The Maralynne D. Mitcham Lectureship
The 12th Annual Maralynne D. Mitcham Lectureship & Alumni Luncheon
Friday, April 17, 2026 | Charleston, SC
The Maralynne D. Mitcham Lectureship began in 2013 and honors her many contributions to the Division of Occupational Therapy and to the profession.
We are excited to announce that the 12th annual lectureship will be held on the MUSC campus on Friday, April 17th in MUSC's Baruch Auditorium. The events for the day will include morning CEU sessions, luncheon, and lecture.
REGISTER BY APRIL 13th!
2026 Distinguished Scholar
Elizabeth R. Skidmore, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, FACRM
Dr. Elizabeth Skidmore is an occupational therapist and rehabilitation scientist with expertise in rehabilitation intervention and implementation studies. Over the last two decades, Skidmore conducted a series of federally funded studies examining optimal training methods that promote long-term independence, community participation, and subsequent health among adults who have experienced stroke, including aphasia. Collectively, Dr. Skidmore’s studies examine essential elements that promote learning new skills to achieve healthy levels of activity and participation; reduce disability; and stimulate thinking, mood, and motivation. Dr. Skidmore has received many prestigious research awards including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the American Occupational Therapy Association 100 Influential People in 100 Years, and the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Women in Rehabilitation Science, to name a few.
Lecture: Returning to First Principles: Best Practices for Engaging Communities in Client-Centered Rehabilitation
Agenda at a Glance:
9:00am – 12:00pm
Three 1-Hour Workshops (3 CEUs):
CEUs will cover topics in pediatrics, maternal health, mental health, neurorehabilitation, and aging. Two tracks will be offered.
12:00pm – 1:00pm
MUSC OT Alumni & Friends Luncheon
1:00pm – 3:00pm
12th Annual Maralynne D. Mitcham Lectureship (1.5 CEUs)
3:00pm – 4:30pm
Wine & Cheese Reception
Full Agenda:
9:00 am– 12:00 pm
Continuing Education Sessions* (3.0 CEU - Approved for OTs only)
New CHP D Building, 74 President Street (behind Bioengineering and across from Institute of Psychiatry), see each track for room location
*Participants can move between tracks, as desired.
Track A, (Three 1-hour workshops)
CHP D, 1st Floor Lab, D102
9:00 – 10:00 am: Michelle Chaff, PPOTDS, MS, OTR/L: Parent Well-Being in Early Intervention: The Case for Assessing Parental Stress
10:00 – 11:00 am: Lindsay Kale, OTR/L: Beyond Milestones: Supporting Infant Development Through Sensory Integration and Energetic Regulation
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Ginger Kohler, MA, OTR/L, BCP, CLT: The Pressure Is On for Pediatric Primary Lymphedema (PLE): Guiding Future Occupational Therapy Clinicians to Address the Unmet Needs and Enhance Care at an Academic Health Center
/OR/
Track B, (Three 1-hour workshops)
CHP D, 4th Floor Lab, D402
9:00 – 10:00 am: Scott Hutchison, OTD, OTR/L: Occupation-Centered Treatment Planning to Enhance Participation After Cancer
10:00 – 11:00 am: Julianne Laura MSOT, OTR/L, Patricia Finetto, OTR/L, and Stephanie Garner, OTR/L: Stroke Telerehab in Action: A Real-Time Demonstration of a Telerehab Treatment Session
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Sarah Kate-Orton, OTR/L: Pelvic Health Considerations in Neurological Conditions: A Whole-Person Occupational Therapy Approach
12:00 – 1:00 pm
MUSC OT Alumni and Friends Luncheon
CHP D, 74 President St., 4th Floor
1:00 – 3:00 pm
LECTURE (1.5 CEU - Approved for OTs only)
Baruch Auditorium, 284 Calhoun Street (~6 min walk from CHP D)
1:00 – 1:10 pm
Welcome by Nancy Carson, PhD, OTR/L, FNAP, FAOTA
Introduction by Roxanna Bendixen, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
1:10 – 2:40 pm
Lecture: Returning to First Principles: Best Practices for Engaging Communities in Client-Centered Rehabilitation
Presented By: Dr. Beth Skidmore, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, FACRM
Presentation Description
Client-centered care is a core principle of rehabilitation, particularly within occupational therapy. However, to what degree do we engage clients and their communities in the design and delivery of their care? The presentation will discuss a rationale for and practical steps to engaging communities to optimize client-centered rehabilitation practices, highlighting examples from occupational therapy research.
The intended learning outcomes for the session include:
1. Define client-centeredness and the role of the community in designing client-centered rehabilitation practices.
2. Describe practical steps for engaging communities to optimize client-centered rehabilitation practices.
2:40 – 3:00 pm
Division Highlights & Recognitions
3:00 – 4:30 pm
Wine and Cheese Reception
Pearlstine Healing Garden, 86 Jonathan Lucas Street (immediately behind Baruch Auditorium - exit left and walk alleyway)
REGISTER BY APRIL 13TH!
Past Distinguished Scholars
2025
Tina Champagne, OTD, OTR/L, CCAP, FAOTA
Trauma and Attachment-Informed Care: What is the OT Role?
2024
Kristie Patten, Ph.D., OT/L, FAOTA
Ableism, Access and Apologies: What happens when we unlearn, learn and lead?
2023
Barb Hooper, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA
Belonging in Occupational Therapy
2022
Virginia Stoffel, PhD, OT, FAOTA
Leading with Grace, Compassion, Humility and Love
2019
Janice P. Burke, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA
Situating the Power and Relevance of Occupation in Today’s World
2018
Wendy J. Coster, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA
Outcomes that Matter
2017
Margo B. Holm, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, ABDA
How do you know that what you do as an OT really works?
2016
Anita C Bundy, ScD, OT, FAOTA
The Risk is There is No Risk
2015
Charles Christiansen, Ed.D., OTR, OT(C), FAOTA
The Meaning of Quality: A Conversation About Occupational Therapy’s Distinct Value
2014
Glen Gillen, Ed.D., OTR, FAOTA
A Fork in the Road: An Occupational Hazard?
2013
Michael Iwama, Ph.D., MSc, BScOT
East & West: Cross-Cultural Implications on the Construction of Theory and Knowledge in Occupational Therapy
The Maralynne D. Mitcham Lectureship Fund
Throughout her career, Dr. Maralynne Mitcham was a pioneer who worked tirelessly to advance the profession of occupational therapy through her contributions to education. In 1984, she was recruited to the Medical University of South Carolina as the third Department Chair in Occupational Therapy. During her academic career, she served in a variety of senior roles in which she designed and led national efforts that integrated research into academic curricula, promoted collaboration with other professions, and enhanced faculty development across the profession.
In 2005, The Maralynne D. Mitcham Lectureship Fund was established to create, in perpetuity, an annual lectureship program for the Division of Occupational Therapy at the Medical University of South Carolina. The fund’s purpose is to honor the collegial spirit, leadership skills, and mentorship of the late Dr. Mitcham and promote a day of sharing and fellowship for the profession of occupational therapy. More specifically, the lectureship will be awarded each year to a scholar in the field who has a broad perspective on occupation, an international reputation, and one who has made significant contributions to education, practice, and/or research in the field of occupational therapy. Such a scholar will enhance the education of health professionals within the college and community, and provide an opportunity for presentation and dialogue around key intellectual issues of the time, thereby fostering the vision and mission of the University.
Consider helping to keep Dr. Mitcham’s legacy alive through a donation to her Lectureship Fund.
The Maralynne D. Mitcham Lectureship and Alumni Luncheon is hosted by The Division of Occupational Therapy and the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs.