OTA Program and spring Knightly News Brief highlight Episode #232
By Paul Miller
Knightly News Co-Adviser
On this episode of the Knightly News Podcast, we welcome the Program Director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program Dr. Kimberly Tanish to discuss the program at Central Penn and what OTAs do during their day, as well as the job outlook for graduates. On the second segment of the program, Knightly News President Noah Lopez gives his final Knightly News Brief prior to his graduation at the end of the term.
During our time with Tanish, we discuss the growing field of occupational therapy and the role OTAs play in helping patients improve their daily lives. The conversation provides listeners with an inside look at a profession that often works behind the scenes to help individuals regain independence and develop essential life skills.
During the episode, Tanish explains the responsibilities of occupational therapy assistants and how they work alongside occupational therapists in a variety of health care settings. She also discusses the hands-on nature of the profession and the impact OTAs can have on patients recovering from injuries, managing disabilities or adapting to new challenges.
Also joining the episode is Knightly News Co-Vice President Jules Quare, who has spent her last year chronicling the health sciences program at Central Penn. During the episode, she shares her insights from her article about the OTA program, which can be found here.
In addition, Tanish discusses the skills students develop throughout the curriculum and the experiential learning opportunities available to them, especially through Central Penn’s partnership with the West Shore Connect program. She also addresses the strong demand for occupational therapy assistants and the promising career outlook for graduates entering the field.
During the second segment of the podcast, News Correspondent Noah Lopez delivers the winter 2026 Knightly News Brief, an audio version of some of our best stories of the term.
The following stories are featured in the brief:
- Knightly News students help raise more than $2,500 through community fundraiser – The Knightly News
- Nic Joseph named Knightly News Athlete of the Year – Paul Miller
- After floods, setbacks and big risks, Nerdzoic keeps growing in Central PA – Noah Lopez
- A look at CPC’s OTA program – Jules Quare
- CPC students, staff help judge legal-studies event – Arsenio Humphrey
- Central Penn alumni take center stage at CPC Film Series triple feature – Alex Foley
This is the final Knightly News Podcast of the spring 2026 term. The show will return on July 14 for the summer term.
You can find the last three episodes of the podcast on our SoundCloud page. Subscribe to us to be notified when new episodes are released!
