Newswise — Ellen McLaughlin, Ed.D., O.T.R./L., associate professor of occupational therapy and director of the doctorate of occupational therapy program at Misericordia University, has been named chair-elect of the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
Dr. McLaughlin will serve as the chair-elect and then become chair for the 2012-15 term. ACOTE appoints members to serve on the Educational Standards Review Committee, which conducts a complete evaluation and revision of the accreditation standards for doctoral and master’s degree programs in occupational therapy and for educational programs for occupational therapy assistant.
At Misericordia University, Dr. McLaughlin is the past program chair of the occupational therapy department and she also served as interim dean of the College of Health Sciences. The Dallas Township, Pa., resident earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in occupational therapy from Misericordia University and her doctorate in learning, cognition and development from Rutgers University. Dr. McLaughlin also earned a certificate in interdisciplinary infant studies.
Misericordia University features a five-year, entry level master’s program in occupational therapy for students who are embarking on their college careers and a doctorate in occupational therapy that is focused on academic growth in clinical practice areas and promotes intellectual discourse through program content and format. MU also offers a weekend program for people who are already certified occupational therapy assistants or who have a bachelor’s degree in a field other than occupational therapy. For practicing occupational therapists, Misericordia has a post-professional pediatric certificate and a post-professional doctoral degree program.
An OTD, according to the American Occupational Therapy Association, provides occupational therapists the advanced clinical training to support rapidly growing community needs, and creates practitioners with sophisticated clinical skills who can meet the need for leaders who are familiar with public policy, changing environments and practice innovation through advanced theory, research and occupational science.
For more information about the Misericordia University Occupational Therapy Program, please log on to www.misericordia.edu/ot or call (570) 674-6400. Founded and Sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy in 1924, Misericordia University is Luzerne County’s first four-year college and offers 32 academic majors on the graduate and undergraduate levels in full and part-time formats.
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