevenson
Doing with Students, Not to Students: Embracing Change from a JEDI Perspective

Adam Strizich
Bridging the Digital Divide in Healthcare Alongside Older Adults

Levana Tabanpour
Sensory Space: Implementation of a Self-Regulating Zone in the Classroom

Yu Tang
Navigating rehabilitation services for kids with special needs in China, an occupational therapist’s view

Jennifer Thelen
ICAN & I Will: Occupational Therapy’s Role in a Vocational and Life Skills Day Center for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Kelly Toppenberg
Occupational Therapy: A New Lens for Healing and Recovery for the Early Psychosis Population

Jenny Tran
Maintaining Occupation-Centered Practice in a High-Volume Outpatient Hand Therapy Setting

Kimberly Valdez
Occupations Disrupted: NICU Experiences of Bereaved Parents

Ying Vuong
Developing an Occupational Therapy Practice Grounded in the Occupation of Piano Instruction and Study

Thitiporn Wajanakunakorn
Activities of Daily Living Re-training in Inpatient Acute Rehabilitation

Zhizuo Wang
Burnout as a Catalyst for Program Change: Developing Relevant Curriculum and Supports for the PKUHSC-USC Dual-Degree Students

Pan Yen Wen
Local and Global Knowledge Mobilization in Occupational Science

Kira Won
Spreading Knowledge about Virtual Reality and its use in Neurorehabilitation during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Luming Yang
Becoming an Occupational Therapy Educator: Merging Knowledge in Pedagogy, Research, and Clinical Practice

Amy Yeu
Occupational Therapy in a Higher Education Setting: Enhancing Students’ Academics, Creativity, and Well-being

Bethany Yew
Increasing Student Engagement and Participation in the Classroom

Samantha Yo
The Examination of Novel Approaches for Musculoskeletal Care

Corey Young
Increasing Access To Occupational Therapy Education In Rural Regions: Developing An Entry-Level OTA Program For Students In Maui, Hawaii

Ruisheng Yun
Expanding Occupational Therapy’s Role in Sensory-Based Feeding in China: Strategies for Caregivers and Children

Kelsey Zambraski
Sensing the Barriers: A Strengths-based Approach to Social Inclusion for Adolescents and Young Adults

Zhaowen Zhou
Adaptation of A Smartphone Application to Improve Physical Activity in Underactive Older Adults in China

2021 Presentations

2020 Presentations

2019 Presentations

2018 Presentations

2017 Presentations