Fieldwork Educator's Guide to Level I Fieldwork

Debra Hanson, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is currently a professor at the University of Mary, which maintains dually accredited doctoral programs at Bismarck, North Dakota and Fargo, North Dakota campuses, and an affiliated doctoral program in Billings, Montana. Dr. Hanson previously served as faculty and academic fieldwork coordinator (AFWC) at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota for more than 30 years, transitioning to the University of Mary, Fargo, North Dakota campus in 2019. Dr. Hanson completed her bachelor's degrees in Occupational Therapy (1980) and Psychology (1979) and a master's degree in Counseling (1990), all at the University of North Dakota, and a PhD in Adult Education in 2009 from North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. Dr. Hanson served as the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Commission on Education AFWC representative from 2010 to 2013 and was recognized in 2014 as a Fellow in the AOTA related to her leadership in fieldwork education. She has served as a content expert and reviewer on the topic of fieldwork education for various academic journals and coordinated the Fieldwork Issues column for OT Practice from 2010 to 2017. She has published several book chapters and numerous peer-reviewed publications and has presented at state, national, and international conferences on topics related to fieldwork education, student clinical reasoning development, evolution of occupational therapy practice, professional identity, considerations for rural practice, spirituality, and integration of occupational therapy theory in practice and various teaching methods.

Elizabeth D. DeIuliis, OTD, MOT, OTR/L, CLA, is a clinical associate professor at Duquesne University, which maintains dually accredited occupational therapy programs at the master's-level and the entry-level occupational therapy doctorate level in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. DeIuliis served as the AFWC at Duquesne University for more than 11 years and assumed the role of program director in 2021. Dr. DeIuliis received a bachelor's degree in Health Sciences and a master's degree in Occupational Therapy from Duquesne University. She completed a Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program at Chatham University. Dr. DeIuliis also earned the credential Academic Leader via successful completion of the AOTA's Academic Leadership Institute in 2018. Dr. DeIuliis has had various leadership roles within academia and the occupational therapy profession, such as serving on the Board of Directors within the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association and as a subject matter expert and volunteer within the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. She has published several textbooks, numerous peer-reviewed publications, and has presented at state, national, and international conferences on topics related to fieldwork education, doctorate capstone, professionalism, interprofessional education, and teaching methodologies.