Leah M. Stade, OTD, MHPTT, OTR/L
Dr. Stade is an assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy program. She serves as the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator. She is actively involved on campus, including the OT Admissions Committee and Program Support and Resources Committee, the CAHP Clinical Affairs Committee, and the CAHP Awards Committee. She earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska- Kearney, her OTD degree from Creighton University, and, most recently, her Master's in Health Professions Teaching and Technology from UNMC. Dr. Stade enjoys mentoring students in fieldwork, teaching, and scholarship.
Dr. Stade has served rural Nebraska for almost 20 years as an occupational therapist, primarily working with middle and older adults in acute care and skilled nursing. She has also worked as a teaching assistant in Creighton University's OTD program and as an instructor at UNK. She works with the Kearney Area Parkinson's Community Action Committee. She completed her doctoral capstone experience in fieldwork coordination in 2005 with Pacific University. A lifelong learner, she is currently working on her AOTA Professional Certificate in Acute Care.
She enjoys occupational balance by spending time with her family on their farm, volunteering in the Kearney community, exercising, and reading.
- Master of Health Professions Teaching and Technology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 2023
- OTD, Creighton University, 2005
- BS, Park and Recreation Management emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2002
- PAMS Certified
- AOTA Fieldwork Educator Badge
Dr. Stade is interested in preparing students for equitable and high-quality work-integrated learning. She is also interested in examining virtual WIL in a changing work landscape. Her early work focused on examining the history of experiential learning components in doctoral-level medical education. Since this time, Dr. Stade has continued to be invested in experiential learning, particularly fieldwork, for OT students. Currently, her focus has been on the use of teaching and technology for fieldwork students, as well as training and collaborating with on-site fieldwork educators. Most recently, Dr. Stade has been collaborating with an inter-professional team to look deeper into health care practice with social determinants of health in the pediatric population using virtual reality.
- Inducted into the University of Nebraska-Kearney Athletic Hall of Fame, 2025
- UNMC Impact in Education Emerging Educator Award, 2025