Dr. Aimee E. Ketchum

Dr. Aimee Ketchum is a pediatric occupational therapist with over 24 years of experience working in pediatrics. She currently practices in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at UPMC hospital in Lititz where she founded the NICU retired nurse cuddler program and teaches baby massage to nurses and families.  Ketchum is also academic fieldwork coordinator and assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program of Cedar Crest College. Ketchum creates and teaches workshops on early child development through PA Quality Assurance System for pre-school teachers and early intervention practitioners. Ketchum is the founder of Aimee’s Babies, LLC and creator of STEM Starts Now digital parenting program. She aims to create a next generation of innovators and problem solvers who are all afforded the ability to start kindergarten on an equitable playing field, giving all children everywhere the best start possible.  Ketchum recently had her book “See Occupational Therapists Run” published by See Us Run Publishing.  This is a workbook to help fellow occupational therapists practice self-care to avoid burnout. Her baby development DVDs and apps have been featured on the Rachael Ray show, iPhone Essentials Magazine and the United Kingdom’s Baby and You Initiative. She was the winner of the 2017 Fine Living Lancaster Innovator Award, and the 2018 Social Enterprise Pitch and her work has been recognized with the prestigious Word Gap Challenge Finalist award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Crystal Loose

Dr. Crystal Loose served in public education for 17 years as a teacher, reading specialist, instructional coach and then in administration. She is currently an Associate Professor at West Chester University and teaches courses in the Early and Middle Grades and Education Leadership Departments. Her research includes early learning environments as well as teacher and principal success and preparedness. She founded a nonprofit, Plant the Seed of Learning, where she uses her research to engage with parents and their children prior to kindergarten entrance in a playgroup setting. Her work with families in Lancaster, PA led to a community building award in 2018-2019. Empowering families and future teachers are her passion; therefore, her work continues to contribute to these areas. She will be expanding her outreach in the city of Philadelphia in 2024.