From Fieldwork to Capstone: Understanding the Roles and Benefits for OT Practitioners
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2026
3:10 PM – 4:10 PM
Course Description
This course equips both novice and experienced practitioners with the essential skills for effective capstone mentorship. Through interactive learning, participants will explore the critical distinctions between the Level II Fieldwork Educator and Capstone Mentor roles, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the capstone process, team dynamics, and project objectives. By analyzing real student capstone examples, attendees will identify success factors and develop practical mentoring strategies. The course culminates in the development of personalized capstone proposals designed to benefit practitioners, sites, and students simultaneously. Participants will leave with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to guide students in creating impactful, meaningful capstone projects that bridge academic learning and professional, evidence-based practice, enhancing outcomes for all stakeholders involved.
Speakers
Marnie Renda, OTD, OTR/L, ECHM Marnie Renda, OTD, OTR/L, ECHM, is an occupational therapist, educator, and nationally recognized expert in home modifications and aging in place. She serves as Doctoral Capstone Coordinator and Teaching Professor at Xavier University, where she develops and administers the doctoral capstone experience and has taught courses in life participation, occupational performance analysis, and human sciences since 2010. Her clinical and scholarly work centers on telehealth home modification interventions, fall prevention, gerontechnology, and community-based practice for older adults and people with disabilities. Her research on the feasibility and effectiveness of telehealth occupational therapy home modification interventions was published in the International Journal of Telerehabilitation, and she is also the owner of Rebuild Independence LLC, an accessibility consultation business helping elders and persons with disabilities remain in their communities.
A prominent leader in the profession, Dr. Renda served as Chairperson of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Home and Community Health Special Interest Section (2015–2018) and as AOTA Home Modifications Network Coordinator (2012–2015). She currently serves as an appointed member of the Ohio OTPTAT Board. Her contributions have been recognized with the AOTA Service Commendation (2016), the AOTA SIS Quarterly Writers Award (2013), and two National Association of Home Builders Homes for Life Awards (2011, 2012). Dr. Renda holds an Occupational Therapy Doctorate from Chatham University, a Master of Education in Occupational Therapy from Springfield College, and a B.A. in Psychobiology from Lafayette College. She is licensed in Ohio and holds an Executive Certificate in Home Modifications from the University of Southern California.
Baily Peters, OTD, OTR/L is an occupational therapist and educator with specialized experience in pediatric feeding and swallowing. She previously served as a Feeding Therapist in the Intensive Feeding Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where she worked with medically complex children across various intensive care units. Dr. Peters now brings her clinical expertise to academia, serving as the Doctoral Capstone Coordinator at The Ohio State University, where she guides the next generation of occupational therapy practitioners.
Karla Reese, DHSc, OTR is a Clinical Associate Professor and Doctoral Capstone Coordinator in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Cleveland State University. She has been with the department since 2020, previously serving as Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, and teaches in the areas of occupational performance, clinical supervision, and professional practice. Her clinical background spans skilled nursing, school-based practice, and pediatric settings, including work at HCR Manor Care, Lake County Educational Service Center, and Achievement Centers for Children, where she developed a hippotherapy program and social skills group. Dr. Reese’s scholarship and advocacy focus on sexual activity and intimacy as an occupation, occupational justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and cultural responsiveness in OT practice, topics she has presented on nationally and internationally, including at the World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress and the World Occupational Science Conference.
Dr. Reese is a dedicated leader and mentor within the profession. She currently serves as the Inaugural Director of DEIJAB Initiatives on the Ohio Occupational Therapy Association Board of Trustees, having previously served as OOTA Vice President and Public Relations Co-Chair, and she chairs the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee in the CSU Department of OT. She is co-creator and co-host of the OT After Dark podcast and has contributed to publications including Sexual and Intimacy: An Occupational Therapy Approach (AOTA Press) and Adult Physical Conditions. Her work has been recognized with numerous honors, including the OOTA Passion Award, Continuing Education Award, Model of Practice in Education (2025), the OOTA Award of Merit (2022), and Ohio Magazine’s Outstanding Achievement in Teaching (2019). Dr. Reese holds a Doctor of Health Sciences from Radford University, a Master of Health Sciences from Cleveland State University, and a Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Occupational Therapy from Cleveland State University.
Content Level
Intermediate: This level assumes the audience has general familiarity with the literature and professional practice. The focus of the presentation is on increased understanding and application by the participants.
Practice Areas
Professional Issues