Leah M. Stade, OTD, MHPTT, OTR/L
Dr. Stade is an assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy program. She serves as the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and is the chairperson for the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee. She works closely with the Health Opportunities Programs.
Dr. Stade has served rural Nebraska for more than 15 years as an occupational therapist, primarily working with middle and older adults in acute care and skilled nursing. She completed her doctoral capstone experience in fieldwork coordination in 2005.
She enjoys occupational balance by spending time with her family on their farm, playing taxi, exercising, and reading.
- Master of Health Professions Teaching and Technology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 2023
- OTD, Creighton University, 2005
- BS, Park and Recreation Management emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2002
- PAMS Certified
- AOTA Fieldwork Educator Badge
Dr. Stade is interested in preparing students for equitable and high-quality work-integrated learning. She is also interested in examining virtual WIL in a changing work landscape. Her early work focused on examining the history of experiential learning components in doctoral-level medical education. Since this time, Dr. Stade has continued to be invested in experiential learning, particularly fieldwork, for OT students. Currently, her focus has been on the use of teaching and technology for fieldwork students, as well as training and collaborating with on-site fieldwork educators. Most recently, Dr. Stade has been collaborating with an inter-professional team to look deeper into health care practice with social determinants of health in the pediatric population using virtual reality.