Students in the Occupational Therapy program spend their last three semesters creating a capstone project. This major academic achievement represents a synthesis of content learned throughout the program.
Subject matter such as theory, research methodology and analysis, program development, and education of clients are applied to either faculty lines of research or projects that will serve the community.
Students gather in teams to complete the thesis under the mentorship of their faculty thesis advisor. Completed theses are disseminated to a wide audience of constituents either in poster sessions, workshops, or peer-reviewed journals.
Theses/Capstones from 2011
Caregivers and Young Adults with Mental Illness: Perspectives on Listening Needs and Quality of Life, Jennifer Nicole Bueby and Genevieve Galicia Tuazon
Evidence-Based Practice: Using Evidence to Support Clinical Practice in Occupational Therapy, Lori Louise Lawerence, Julie Palana, and Carlos I. Diaz Rios
Increasing Occupational Performance in Adults with Serious Mental Illness: A Train the Trainer Model, Ann Ruderman and Vanessa Ghiringhelli
Increasing Ocupational Performance and Fall Self-Efficacy in Older Adults: The "Stepping On" Program, Emmy Alexander and Andrea Kjelstrom
Promoting Fall Self-Efficacy and Fall Risk Awareness in Older Adults, Adriana Garcia, Dagmara Marciniak, Lauren McCune, and Erica Smith
Promoting Well-Being through Engagement in Occupations for Older Adults with Memory Loss: The Well-Being Project, Joyce Bodestyne, Anabelle Escueta, and Christina Nguyen
The Relationship Between Weight Status, Quality of Life, and Social and Leisure Participation in Middle School Aged Children: A Mixed Methods Study, Brooke Cappa, Miranda Dabbs, Amy Lee, and Elizabeth Murray
Walker Use in Older Adults: Impact on Occupations, Mark Navasca, Lauren Pillon, and Julie Talcott-Fuller
Theses/Capstones from 2010
An Occupational Therapy Pilot Supported Education Program for Young Adults with Psychiatric Disabilities Using a Cognitive Remediation Approach, Robyn Hood and Deepti Kumar
Gardening as a Meaningful Occupation for Persons with Serious and Persistent Mental Illness: A Change Project, Amanda Harness
Investigating the Experience of Occupational Performance and Life Satisfaction of Fathers of Children with Disabilities, Andrea Pavic and Rhiana Gulesserian
Occupational Performance of College Student-Athletes, Ashley Mills
Occupational Therapists" Perceptions of using Behavioral Approaches with Children with Autism, Kristi Lynn Allison
Occupational Therapy and the Occupation of Listening: Comparing Students with Experienced Practicioners, Monica Palatnikov and Jessica Froiland
Occupations of School-Aged Children with Siblings with Cognitive and Behavioral Disabilities, Courtney M. Harris
Prevalence of Sensory Processing Disorders in Kindergarten and First Grade and the Impact on Occupational Particiaption in School, Lauren Armstrong, Katie Harshbarger, and Margaret Kuffel
Promoting Body Satisfaction in Adolescent Females Through Engagement in Healthy Occupations: A Preventative School-Based Intervention Workshop, Kaitlyn Buckley
Promoting Engagement in Leisure Occupations for Persons Experiencing Homelessness, Marija Milcevic
Promoting Meaningful Occupations for Individuals with Dementia in an Adult Day Care, Erin Roan
Relationship-Baed, Parent-Directed Activities to Facilitate the Occupations of Readiness for the Transistion from Preschool to Kindergarten, Michele Freitas, Alyson Nguyen, and Jessica Tomsky
Social and Leisure Participation of Middle School Students: Comparing Non Overweight and Overweight Students, Erika Barberena and Adith Greaves
The Evidence-Based Parent Guide to Interventions for Children with Autism, Sophia Comparan and Thu Nguyen
The impact of Service Dogs on the OccupationalPerformance of Individuals with Disabiliites, Jacqueline Seybold Draper
The Occupational Performance of Mothers of Adolescents with Physical Disabilities, Beth Doerring