Faculty

Department Chairperson

Program Director

Jeanine Stan canelli, OTD, MPH, OTR/L, BCN

Faculty

Margot Elacqua, OTD, MBA, OTR/L
Martha M. Frank, PhD, CAS, OTR/L
Becky Bernhardt, MS, OTR/L, BCN
Cheryl MacNeil, PhD
Nancy Ranft, OTD, OTR/L
Barbara Thompson, OTD,LCSW, CAGS, OTR/L

Adjunct Faculty

Debbie Allen, OTR/L
Leslie Bennett, MS, OTR/L
Sue Dinger, MS, OTR/L
Mary Ann Efner, OTR/L
Celeste Freeman, OTR/L, CHT
Christopher Heatley, OTR/L
Melissa Kennison-Rose, MS, OTR/L
Taryn Manning-Calo, MS, OTR/L
Linda McCumber MS, OTR/L, CDI
Martha Winner, MS, OTR/L

(For more complete biographical information, including teaching areas and scholarship activity, click on the faculty name below.)

MARGOT ELACQUA, OTD, MBA, OTR/L

Assistant Professor and Fieldwork Coordinator
elacqm@sage.edu

Margot Elaquca Margot received her BS in Occupational Therapy from Utica College of Syracuse University with a minor in psychology. Her MBA in health administration is from Union College and her doctorate in occupational therapy from Chatham University. Margot has clinical experience in pediatrics where she served in the roles of staff therapist, supervisor, fieldwork coordinator, adaptive equipment specialist and consultant at the Center for the Disabled and UCP of Fulton-Montgomery Counties. She created and managed the OT department at Eddy Cohoes Rehabilitation Center and most recently, was a health administrator for Northeast Health. Her administrative experience includes acute care, rehabilitation, out-patient services, and long term care. She has also taught in an occupational therapy assistant educational program. Her primary teaching responsibilities include fieldwork and management.

MARTHA M. FRANK, PhD, CAS, OTR/L

Associate Professor
frankm@sage.edu

Martha received her BS in Occupational Therapy from Syracuse University, MS in Education, with a concentration in learning disabilities, from the College of St. Rose and PhD in Education from University at Albany. Her doctoral work focused on the impact of fine motor and language development upon later academic learning. She has had extensive experience in a variety of pediatric settings, and currently provides therapy and evaluation services to babies and children with special needs. Her research interests include studying the efficacy of intervention techniques with young children with autistic spectrum disorder. In 1998 she was appointed by the Regents to a five-year term on the New York State Board of Licensure in Occupational Therapy, and in 2006 was elected chairperson of this board. Her areas of teaching include neuroscience, neurorehabilitation, sensorimotor development, and pediatric evaluation and intervention.

THERESA HARTSHORN HAND, MS, OTR/L, CHT

Assistant Professor
handt@sage.edu

Theresa received her BS in Occupational Therapy from the University of New Hampshire and her MS in Health Services Administration at Sage Graduate School. She is currently working toward completion of a post-professional Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Creighton University. Theresa is a Certified Hand Therapist and currently practices at the Albany Memorial Hand Rehabilitation Center. Her clinical experience encompasses a variety of rehabilitation settings. Her primary teaching responsibilities include anatomy and kinesiology, upper extremity evaluation and rehabilitation, foundations of physical rehabilitation, clinical reasoning and assistive technology.

BECKY BERNHARDT, MS, BCN, OTR/L

Assistant Professor
kligeb@sage.edu

Becky received her BS in Occupational Therapy from the University of Kansas and her MS in Health Education from the Sage Graduate School. She is currently working toward completion of a post-professional Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Creighton University. Becky has extensive experience in treating adults in rehabilitation and acute care settings. Becky holds NDT certification in treating adult neurological patients. Her primary teaching areas include evaluation and intervention in physical rehabilitation, neurorehabilitation, and neuroscience.

CHERYL MACNEIL , PhD

Assistant Professor
macnec@sage.edu

Cheryl received her BA in Psychology from SUNY Plattsburg, MA in Education from Johnson State College in Vermont, and PhD in Educational Psychology from SUNY Albany. She is concerned with the role of research and evaluation in promoting issues of social justice and democracy. She has served as an evaluation consultant with a variety of organizations including studies conducted with the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, Sweetser Health, Northeastern Blue Shield, and the NYS Office of Mental Health. Cheryl is also a founding resident of the Pottery District, a neighborhood alliance in Troy, New York. She is a believer in and contributor to the renaissance of Troy, New York. Her primary teaching responsibilities include research design and community occupational therapy practice.

NANCY RANFT, OTD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor
ranftn@sage.edu

Nancy received her BS in Occupational Therapy from The Ohio State University and her OTD from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. She advocates a holistic approach in her work with clients and has extensive experience in mental health, acute care, and orthopedic settings. In addition to her Sage teaching, she also works at an outpatient clinic at Columbia Memorial Hospital. Her primary teaching responsibilities include content in foundations of physical rehabilitation, hand and upper extremity rehabilitation, and evaluation and intervention in psychosocial settings.

JEANINE STANCANELLI , OTD, MPH, OTR/L, BCN

Assistant Professor
stancj@sage.edu

Jeanine received her BS in Occupational Therapy from Quinnipiac College, Master of Public Health degree from Southern Connecticut State University, and OTD from the University of St. Augustine. She is currently enrolled in the PhD in OT program at Nova Southeastern University. Jeanine has extensive experience in adult physical rehabilitation in a variety of clinical settings. She is certified in the administration of the Arnadottir OT-ADL Neurobehavioral Evaluation (A-ONE) and is NDT-Trained in the Treatment of Adults with Hemiplegia (formerly NDT certified). Recently she completed advanced training in administration of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS). Her primary teaching responsibilities include OT models and theories, kinesiology, and neuroscience.

BARBARA THOMPSON, OTD, LCSW, CAGS, OTR/L

Associate Professor
thompb@capital.net

Barbara received her BS in Occupational Therapy from the University of Florida and her Master of Social Work from University at Albany. She completed the C.A.G.S. Program in Expressive Arts through the European Graduate School, Switzerland and received her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Creighton University. Barbara was a supervising occupational therapist at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital and founder/director of both the St. Peter's Hospice Day Program and the ALS Regional Center at St. Peter's Hospital. Barbara's primary teaching responsibilities include adult human development, psychosocial assessment and intervention, palliative care, and the spiritual context of occupational therapy practice. In addition to her teaching responsibilities she works part time in private practice.