Influential Women Profiles Renee Causey-Upton: Shaping The Future Of Occupational Therapy Education Through Leadership

RICHMOND, KY, UNITED STATES, October 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Professor, Associate Chair, and Graduate Program Coordinator at Eastern Kentucky University Advances Occupational Therapy Education, Evidence-Based Practice, and Leadership Within the Profession

Richmond, Kentucky – Renee Causey-Upton, a licensed occupational therapist and accomplished academic leader, serves as Professor, Associate Chair, and Graduate Program Coordinator in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at Eastern Kentucky University. She has been a member of the university’s faculty for more than 13 years and has served as Associate Chair for the past three years. She also serves as adjunct faculty in the collaborative Rehabilitation and Health Sciences PhD Program at the University of Kentucky. Her leadership responsibilities include overseeing admissions, advising doctoral students, guiding curriculum development, and managing academic and administrative initiatives that support occupational therapy education. Her expertise spans academic leadership, curriculum development, student advising, rehabilitation sciences, preoperative education, and orthopedic rehabilitation.

Renee holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Kentucky, along with a post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy from Chatham University and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Eastern Kentucky University. She has also completed a certificate in Marketing Strategy for Business Leaders through Cornell University. She is a National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) registered and licensed occupational therapist, a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), and a Credentialed Leader in Academia (CLA) through the AOTA. Her research has focused on preoperative education and discharge readiness for orthopedic populations, particularly individuals undergoing total knee replacement. She is also a founding associate editor of the Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that advances scholarship in occupational therapy education worldwide.

Renee’s leadership, research, and service contributions have earned numerous honors, including the AOTA Roster of Fellows Award, an APEX Grand Award for Publication Excellence for the Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, a Certificate of Appreciation from the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF), the Kentucky Occupational Therapy Association’s Outgoing Leadership Service Award, and becoming a faculty inductee to Phi Kappa Phi in recognition of her extensive scholarship contributions. Her service to the profession is equally broad. She currently chairs the Georgetown Ethics Board, serves on the AOTA Academic Education Special Interest Section (AESIS) Committee, co-edits the AOTA AESIS Practice Connections publication, and sits on the Journal of Occupational Therapy Education Editorial Board. Renee has also previously served as: AOTA subject matter expert reviewer for the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) practice guideline on knee disorders, Chair of the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Occupational Therapy, an officer on the national OT Compact Commission Executive Committee, and Vice President of the Kentucky Occupational Therapy Association. She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association, the Kentucky Occupational Therapy Association, the AOTA Academic Education Special Interest Section, the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), and the prestigious OT Leaders and Legacies Society.

Renee attributes her success to perseverance, determination, and the strong support she has received from other women leaders throughout her career, including some of her most influential mentors: Dr. Dana Howell, Dr. Shirley O’Brien, and Dr. Camille Skubik-Peplaski, among others. Their mentorship and encouragement have helped her navigate challenges, stay focused on her goals, and continue growing as an educator and leader. The best career advice she has received is to be intentional about choosing opportunities, recognizing not only which ones align with her goals and values but also when one is not the right fit. She considers that kind of thoughtful decision-making essential to her steady professional growth over the years. Renee passes the same lesson on to young women entering the field, encouraging them to be selective, to recognize when the timing is right, and to feel comfortable saying no. She urges them to avoid overextending themselves and to choose experiences that will contribute meaningfully to their long-term development.

Renee sees one of the greatest challenges facing occupational therapy education today as the national decline in student applicants compared with the years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Meeting that challenge, she believes, requires continued efforts to promote the profession, support prospective students, and strengthen educational pathways for future occupational therapists. Her work in admissions and student advising places her close to that challenge, giving her a direct role in welcoming and guiding the next generation of practitioners. Renee’s values center on people, supporting others, and maintaining a focus on her family. She believes in investing in those around her, helping students and colleagues succeed, and sustaining strong personal relationships while serving the profession with integrity and compassion.

Inspired by her father’s experience living with polio and successfully navigating daily life challenges, Renee remains dedicated to educating future occupational therapists, advancing evidence-based practice, and fostering leadership within the profession. Through her teaching, scholarship, and mentorship, she continues to strengthen the pathways that bring new practitioners into the field. Dr. Renee Causey-Upton’s work stands as a lasting investment in the people who will carry occupational therapy forward and in the patients and communities they will serve.

Learn More about Renee Causey-Upton:

Through her Influential Women profile: https://influentialwomen.com/connect/renee-causey-upton

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