New faculty spotlight: Leah Stade, OTD

Leah Stade, OTD, is a new faculty member in the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions.

• Name: Leah Stade, OTD
• Hometown: Kearney, Nebraska
• Title and department at UNMC: Academic fieldwork coordinator; assistant professor of occupational therapy

Research/professional interests:

• Clinical education
• Community collaboration
• Health and wellness
• Aging in place

How I fell in love with occupational therapy: I love the diversity that occupational therapy offers. I think OTs are able to form a very personal connection to our population, because no two people share the same way of doing. As OTs, we get to experience a connection based on the most personal aspects of life in self-care tasks and meaningful occupation.

Degrees:

• BS, park and recreation management (emphasis in therapeutic recreation), University of Nebraska at Kearney
• Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD), Creighton University, Omaha
• Doctoral Capstone, fieldwork education, Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon

Memberships:

• American Occupational Therapy Association
• Nebraska Occupational Therapy Association

Three things people may not know about me:

• I still hold the indoor triple jump record at UNK (GO LOPERS!).
• I teach TRX group exercise classes at our local YMCA.
• I like to drive our antique tractor and help lay out irrigation pipe.