Student Research and Capstone Projects
Student Research Projects
Students in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program and Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program complete a research project as a group under the supervision of tenure-track or tenured faculty. The titles of research projects with student and faculty advisor names are provided below by class and faculty advisor.
| Research Students and Advisors | Research Project Titles | Research Students and Advisors | Research Project Titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ava Borrello, Hunter Davis under the supervision of Dr. Caroline Adams MSOT Class of 2026 | Insights from caregivers of individuals with Parkinson’s disease | Bridget Davenport, Samantha Jennings, Kathryn Spivey under the supervision of Dr. Anne Dickerson MSOT Class of 2026, OTD Class of 2027 | Community cruising: Building partnerships for community mobility |
| Alyssa Nolan, Jordan Pendergraft, Kylie Ready, Lily Tesniar under the supervision of Dr. Anne Dickerson MSOT Class of 2026 | Roadmap to results: A guide to the Drive Focus application | Emma Fazio, Hailey Rosdhal under the supervision of Dr. Denise Donica OTD Class of 2027 | Screener of Handwriting Proficiency: Test-retest & interrater reliability |
| Sarah Axtell, Blake Clouser under the supervision of Dr. Young Kim MSOT Class of 2026 | Differences in ambulation duration and distance between rollator users and rolling walker Users: A prospective observational study | Ashley Jones, Katherine White under the supervision of Dr. Young Kim MSOT Class of 2026 | Relationship between self-care and mobility assistance and ambulation distance and duration in ambulation device users |
| Brynne Ingram, Emily Patten, Niha Qadri, Grace Stroube under the supervision of Dr. Lynne Murphy MSOT Class of 2026, OTD Class of 2027 | Single case analysis of an autistic adult with a driver’s license following a driving and community mobility bootcamp | Isabella Boergert, Lauren Clark, Hayes Darden, Brannan Ward under the supervision of Dr. Heather Panczykowski MSOT Class of 2026 | Effects of equine-assisted and simulated riding interventions on engagement and sensory processing in children with autism spectrum disorder |
| Kelsey Arnold, Courtney Frycz, Anna Horne under the supervision of Dr. Lauren Turbeville MSOT Class of 2026 and OTD Class of 2027 | Psychosocial benefits of a Parkinson’s-specific exercise group: A qualitative analysis | Megan Baysek, Kenley Easter, Mary Grace Story under the supervision of Drs. Caroline Adams and Lauren Turbeville, MSOT Class of 2025 and OTD Class of 2026 | Psychosocial benefits of a Parkinson’s-specific exercise group: A qualitative analysis |
| Mary McIntyre under the supervision of Dr. Anne Dickerson MSOT Class of 2025 | Parent perspectives on lived experiences of autistic teens & young adults engaged in a driving & community mobility bootcamp | Ellee Hopkins under the supervision of Dr. Anne Dickerson OTD Class of 2026 | Community mobility checklists for individuals with developmental disabilities |
| Kristin Kendall, Kailey Smitherman under the supervision of Dr. Anne Dickerson MSOT Class of 2025 | Using the Behavioral Assessment of Dysexecutive Syndrome as a predictive tool to determine the driving potential of autistic young people | Kelly Schumann, Ansley Taylor, Carmen Walker, Courtney Zaliagiris under the supervision of Dr. Denise Donica, MSOT Class of 2025 | Supporting handwriting skills of at-risk third-grade students: Pros and cons of an in-school program |
| Jessica Creech, Lauren Kent under the supervision of Dr. Young Kim, OTD Class of 2026 and MSOT Class of 2025 | Activity level variability in instrumental activities of daily living among older adults: Standardized environment Vs. home | Madisen Musgrove and Samantha Stanko under the supervision of Dr. Young Kim, MSOT Class of 2025 | The relationships between activity levels during IADLs/physical activity and personal factors (age, gender, motivation) among older adults living in the community |
| Gabrielle Garrigan, Sarah Locke, Megan Mann, Sydney Pavlock under the supervision of Dr. Lynne Murphy, MSOT Class of 2025 and OTD Class of 2026 | Resilience and quality of life among cancer survivors: Importance in developing cancer survivorship programs | Savanah Fauber, Madison Holloman, Megan Luckette, Camryn McClure under the supervision of Dr. Heather Panczykowski, MSOT Class of 2025 | Horse versus horse simulator: Investigating engagement and sensory processing patterns in youth with autism |
Abstracts of theses and research projects completed by previous MSOT students (Class of 2024 and prior) are provided in the link below.
Student Capstone Projects
Students in the OTD program individually complete a capstone project under the supervision of the Doctoral Capstone Coordinator, content expert, and site mentor. The titles and descriptions of capstone projects with student names are provided below by class. For anyone interested in accessing the capstone materials, please contact Dr. Nikki Hancock, Doctoral Capstone Coordinator (yeckeln23@ecu.edu), and include details about how you intend to use the materials.
| Capstone Students | Capstone Project Descriptions | Capstone Students | Capstone Project Descriptions |
|---|---|---|---|
 Megan Brianna Baysek OTD Class of 2026 | Title: Implementation of a Visual Assessment Protocol in the Acute Care Stroke Population Description of the Project: This capstone project focused on developing and implementing a structured visual assessment protocol for occupational therapy practitioners in the acute care setting to improve consistency in the identification of visual impairments following neurological injury. Guided by Warren’s Visual Hierarchy, the protocol addressed key visual domains and was supported by clinician education, quick-reference guides, and intervention resources. The completed protocol and materials were left at the site to support continued integration into clinical practice. |  Jessica Creech OTD Class of 2026 | Title: CONNEKT: Developing a Framework to Improve Engagement Between Residents with Dementia and Their Families Description of the Project: This capstone project developed the CONNEcting individuals with dementia and families KiT (CONNEKT) Framework, a process for occupational therapy practitioners and students to create family activity plans. These activity plans provide families with step-by-step instructions to complete meaningful activities with skilled nursing facility residents with dementia, including strategies to overcome challenges the residents may experience. The CONNEKT Bin was developed and kept at the site for future practitioners and students to create additional family activity plans. |
 Ellee Hopkins OTD Class of 2026 | Title: Community Access-ABILITY: Advancing Community Mobility Independence for Individuals with IDD Through the Development of Multimodal Educational Resources Description of the Project: This capstone project aimed to improve understanding of community mobility resources by developing the Community Access-ABILITY program, a digital-based educational program designed for young adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disorder (IDD). The program teaches travel skills needed for safe and successful use of ride-hailing services (e.g., Uber and Lyft) using UDL principles and video modeling techniques. The program includes 8 multimodal lessons with engaging instructional video content and interactive end-of-lesson reflection and application questions. |  Sarah Locke OTD Class of 2026 | Title: Injury Prevention for Pianists: Ergonomic Strategies for Musicians Description of the Project: This capstone project developed the Preventing Injuries among Piano Students (PIPS) program, an occupation-centered, evidence-informed injury prevention program designed for piano students studying at the collegiate level. This online, self-paced course in ergonomics and injury prevention was paired with individual ergonomic assessments to provide piano students with meaningful, relevant knowledge and individualized feedback to support healthy behaviors and occupational engagement with piano playing. Future directions involve exploring methods to continue asynchronous education of piano students through sustainable, online delivery facilitated by collaboration between music and occupational therapy faculty at ECU. |
 Courtney Zaliagiris OTD Class of 2026 | Title: Supporting Growth: Educating Parents on Effective Positioning, Handling, and Developmental Techniques for Infants with Higher Needs Description of the Project: This capstone project developed a digital resource for parents of infants to address the gap between education and home carryover. The resource combines visual handouts and video content to provide guidance on positioning, handling, and developmental strategies. It outlines age-based milestones, including feeding, play, sleep, tummy time, and motor skills to support implementation and development. It includes materials to promote parent confidence and well-being, such as reflection pages, routine tracking, and resources like websites, apps, and support groups. |