Misericordia Occupational Therapy Department

03/15/2026

We are on again tonight at 7! Join us.

✨ Master’s‑prepared OT and ready for more?
If you’re feeling the pull to elevate your practice, step into leadership, expand your impact, or ground your work in even stronger evidence‑based clinical reasoning… this is your moment.

Misericordia University’s Post‑Professional OTD was designed for OTs exactly like you—clinicians who want to grow, innovate, and lead with purpose while still honoring the demands of real life and real practice.

If you’re curious about how to take the next step in your professional evolution, check out the graphic below.
It has everything you need to get connected, get informed, and get inspired to pursue the next level of your OT journey. 💙💛

Your future patients—and your future self—will thank you.

03/13/2026

Weekend MSOT students have been busy creating intervention toolkits for the geriatric population.

Students design creative and low-cost activities to address performance skills and client factors.

This week’s challenge: showcase your creative activity for promoting fine motor coordination.

03/12/2026

🌍✨ Learning Beyond Borders at MU OT ✨🌍

This February, Misericordia University OT students had the opportunity to learn alongside four senior Occupational Therapists from Guyana during a two‑week study tour on campus.

Through classroom discussions, clinical observations, and hands‑on lab simulations, our visitors explored a wide range of practice areas, including orthopedics, neurology, pediatrics, geriatrics, mental health, and burn care—all grounded in evidence‑based practice.

Experiences like this enrich our learning community, offering students a global perspective on occupational therapy and reminding us how shared knowledge strengthens the profession worldwide. 🌎🤝

03/08/2026

JOIN ME AT 7PM!

✨ Master’s‑prepared OT and ready for more?
If you’re feeling the pull to elevate your practice, step into leadership, expand your impact, or ground your work in even stronger evidence‑based clinical reasoning… this is your moment.

Misericordia University’s Post‑Professional OTD was designed for OTs exactly like you—clinicians who want to grow, innovate, and lead with purpose while still honoring the demands of real life and real practice.

If you’re curious about how to take the next step in your professional evolution, check out the graphic below.
It has everything you need to get connected, get informed, and get inspired to pursue the next level of your OT journey. 💙💛

Your future patients—and your future self—will thank you.

03/08/2026

Happy International Women’s Day to all the amazing women in the field of OT! 💐

The OT profession in the United States is made up of approximately 90-95% women! While we would love to see more male OT practitioners, it’s amazing what a female-dominated profession has been able to do for individuals, groups and populations over our 100+ year history!

Celebrate all the awesome women in your lives today and everyday.

03/03/2026

✨ Master’s‑prepared OT and ready for more?
If you’re feeling the pull to elevate your practice, step into leadership, expand your impact, or ground your work in even stronger evidence‑based clinical reasoning… this is your moment.

Misericordia University’s Post‑Professional OTD was designed for OTs exactly like you—clinicians who want to grow, innovate, and lead with purpose while still honoring the demands of real life and real practice.

If you’re curious about how to take the next step in your professional evolution, check out the graphic below.
It has everything you need to get connected, get informed, and get inspired to pursue the next level of your OT journey. 💙💛

Your future patients—and your future self—will thank you.

02/28/2026

It’s officially spring break at MU and we’re all looking forward to some warmer weather and color 🌺 🌼 🌹

As we patiently await some blooms and sunshine ☀️, we look back on how our students color our world 🌎

Dr. Lalit Shah and members of the junior and graduate classes plan color coordinating outfits to wear each Friday. It’s so much fun to see what the color of the week is and how many students participate.

Thank you Dr. Shah and MUOT students for brining some joy to the campus each week!!

02/20/2026

Mary Johnstone, OTS is completing her doctoral capstone at the Catherine McAuley House, a shelter supporting mothers and children experiencing homelessness.

Her project is a stress-reduction and resilience-building program using crafting, mindfulness, and reflection to support both moms and their children. Some of the sessions pictured are:

🪨 Affirmation Stones
🎨 Paint-Your-Own Tote Bags (filled with self-care materials!)
🌊 The Kawa Model (using the river metaphor to reflect on life’s challenges and strengths)
✨ Strengths Jars
🖼️ Vision Boards
🧁 Baking sessions

She also collaborated with volunteers from the Mission, Ministry & Service Office, who generously prepared and served dinner for the families.

Through creativity and shared experiences, this program focuses on empowerment, coping skills, and building confidence — one session at a time!💛

02/14/2026

Caity Balestrini, OTS, is currently completing the program component of her doctoral capstone at Fellowship Equestrian Services, located in Bangor, PA.

She is working alongside of Jennifer Lomastro, a therapeutic riding instructor and Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL), to deliver occupation-based and community-focused horseback riding services to adults with physical disabilities. To prepare for this program, she held an informational volunteer training session and developed clinical pathways to guide skill development of participants, based on equine-related task difficulty. She is also conducting research related to the current state of interdisciplinary collaboration between skilled therapy practitioners and professionals delivering equine-assisted services.

Additionally, she is gathering feedback from these professionals on the Equine-Assisted Services Evaluation Tool (EASET), which she developed to track functional progress, set goals, and better translate occupational performance to equine-assisted services.

Gypsy Vanners Jazzy and Rosie are also getting their first experiences as therapy horses! 🐴

02/11/2026

Congratulations to our newest members of the OT National Honor Society, Pi Theta Epsilon! 🕯️ 🌹

Six of the best and brightest students from the junior class were inducted on Friday evening in a ceremony that celebrated their accomplishments thus far in their academic career.

Pi Thera Epsilon and its members support advancements in occupational science and occupational therapy through research and leadership. With a renewed focus on scholarly research under the direction of Dr. Karen Weis, the members and officers of the MU chapter are focusing on sharing research with each other every month and raising money to promote research across the country.

Congratulations Abigail, Kayleigh, Jenn, Paige, Morgan, and Sara. 💙💛

01/22/2026

Doctoral capstone students finished their academic classes in December by experiencing the impact they have had on others as friends, leaders, and supporters.

In Dr. Karen Weis’ Interdisciplinary Education  and Leadership class, students anonymously validated… “You are someone who truly embodies a spirit of gratitude” “You are someone who has given me things to think about,”  “You are someone who is a champion for those who need a voice,” and “You are someone who helps me see a different perspective.”

Together, they are going to have an amazing impact on this community and the OT profession through their capstone projects that are in full swing right now their and future work!