Renee Causey-Upton leads occupational therapy education at Eastern Kentucky University

Renee Causey-Upton is shaping occupational therapy training, research and leadership through her roles at Eastern Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky. Her work comes as occupational therapy education faces a decline in student applicants and a need to strengthen the pipeline of future practitioners.

Why it matters: - Renee Causey-Upton’s work affects how future occupational therapists are trained, recruited and supported. - Her leadership touches admissions, curriculum, doctoral advising and professional service, all of which influence the profession’s pipeline and standards. - Occupational therapy education is facing a national decline in student applicants compared with pre-pandemic levels.

What happened: - Renee Causey-Upton 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 on Eastern Kentucky University’s faculty for more than 13 years and has been 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 admissions, doctoral advising, curriculum development and academic administration. - Influential Women featured Causey-Upton in a profile on October 20, 2026. - Her profile is available here.

The details: - Causey-Upton holds a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Kentucky. - She also earned a post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy from Chatham University and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Eastern Kentucky University. - She completed a certificate in Marketing Strategy for Business Leaders through Cornell University. - She is a registered and licensed occupational therapist. - She is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and holds the AOTA Credentialed Leader in Academia designation. - Her research focuses on preoperative education and discharge readiness for orthopedic populations, including people undergoing total knee replacement. - She is a founding associate editor of the Journal of Occupational Therapy Education. - Her honors include 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, the Kentucky Occupational Therapy Association’s Outgoing Leadership Service Award, and faculty induction into Phi Kappa Phi. - She currently chairs the Georgetown Ethics Board. - She serves on the AOTA Academic Education Special Interest Section Committee. - She co-edits the AOTA AESIS Practice Connections publication. - She sits on the Journal of Occupational Therapy Education Editorial Board. - Her past roles include subject matter expert reviewer for the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine practice guideline on knee disorders, chair of the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Occupational Therapy, an officer on the OT Compact Commission Executive Committee and vice president of the Kentucky Occupational Therapy Association. - Her memberships include the American Occupational Therapy Association, the Kentucky Occupational Therapy Association, the AOTA Academic Education Special Interest Section, the World Federation of Occupational Therapists and the OT Leaders and Legacies Society.

Between the lines: - Causey-Upton’s career blends teaching, scholarship and governance, which gives her influence over both classroom training and professional standards. - Her focus on orthopedic rehabilitation and evidence-based practice matches areas where occupational therapy can directly affect recovery and discharge planning. - She credits mentorship from other women leaders, including Dr. Dana Howell, Dr. Shirley O’Brien and Dr. Camille Skubik-Peplaski, as an important part of her growth. - She emphasizes being intentional about choosing opportunities and avoiding commitments that do not fit her goals or values. - She advises young women entering the field to be selective, recognize timing and feel comfortable saying no. - She sees the drop in student applicants as one of the profession’s biggest challenges. - Her admissions and advising work puts her close to that problem and to the effort to build the next generation of occupational therapists. - Her personal motivation is rooted in her father’s experience living with polio and navigating daily life challenges.

What's next: - Causey-Upton is expected to continue focusing on admissions, student advising, curriculum development and professional service. - Her work is aimed at strengthening pathways into occupational therapy and advancing evidence-based practice. - She says the field will need continued promotion and stronger educational pathways to attract future students. - Her broader goal is to help prepare practitioners who will serve patients and communities with leadership and compassion.