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HPU's inaugural Las Vegas OTD cohort celebrates with faculty upon completing program requirements.
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Robyn Otty (at podium) speaking at the Ka huaka'i ceremony on August 26.
On Aug. 26, HPU's Las Vegas Campus celebrated its first cohort of 22 Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) students completing their degrees, setting a milestone for the University's growing health sciences presence. The students now move toward licensure and careers in occupational therapy. They will walk at HPU’s fall commencement ceremony this December, alongside the University’s first Doctor of Physical Therapy-Las Vegas cohort and the University’s first Physician Assistant cohort from Honolulu.
"To see our students successfully complete their doctoral training today that began as an idea in 2022 has been an amazing experience to be a part of. The students demonstrated resilience, grit, and dedication as they experienced the first administration of the hybrid program at the Las Vegas Campus and were key drivers to the program's successful accreditation. The faculty and staff are proud and honored to be part of their academic ka huakaʻi," said HPU OTD-Las Vegas Program Director and Professor Robyn Otty, OTD.
HPU OTD student Jacob Aquino celebrates completing his program requirements.
The ceremony was fittingly named Ka huakaʻi (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi for "one's journey") reflecting both the students' path through the program and HPU's journey in establishing the program in Las Vegas.
HPU OTD students learn in a hybrid, socially connected environment over 24 months, collaborating not only with each other but with occupational therapy educators and practitioners, interprofessional colleagues, and members of the wider community.
The program culminates in a capstone experience that asks students to look beyond their own practice to the global context of the profession, building the capacity to serve as agents of change and advocates for a more occupationally just society in their own communities.
That mission meets real demand in Nevada, where the 22 students soon enter a workforce facing acute need. Nevada employs about 1,220 occupational therapists, and the Nevada Occupational Therapy Association has identified the field as one of several facing critical provider shortages, according to a December 2024 proposal submitted to the Nevada Patient Protection Commission.
The role also pays well. Nevada is among the nation's top-paying states for occupational therapists, alongside California, New York, New Jersey, and Colorado, with an average annual salary of $107,070, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For HPU student Brandy McKelvy, completing her doctorate marks the culmination of a long-held goal. "This accomplishment represents an opportunity to continue serving in a profession I deeply love," said McKelvy, who previously worked as an occupational therapy assistant (OTA). "Earning my doctorate has been a dream of mine for many years, and I am grateful to have finally made the leap from OTA to OTD." She plans to advance the field through academia, "preparing the next generation of occupational therapy practitioners" and equipping "future clinicians with what they need to make a meaningful impact on the profession and the individuals we serve." McKelvy is a native of Waxahachie, Texas, about 30 miles south of Dallas.
HPU's Las Vegas OTD program earned full seven-year accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) this year, making it the third accredited OTD program in Nevada.
Accreditation is required for graduates to sit for the national certification exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), which is the certification needed to practice as a licensed occupational therapist.
HPU's Las Vegas Campus, the University's first-ever mainland campus in its 60-year history, held its official grand opening on Feb. 18, 2025, and now also houses HPU's Doctor of Physical Therapy program as well as the forthcoming Master of Science in Cybersecurity, set to launch in spring 2027.
Located at 6175 W. Sunset Road in southwest Las Vegas, about 15 minutes from Harry Reid International Airport, the Campus includes an Activities of Daily Living (ADL) suite for hands-on OTD training.
To learn more about HPU’s OTD-Las Vegas program, click here.
