The Gerry Balasta Occupational Therapy Scholarship will provide financial aid to an occupational therapy student enrolled in an OT degree program in New York. This scholarship honors the memory of Gerry who sadly passed away from COVID-19 in April.

Gerry Balasta, OTR/L, was a remarkable early intervention pediatric OT, entrepreneur, film maker and husband who sadly passed away from COVID-19 in April 2020. For over 20 years he worked in New York at a private pediatric practice with specialization on sensory and motor integration and Adult Neuro-Ortho. He recently sold a pediatric entity in New York to his partners, so that he could embark on another clinic with his wife Lea. Longtime NYC OT and PT, Iris Kimberg, a private practice consultant who knew Gerry for 20 years, brought this sad news to our attention and has been a leader in creating this meaningful tribute. 

Gerry was also a passionate film maker, founding Inspire Change Films in 2007, and combined his OT background with his film making to enhance his connection to people and their stories. In 2010 he created, directed and produced "The Mountain Thief" which told the story of the people of Patayas, one of the Philippines largest dumpsite towns. Gerry masterfully told the story of the people of the town who live off the mountains of trash in dumpsite towns but manage to retain their dignity and thankfulness for life. The film had a hugely successful film festival run, won the Special Jury Prize at the San Francisco International Asian-American Film Festival, The Prix Du Public at CCIFF, France and the George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award in Washington DC. 

Gerry's life was dedicated to helping people by connecting to people. Now we seek to honor his legacy by creating a scholarship that will help the next class of occupational therapists as they work towards their degrees. With both demand for OT services and the costs of OT education rising, we need to help those who are preparing for a career in service to others. 

Please make a gift to support Gerry's scholarship. Your generosity will enable us to make the first scholarship award in the spring of 2021.  Thank you. 

The AOTF Mid-Career Research Excellence Awardo recognizes and supports investigators who have contributed to advancing knowledge in the field of occupational therapy.

The 2020 recipient, Elizabeth A. Pfeiffer, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, FAOTA, Associate Professor Dept. of Rehabilitation Services, College of Public Health, Temple University discusses her journey and work enhancing community participation for transitional youth and young adults with autism spectrum disorder and serious mental illness.

Learn more about AOTF Awards and Grants.

Advancing the science of occupational therapy, AOTF awards recognize individuals who work towards this goal.

Nominate a colleague or yourself by September 1, 2020. Extended to Sept. 15!

Mid-Career Research Award recognizes and supports individuals 6-15 post completion of doctorate who have contributed to advancing knowledge in the field of occupational therapy.

Early-Career Research Excellence Award recognizes and supports investigators up to 6 years post completion of doctoral degree, who are contributing and have promise to advance knowledge in the field of occupational therapy.

A. Jean Ayres Award recognizes individuals who are committed to the research-related development or testing of theory in occupational therapy with priority given to work in the area of sensory processing.

Virginia Scardina Award of Excellence provides an award and honorarium for an occupational therapy clinician who demonstrates a commitment to evidence-based practice through participation in research that advances theory in the area of brain-behavior relationships and/or sensory processing disorders.

Learn more about all AOTF Awards and Honors.

See Full Statement with Action Plan 

Due to potential delays in being able to apply for AOTF grants due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pushing back the deadlines for our grant applications. 

Updated AOTF Grant Application Timeline for 2020-2021:

August 31st - Online submission site for Letter of Intent opens. 

September 30th - Letter of Intent deadline 11:59 p.m. PST. 

October 15th - Invitations to submit an Application are extended to principal investigators who meet eligibility criteria and whose LOI is accepted by AOTF. Invitees can begin application. 

December 15th - Application deadline 11:59 p.m. PST. 

March 2021 - Summary statements and award notifications are sent to applicants. 

For all of our Research Grant Programs:

We are actively soliciting grant applications that examine racial, social and health inequities and injustices, as well as promoting social justice. Grant applicants are now asked to address how they will involve participants from underrepresented populations. Plans for the inclusion of women and minorities must be included and scientifically justified within the application or proposal. Applications and proposals should describe the composition of the proposed study population in terms of sex/gender and racial/ethnic groups, and provide a rationale for selection of such subjects. Any exclusions based on sex/gender or race/ethnicity must include a rationale and justification based on a scientific or ethical basis. Investigators should also plan for appropriate outreach programs and activities to recruit and retain the proposed study population consistent with the purposes of the research project.

For the Intervention Research Grant Program:

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation is particularly interested in proposals that address the impact of the pandemic on daily life. The proposed research must address questions of importance to and within the scope of occupational therapy, but during the current proposal period, will not be limited to intervention studies.

Any questions can be directed to research@aotf.org.

Over 50 scholarships are available this year from AOTF and its collaboration with state occupational therapy associations. The scholarships range in value from $150 to $5,000. 

Eligibility requirements:

·     Be currently enrolled as a full-time student at an AOTA accredited or developing professional level (master's or OTD) or occupational therapy assistant (OTA) program.

·     Have completed at least one year of occupational therapy specific course work. If you are studying to become an occupational therapy assistant, you must be in your final year to be eligible. 

It's easy! Applicants complete only one online form to apply for all qualifying scholarships. Deadline is Oct. 1, 2020.

Learn more

Who's up for the St. Catherine Challenge (#AOTFSCC) to support Intervention Research Grants (IRGs) and build evidence together?! As creativity is one of the key strengths of OTs, we're excited to see what ideas the OT, OTD and OTA teams come up with this year. Plus, we're developing a smoother tracking and donation system to streamline the process. The 2021 Kickoff Call will happen early October, so don't miss your opportunity to be a part of this years success.

The 2020 Challenge raised over $54,000 from 54 schools across the country, a new milestone in the Challenge's history. IRGs fill a critical gap in OT research funding by providing financial support for a 1-year, early stage, research study. This OT research is vital to strengthen evidence-based practice and improve the delivery of care. 

On October 5-7, 2020, the American Occupational Therapy Foundation held its annual Planning Grant Collective, a workshop that brought together over 35 stakeholders from many disciplines to plan future studies in the field of occupational therapy. This year’s collaboration was a three-day virtual event on the timely topic Stimulating Research to Advance Evidence-Based Applications of Telehealth in Occupational Therapy. The workshop benefited greatly with the diversity of specialties including not only OT research and telehealth, but nursing, veteran healthcare affairs, mechanical/bioengineering, physical therapy, speech therapy, ophthalmology, geriatrics, neurology, acute care, rehabilitation, kinesiology, diversity and coding & billing. AOTA leadership was also represented since the clinician-researcher collaboration is key to moving the profession forward.

After a brief history on telehealth and COVID-19, practice and policy, and access and technology, the group generated and prioritized novel research areas of need: Re-envisioning Assessment and Intervention in the Natural Context with Technology, Uniform Data Collection, Involvement of Caregivers, and Improving Telehealth Delivery. The participants then broke out into four initial workgroups to address each topic area and began to strategize a plan towards competitive grant submissions. The workgroups will reconvene with the planning committee to finalize short- and long-term plans for working with community partners in securing extramural funding to build the evidence base to advance the applications of telehealth in occupational therapy.

As telehealth is at the forefront of healthcare now more than ever, the planning grant committee will fast-track the process of releasing a white paper and a call-to-action for researchers, practitioners, students, consumers, and funding agencies. Reach out and share your experience and ideas for moving the field of OT and telehealth forward. What are the innovative technologies and approaches you have seen? How have you used telehealth personally or professionally? Email research@aotf.org.

We want to thank the AOTF Planning Grant Committee, led by Chair, Rachel Proffitt, OTD, OTR/L, Assistant Professor Department of Occupational Therapy University of Missouri; Scott Campbell, PhD, Chief Executive Officer American Occupational Therapy Foundation; Jana Cason, DHSc, OTR/L, FAOTA, Professor, Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy, Spalding University; Mary Lawlor, ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA, AOTF Board of Trustees Chair, Assoc. Chair of Research, Joint Appointment with the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Dept. of Pediatrics, Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California; Lauren Little, PhD, OTR/L, Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Rush University; and Kristen Pickett, PhD, Occupational Therapy Program, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Education.

A special thanks to the funding partners who joined us on Day-2 to share their organization’s funding opportunities and provide guidance: Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society, Inc., National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Center for Medical Rehabilitation (NCMRR), National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), Institute of Aging, (NIA), and National Cancer Institute (NCI).

This is such a timely meeting with heavy implications for policy, practice and research. Thank you for bringing all of these voices together! - Katie Jordan, OTD, OTR/L, USC 

 

View full list of participants and developments

An exciting update from one of our 2017 Intervention Research Grant Recipients, Evan Dean, PhD, OTR/L from University of Kansas, Supporting Employment Through Self-determination for Young Adults with ASD (Mentor: Karrie Shogren, PhD).

“I recently received a 3-year Field Initiated Project (Research) from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. This project is a next step for the project completed with AOTF funding.  In the NIDILRR project, we are testing the feasibility and impact of delivering the intervention we tested in the AOTF study (the Self-Determined Career Design Model) via telehealth.  To me, this grant is more evidence that the IRG programs are successful in increasing funding for OT researchers!  I appreciate AOTF’s early support of my research!”

The purpose of the IRG grant program is to lay the necessary groundwork for larger intervention and implementation studies and support the profession’s Vision 2025 of occupational therapy as an evidence-based profession. We thank Evan for paying it forward by making a gift to support the 2021 IRGs. AOTF relies on the generosity of a community of donors to provide the resources we need to advance the science of occupational therapy. See how you can help build evidence to support the future of OT. If you've recieved support from AOTF and have an update about your OT research such as follow-on funding, let us know so we can share it with fellow colleagues in the field. 

AOTF is proud to announce that 100% of our past Intervention Research Grant winners made a philanthropic gift to support the next round of these unique grants! This unprecedented level of giving demonstrates the outstanding commitment of our OT community to advance the science of occupational therapy.  Thank you to all our IRG winners for investing in the future of this exceptional research program. Stay tuned for the winners of the 2021 IRGs!

See how you can support OT Research.

#GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people to transform their communities.

“Building Evidence Together To Improve Practice & Health"
Even when we have to be physically apart we can be philanthropically together.

Thank You to All our Donors Who Made GivingTuesday A Success! 

AOTF is so grateful to the dozens of donors who made OT Research and OT Scholarships a priority for their philanthropy.

• Almost $10,000 was raised to support Intervention Research Grants, OT Scholarships and the Kielhofner Doctoral Scholarship.
• Illinois, New York, Florida and Ohio will have an extra $500 added to their state’s 2021 scholarships.
• There is still time to make a gift before the end of the year. Support your alma mater in the St. Catherine’s Challenge, use AmazonSmile to make AOTF your charity of choice or visit our Support page to help build new evidence for occupational therapy.  

We believe that occupational therapists should have the best and most current evidence available so they can deliver the highest quality care to their clients. Will you join us to build new evidence in occupational therapy? Every day the demand for evidence is rising and AOTF is leading the effort to meet this demand. More evidence means better quality of care, reduced costs, and increase efficacy. In addition to the dozens of specialty areas in which OTs work there is now a need for OT to build evidence for COVID-19, address social injustices and support underserved populations so they can receive equitable and accessible health care services . The only way AOTF can make investments into new OT research and the future OT workforce is with your philanthropic support. Please make a gift to help us fund essential grants, scholarships and research programs.

Priority Funds for 2020-2021:

• Intervention Research Grants- This seed-funding fills a critical gap in early-stage OT research and helps OT researchers build proof of concept and publish initial findings.
• Dr. Gary Kielhofner Doctoral Student Scholarship- Honors the life and legacy of one of the most influential and transformational figures in occupational therapy by providing financial aid to an Occupational Therapist enrolled in a doctoral degree program.  
• Nedra Gillette Research Fellowship- Honors the first Director of Research at AOTF who was instrumental raising awareness of the need for evidence-based practice. This 1-year award supports an OT postdoctoral fellow engaged in cross-cultural research into the human condition as it is influenced by health, participation in valued roles, and social justice. 
• Scholarships- Help future occupational therapists obtain their degree and lower the burden of student debt. AOTF has over 55 scholarships including two-dozen state specific scholarships.

Match Contests to Make Your Contribution Go Further Thanks to Our Sponsors:

• Unlock the Match- Once $2,000 has been donated to AOTF, Anthem, Inc will make a gift of $1,000 to support new OT research.
• Scholarship Boost- Win $500 for the scholarship of your state! The 4 states with the greatest number of donors will receive an extra $500 for their 2021 scholarship thanks to EBS Healthcare.
• Share Your Support- Share your support of AOTF on social media, such as an #Unselfie, and the 2 donors with the most likes will have their gifts matched by Anthem Inc. Double your gift and celebrate your passion for OT. Be sure to use @AOTFoundation, #OTResearch, and #GivingTuesday (#AOTFSCC if St. Catherine Challenge contribution).
• First and Foremost- The first donor to make a gift of $500 and the first donor to make a gift of $250 will have their gifts matched by Anthem, Inc.

Thank You Contest Sponsors:

Anthem is a leading health benefits company dedicated to improving lives and communities, and making healthcare simpler. Through its affiliated companies, Anthem serves more than 106 million people, including more than 42 million within its family of health plans. We aim to be the most innovative, valuable and inclusive partner. We do so by supporting all eligible people regardless of age, sex, race or disability. Our goal is to foster healthy, inclusive communities through addressing  drivers of health and reducing health disparities so  people have the opportunity to live their best lives.  For more information, please visit www.antheminc.com

EBS is a unique company that began as a non-profit organization founded by speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and special education directors more than 30 years ago. We are dedicated to empowering clinicians to become leaders in their fields, while providing the highest-quality pediatric services for families and communities around the world.  We are proud to support AOTF because we share a common mission, develop new, evidence-based interventions and empower therapists to deliver the highest quality care. For more information, please visit https://www.ebshealthcare.com/

Share with your network using buttons below: 

Congratulations to all the 2020 AOTA Award Recipients! We certainly recognize a few that have supported us over the years... 

• Virginia C. Stoffel- As Prior AOTA President she we worked with us on key joint projects, Non-Voting Board Member,  2000 AOTF Leadership Commendation Award Recipient, 2019 PTE Speed Mentoring Session Mentor
• Sharon A. Gutman- Planning Committee and Participant in first PGC-Mental Health
• Karen Atler- Intervention Research Grant Recipient
• Robin Newman- Planning Committee Member and Participant in first PGC-Mental Health
• Juleen Rodakowski- Intervention Research Grant Recipient, Chair of Planning Committee for PGC-Aging in Place
• Karen Jacobs- Development Council, PGC-Telehealth Participant, PTE Faculty Advisor (BU), AOTF partners with the MA OT Association and gives out a scholarship in her honor/name, Past AOTF Voting Board Member, Non-voting Board Member as Past AOTA President
• Elizabeth Pyatak- OTJR Associate Editor, 2020-21 State of the Science Symposium Speaker
• Juleen Rodakowski- OTJR Associate Editor, PTE Faculty Advisor (University of Pittsburgh)
• Anna Wallisch- Nedra Gillette Endowed Research Fellowship Awardee, PGC-Telehealth Participant
• Lauren Little- PGC-Telehealth Planning Committee; Intervention Research Grant Recipient, AOTF VIP Reception Mission Speaker
• Marjorie Vogeley – As Past MD OT Association President – worked with us to administer past MD OTA scholarship

As a stand-alone non-profit exclusively building OT evidence to improve practice and health, we rely on our volunteer partners and leaders from all areas of occupational therapy and the public to deliver the programs that make an impact.

Learn how to become a volunteer and more!

Harlan Temple, once again sponsored the annual South Dakota OT 5K which works with students at University of South Dakota and the South Dakota OT Association to raise money for the SD Harlan and Rita Temple Scholarship. With the help of Emily Heumiller, a SDOTA student representative from USD, who spearheaded this year’s 5K, they raised over $1,300 for the scholarship.

“Due to Covid-19, our 5K was held virtually this year over a 3-day period, it could be run on any of the days, anytime, and any place. There were 51participants from several different states. Each participant received a t-shirt with our name, logo, and names of each sponsor on the back. There were also prizes given to the top runners that were able keep their time in the program app and of course using the honor system. Most people weren't interested in keeping their time, they just wanted enjoy and participate! Emily and I did it on Sunday afternoon on the Sioux Falls bike trail and actually did two 5K's in one, 6.3 miles in 2.45 hrs. Pretty much taking our time and enjoying it.”

See all the scholarships available with the collaboration between AOTF and state OT associations and other ways you can support OT research.

The Board of Trustees created a new standing committee, Standing for Research Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (STRIDE) to develop, direct, and evaluate AOTF initiatives to promote diversity & belonging, combat racism, heal trauma, achieve equity, and social justice. In addition, we want to identify and address any barriers in our community to full inclusion and learn more from our stakeholders about experiences that could inform us about how to do better and promote the kinds of reflections and insights that fuel change. While some of these actions build on existing initiatives within AOTF, others represent new steps that the Foundation will be enacting in direct response to recent events. Read full action plan.

Message from the AOTF Board Chair:

What a year! Thank you to all our staff, trustees, donors, volunteers, partners, and community members who have ensured our continued success at supporting impactful research. Working together, yet safely apart, we are collectively building research capacity; generating, translating, and disseminating research knowledge; expanding partnerships; and enacting initiatives to address the pressing societal issues evident through the COVID and racial injustice pandemics. We look forward to the new year and wish you and your family safe, healthy, and happy holidays!

Sincerely,

Mary Lawlor, ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA, AOTF Board Chair

Top Accomplishments in 2020:

1.) New DEI Committee - The Board of Trustees created a new standing committee, Standing for Research Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (STRIDE) to develop, direct, and evaluate AOTF initiatives to promote diversity & belonging, combat racism, heal trauma, achieve equity, and social justice. In addition, we want to identify and address any barriers in our community to full inclusion and learn more from our stakeholders about experiences that could inform us about how to do better and promote the kinds of reflections and insights that fuel change. While some of these actions build on existing initiatives within AOTF, others represent new steps that the Foundation will be enacting in direct response to recent events. Read full action plan.

2.) New MJFF Grant - The American Occupational Therapy Foundation and The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) for Parkinson's Research partnered to offer a two-year $100,000 intervention research grant. This inaugural funding will support projects with a specific focus on the investigation of Parkinson's disease (PD) and OT intervention as well as provide a blueprint for future Foundation partnerships.

3.) Planning Grant Collective - In October, the American Occupational Therapy Foundation held its annual Planning Grant Collective, a workshop that brought together over 35 stakeholders from many disciplines to plan future studies in the field of occupational therapy. This year’s collaboration was a three-day virtual event on the timely topic Stimulating Research to Advance Evidence-Based Applications of Telehealth in Occupational Therapy. As telehealth is at the forefront of healthcare now more than ever, the planning grant committee will fast-track the process of releasing a white paper and a call-to-action for researchers, practitioners, students, consumers, and funding agencies.

4.) 14 Research Grants Awarded Bridging Research, Evidence, and Practice

• 5 Intervention Research Grant Awardees will lay the necessary groundwork for larger intervention and for implementation studies and support the profession’s Vision 2025 of occupational therapy as an evidence-based profession. Thanks to NBCOT, AOTA, and the St. Catherine Challenge for their joint funding.  
• 3 Implementation Research Grant Awardees will conduct research that is focused on helping occupational therapists take evidence-informed practice from theory to reality in their practice setting. This research grant develops and evaluates the processes used to implement, sustain, and or scale-up evidence-based practice into routine care with an end goal to improve the quality and effectiveness of care. Thanks to NBCOT for their joint funding. 
• 4 Health Services Research Grant Awardees will examine how people get access to health care, how and what care is delivered, the cost of that care, and what happens to patients as a result of receiving or not receiving care. Thanks to NBCOT for their generous grant funding.
• The Dr. Gary Kielhofner Doctoral Research Scholarship in Occupational Therapy and Nedra Gillette Endowed Research Fellowship were also awarded to honor their namesakes.

5.) Recognizing Research Excellence - Every year, AOTF bestows awards and honors to individuals, agencies, businesses and/or other organizations that contribute time, energy, and support to the fulfillment of the mission, goals, and objectives of AOTF. View recipients including our distinguished Academy of Research inductee, Jennifer Fleming, PhD, OTR/L, FOTARA, Professor, The University of Queensland.

6.) 41 OT Scholarships Awarded in Collaboration with State OT Associations

The scholarships ranged in value from $150 to $5,000. The OT Scholarship Program is one of the oldest of the Foundation's programs dating back to the establishment of AOTF in 1965. Thank you to the Scholarship Selection Committee, comprised of volunteer occupational therapy practitioners and educators, who reviewed all applications and recommended scholarship recipients.

7.) OTJR Advancing the Profession Through Scientific Inquiry - 2020 has been an outstanding year for research publication OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health. The 5-year impact factor for 2019 increased to an all-time high of 1.695. Furthermore, OTJR has received an unprecedented number of submissions so far in 2020, with 209 manuscripts submitted year to date. With the commitment and diligence of our editorial board and reviewers, the turnaround time from submission to first decision remains an average of just 27 days. This growth represents the contributions of quality data-driven research from authors and the rigorous processes of OTJR's Editor-In-Chief (Sherrilene Classen PhD, MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA, FGSA), Assistant Editor, Associate Editors, Editorial Fellows, Review Board Members, and SAGE Publishing Partners. In addition, the journal moved to online-only for individual subscriber cost-savings and environmentally-friendly factors.

8.) OT Summit Selections - AOTA and AOTF selected 32 students to attend the fifth annual Summer Institute of Future Scientists in Occupational Therapy. The program will introduce students to a career in research, connect them with mentors in the occupational therapy scientific community, and immerse them in a research-focused professional experience.

9.) Record-Breaking Support of the Intervention Research Grant 

• The 2020 St. Catherine Challenge raised over $54,000 from 54 schools across the country, a new milestone in the Challenge's history. Thank you to all the schools and student leaders who participated in the Challenge. We welcome you to participate in the 2021 Challenge underway.
• 100% of our past Intervention Research Grant winners made a philanthropic gift to support the next round of these unique grants! This unprecedented level of giving demonstrates the outstanding commitment of our OT community to advance the science of occupational therapy.  
  IRGs fill a critical gap in OT research funding by providing financial support for a 1-year, early stage, research study. in follow-on funding. Stay tuned for the winners of the 2021 IRGs!

10.) PTE Continues to Grow - Pi Theta Epsilon (PTE), the national occupational therapy honor society, continues to advance its mission to support occupational therapy by promoting research, leadership, and scholarly activities. 124 schools now have active chapters, with five new ones joining PTE in 2020. For a fourth consecutive year, PTE’s successful partnership with OccupationalTherapy.com offered free continuing education credits to its active alumni and lifetime members. Thank you to the leadership of PTE officers and engagement of members!

11.) Pivoting with New Complimentary Webinar Series - Our new webinar series, spearheaded by Board Chair, Mary Lawlor, ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA, focuses on the timely topic of Navigating Research During the COVID Pandemic. Next up in the series will be Experiences of Front Line Occupational Therapists and Implications for Research in January. View the first webinar Perspectives of PIs on Pivots and Challenges.

12.) New Online Scavenger Hunt in OT Month - In celebration of OT Month in April, the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) held an online scavenger hunt to have some fun while broadening the knowledge of the Foundation’s mission, activities and our impact on evidence-based practice. Thank you participants and our sponsor OccupationalTherapy.com who provided a new iPad® for the raffle.

13.) Strengthening the Future of OT Thanks to You

• Donors - AOTF is immensely grateful to our generous donors who made gifts during the fiscal year 2020 (October 1, 2019-September 30, 2020). The full list of donors will be available at www.aotf.org and in our upcoming 2020 Annual Report. Give a year end tax-deductible gift.
• Volunteers - We depend on the volunteers from all areas of occupational therapy and the public to deliver the programs you have come to rely on. View volunteers and how to apply.
• Partners - We are especially grateful for our valued partner support and flexibility during this ever-changing year. We look forward to working with you in the new year. Become a partner. 

Stay current with AOTF updates- Follow us:     and now Instagram.

Learn more about AOTF's mission and sign up for our emails.

The Board of Directors of The American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) appointed Mary Jane (MJ) Mulcahey, PhD, OTR/L, as the new Board Chair effective January 2021.

Dr. Mulcahey is a Professor of Occupational Therapy and Director of the Center for Outcomes and Measurement in Jefferson College of Rehabilitation Sciences (JCRS) at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. She has over 30 years of experience as a practitioner, educator and researcher, and is a certified health coach, competent coach and life care planner. Her primary area of research is on the development, validation and utilization of new and existing outcome measures of impairment, physical function, activity, and participation for children, youth and adults with spinal cord injury (SCI), and other chronic conditions. Read full bio.

“It is my privilege to serve AOTF and its constituents in this capacity. I am excited to work together as one to advance the science of occupational therapy.”- Mary Jane (MJ) Mulcahey, PhD, OTR/L, AOTF Board Chair

Also joining our board this month: Dagny Fidler, PhD; Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, BCTS; Janet Poole, PhD, OTR/L; and Stephen Shore, Ed.D.

A huge thank you to Mary Lawlor, ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA, who completed her three-year tenure as Chair of the Board of Trustees and Tara Alexander, OTR/L, and Roger Ideishi, JD, OT/L, FAOTA, for their service as Trustees. 

Learn more about AOTF Leadership.

It is with great sadness we share the passing of Mary Will McKenzie, MSEd, BS, FAOTA, OTR, December 11, 2020. With over forty years as an Occupational Therapist, she taught and trained many OTs and thus greatly advanced the practice of occupational therapy in rehabilitation.

At Mary’s request, donations may be made in memoriam to:
American Occupational Therapy Foundation (scholarship fund)
12300 Twinbrook Pkwy., Suite 520, Rockville, MD 20852, Phone: 1-240-292-1050