Dr. Kristie Patten is Counselor to the President at NYU, overseeing the strategic priorities of the president and university-wide initiatives. She is a professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, having previously served as Department Chair and Vice Dean of Academic Affairs at NYU Steinhardt. Her research has focused on shifting the paradigm from a deficit-based to a strength-based or neurodiversity-affirming perspective in the field of autism. She is the principal investigator of the NEST project, funded by New York City Public Schools, the largest inclusion program in the country. The research of her lab has been funded by the National Science Foundation continuously for the last 9 years, which has focused on prioritizing autistic interests in maker clubs. She founded the NYU Connections Program, which supports autistic students, and her most recent NSF work, "Making Mentors," teaches autistic college students how to mentor autistic high school students in STEAM fields. She was awarded and delivered the Eleanor Clark Slagle Lecture in 2022. 

The Michele Parkins Research Scholarship in Occupational Therapy provides financial aid to a student currently enrolled in an occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) degree program in support of their Capstone project focused on sensory integration and relationship-based interventions, and demonstrates the important role of occupational therapy in the emotional and/or mental health functions of children and youth to participate fully in daily life activities. In addition, the Capstone project’s outcomes should focus on developing knowledge that improves interventions for both children and their caregivers.

Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate the importance that play and/or relationships provide in therapeutic care.

Absolutely! Several scholarships specifically support occupational therapy assistant students.

Only for PTE-specific scholarships. Most awards are open to all eligible students regardless of honor society membership.

You still remain eligible for all national AOTF scholarships through the same application process. Check directly with your state association for availability.