Students in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy’s Class of 2020 had been looking forward for months to the program’s annual Scholarship Day. Scheduled for May 8, it was to be the capstone of their education, a day when they would come together to share research outcomes from each of their advanced doctoral experiences. And it happened as planned. Well, mostly as planned.

No physical event could occur due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but students, faculty, mentors, and invited family and friends were able to use the Zoom platform for the scholarly presentations, congratulatory remarks, student speaker’s address, and award presentations.

“When Boston went into social distancing protocols in March, the entire OT department made a commitment to make Scholarship Day happen,” said Dr. Regina Doherty, the department’s interim chair. “Together we hurdled obstacles, adopted technology, led through innovation, and persevered over adversity to make it happen.”

“It allowed for my classmates and I to disseminate our research on a much larger scale – to friends and family, near and far,” said student Erin Jantzen. “We gathered and were reminded of the resilience each of us holds, which has carried us to the end of this chapter and the beginning of the next. I am truly overwhelmed with gratitude for this community.”

Another graduating student, Alyssa Taubert, said she enjoyed listening to Doherty and class speaker Felice Mendez before the presentations began, noting the bond the class of 40 students made during their three years was a strong one.

“The feeling that came when we said our goodbyes and I pressed the ‘Leave Meeting’ button on Zoom was one that no pandemic could ever take away,” she said. “The IHP community is filled with supportive, brilliant, and tech-savvy individuals and without them, this celebratory day would not have been possible.”

Class of 2020 Scholarship Day Presentations

Physical Dysfunction 

Do Fatigue, Apathy, and ADL/IADL Participation Influence Social Participation Post-Stroke? A Mediational Analysis. Anna Hausermann, OT/s, Lisa Connor, Ph.D., MSOT, OTR/L, and CSD Chair Marjorie Nicholas, PhD, CCC-SLP, FASHA.

Use and Perceived Value of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in the Hand and Upper Extremity Occupational Therapy Setting: A Survey Study. Rebecca Idman, OT/s, Assistant Professor Sarah McKinnon, OT, OTD, OTR, BCPR, MPA, Gae Burchill, MHA, OTR/L, CHT, and Suzanne Curley, MSOT, OTR/L, CHT. 

Establishing Interrater Reliability of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment- Upper Extremity Subscale in Inpatient Settings. Sarah Manning, OT/s, Associate Professor Susan Fasoli, ScD, OTR/L, and Karen Halfon, OTR/L. 

Mirror Therapy And Upper Extremity Pain Post-stroke. Laura Bauer, OT/s and Associate Professor Mary Hildebrand, OTD, OTR/L. 

Impact of an In-Home OT Evaluation in a Student-Led, Faculty-Supervised OT Center. Margaret Flynn, OT/s and Associate Professor Mary Hildebrand, OTD, OTR/L. 

Socioeconomic Disparities in Participation after Traumatic Brain Injury. Alyssa M. Taubert, OT/s, CBIS and Assistant Professor Kimberly Erler, OTR, PhD, HEC-C. 

Advocacy & Education 

Moral Distress Among Occupational Therapy Practitioners Caring for Clients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Leah Tinkham, OT/s and Assistant Professor Kimberly Erler, OTR, PhD, HEC-C. 

Emerging Practice: The Occupational Therapy Patient Navigator for Individuals with Developmental Disorders. Julia Nadel, OT/s, Interim Chair Regina Doherty, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA, FNAP, and Karen Turner, MS, OTR/L .

Simulated Learning Experiences and the Development of Clinical Reasoning Skills in Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Students. Alisa Bjorkman, OT/s and Interim Chair Regina F. Doherty, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA, FNAP. 

OT's Role in Evaluating and Promoting Accessibility to Sustainable Transportation in Cambridge, MA. Lauren Compton, OT/s, Professor Diane Smith, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, and Susanne Rasmussen, MSc, MCP. 

Occupational Therapy Program Efforts to Recruit Underrepresented Minority Students. Jasmin Torres, OT/s, Professor Diane Smith, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, and Nursing Adjunct Professor Gaurdia Banister, RN, PhD, NEA-BC, FAAN. 
Exploring Healthcare Experiences and Barriers to Care for People with Brain-Based Disabilities. Jessica Broughton, OT/s and Professor Diane L. Smith, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA.

Development of a Self-Management Program for Chronic Symptoms of Lyme Disease. Felice Mendez, OT/s and Associate Professor Mary Hildebrand, OTD, OTR/L. 

Technology & Emerging Practice 

Occupational Therapy's Role in Canine Assisted Intervention for Veterans with Combat-Related PTSD: A Systematic Review. Lauren Keast, OT/s and Professor Diane Smith PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA. 

The Economic analysis of Home Modifications to Enhance Aging in Place: A Scoping Review. Matthew O'Neil, OT/s and Professor Diane Smith PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA.

Sustainable Support Solutions for Community-Based-Rehabilitation (CBR) Workers in Refugee Camps: Piloting Telehealth Acceptability and Implementation. Bria Mitchell-Gillespie, OT/s and Assistant Professor Rawan AlHeresh, PhD, OTR/L.

Utilizing Mainstream SMART Technologies as Assistive Technology for Persons with Disabilities: Application of Usability and Accessibility Principles. Lindsey Morris OT/s, Term Lecturer Andrea Fairman, PhD, OTR/L, CPRP, and Dan Ding, PhD.

User Preferences for the Design of a Mobile Health System to Support Transition Age-Youth with Epilepsy-Additional Perspectives. Alyssa Ojeda OT/s and Term Lecturer Andrea Fairman, PhD, OTR/L, CPRP.

Upper Limb Robot-Assisted Therapy and Cognitive Strategy Training for Children with Hemiparesis: Pilot Study Development. Katherine Kroeger, OT/s, Casey Rabideau, MS, OTR, BCP, and Associate Professor Susan Fasoli, ScD, OTR/L. 

Evaluating Treatment Fidelity in the Active Learning Program for Stroke: A Pilot Study. Matthew Boone OT/s and Associate Professor Susan Fasoli, ScD, OTR/L.

Children and Youth 

The Development of an Arabic Item Bank for Assessment of Function for Jordanian Children. Hiba Hashim, OT/s and Assistant Professor Rawan AlHeresh, PhD, OTR/L. 

An Exploratory Study of the Use of Models, Theories, and Frames of Reference by Pediatric Occupational Therapy Practitioners. Erin Jantzen, OT/s, Professor Mary Evenson, OTD, MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA, and Instructor Amanda K. Mack, OT, OTD, MS, OTR. 

From Syringe to Spoon Feeding: A Case Report of How Occupational Therapy Treatment Successfully Guided the Parents of a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Prematurity in an Outpatient Clinic. Victoria Hoyo, OT/s and Assistant Professor Mary Beth Kadlec, ScD, OTR/L. 

Exploring the Impact of Mindfulness on Urban, At-Risk Youth During a "Summer Slump" School-based Camp: A Pilot Study. Xenia Pantos OT/s, Sophia Yu OT/s, and Assistant Professor Emily Zeman Eddy OTD, MS, OTR/L. 

The Benefits of Outdoor Play: A Scoping Review. Ashley Glicksberg, OT/s and Assistant Professor Emily Zeman Eddy, OTD, MS, OTR/L.

Program Evaluation of the Family Centered Level I Fieldwork Experience. Taylor Dourney, OT/s and Assistant Professor Mary Beth Kadlec, ScD, OTR/L.

Mental Health & Cognition 

Effects of Home Health Occupational Therapy on Mood and Activity Participation in Adults with Low Vision. Joy Facella-Ervolini, OT/s and Assistant Professor Kim Schoessow, OTD, OTR/L, SCLV.  

Occupation-Based Approaches to Recovery from Substance Use Disorder: A Qualitative Analysis. Virginia Sullivan, OT/s and Assistant Professor Kimberly Erler, OTR, PhD, HEC-C. 

Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment Among Adults with Low Vision Receiving Home Health Services. Nicole Bartlebaugh, OT/s and Assistant Professor Kim Schoessow, OTD, OTR/L, SCLV.  

Predicting Comorbid Depression Among Jordanian Adults with a Physical Disability: A Pilot Study. Megan Griffin OT/s and Assistant Professor Rawan AlHeresh, PhD, OTR/L. 

The Impact of Apathy, Cognition, and Social Support on Participation in Cognitively Demanding Activities Post-Stroke. Amy Ho, OT/s, Lisa Tabor Connor, Ph.D., MSOT, OTR/L, and CSD Chair Marjorie L. Nicholas, PhD, CCC-SLP, FASHA.  

The Impact of Cognitive Ability and Emotional Health on Social Participation Post-Stroke. Laura Magee, OT/s, Lisa Connor, PhD, MSOT, OTR/L, and CSD Chair Marjorie Nicholas, PhD, CCC-SLP, FASHA.