The Division of Occupational Therapy's celebrating 65 years!

Letter from the program director

Dear UW OT Community, 

As our newest cohort of occupational therapy students begin this academic year we are excited to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the UW Division of Occupational Therapy, marking over 1,000 OT graduates. In this special edition of our newsletter, I am pleased to share the work and accomplishments of our outstanding and dedicated faculty and the contributions they are making to advance occupational therapy education and research. I’d also like to welcome and introduce our newest faculty member Dr. Britt St. John. Dr. St. John joined us in July after receiving her PhD in Kinesiology: Occupational Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and following her completion of a Fulbright Future Postdoctoral Scholarship at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Center, La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia.  

Our Master of Occupational Therapy students continue to innovate and impact occupational therapy practice through the six graduate capstone projects that were completed this past academic year in partnership with six different community organizations. The projects were presented at our annual graduate symposium and showcase the rich diversity of occupational therapy practices and the work of OTs in traditional and non-traditional settings. Students also celebrated the completion of their academic training in our annual pinning ceremony prior to the beginning of six months of fieldwork training. 

Thanks to the generosity of alumni and donors to the Division of Occupational Therapy six students were awarded financial support through scholarships for their occupational therapy education. Congratulations are also in order for the student awardees who received scholarships this year from the UW GSEE and the American Occupational Therapy Foundation. 

Looking forward to the year ahead, we are thrilled to be hosting the 13th Annual OT Summit of Scholars in June of 2025. We will be welcoming occupational therapy and occupational science scholars and researchers from around the nation and globe to our beautiful campus in the Pacific Northwest to Connect, Cultivate, Transform: Advancing OT Research Together.

As always, our deepest gratitude to our occupational therapy community members who support our UW students and program through service on our advisory board, teaching, and fieldwork supervision. We are also grateful for the generous contributions to our student scholarship funds and in celebration of our 65th anniversary we invite you to contribute $65 to OT Education in honor of 65 years!

~Tracy Jirikowic, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

We recognize that the University of Washington stands on and that we live on the lands and waters of the Lushootseed speaking Peoples; the Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Tulalip and Puyallup. We are committed to creating space for these and other Indigenous peoples through our mentorship, teaching, research and service.

2024 OT scholarship recipients

Kit Wa Chiu - Elizabeth M. Kanny Endowed Student Support Fund for Occupational Therapy Students

Kaila Bulfin - Patricia A. Folsom Endowed Fund for Occupational Therapy Students

Amia-lee Johnson, Katia Oliva, Andrenika Slade, Megan Taketa - Fallon Endowed Scholarship Fund

You can read recipient bios and see their photos on our website.

2024-25 GSEE Graduate Tuition Award recipients

Kit Wa Chiu stated that "This award signifies recognition of my journey and dedication as a first-generation immigrant and college student, motivating me to continue advocating for diversity and equity within the occupational therapy profession. I plan to specialize in pediatric occupational therapy, focusing on underserved communities to ensure that children from diverse backgrounds receive the support they need, while advocating for systemic changes to create more inclusive and culturally responsive healthcare systems."

Maria Carina Lomas said the award "...reinforces my desire to further my education with the hopes of improving individual lives through the use of occupational therapy. My current job has given me the opportunity and insight to serve individuals in underrepresented communities within a mental health setting. These experiences have greatly strengthened my belief in the importance of equity, inclusion and diversity in occupational therapy."

Student advocacy -  Equity in OT education for students with disabilities

Natalie Grazian, co-authored an article in OT Practice Magazine and co-created a poster presentation for the 2024 American Occupational Therapy Association Inspire Conference and Expo.

Latino Center for Health Graduate and Professional Student Fellowship

Erika Reinhardt was awarded the Latino Center for Health Graduate and Professional Student Fellowship.

AOTF Award recipients

Karin Johnson received The Network for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns in Occupational Therapy Endowed Scholarship and Washington Occupational Therapy Association Endowed Scholarship.

Rob Austria was awarded the Washington Occupational Therapy Association Endowed Scholarship. Rob feels, "...honored and privileged to be recognized by a significant OT advocacy organization for the state that has become home to me. It is a rewarding feeling to have been supported by the UW MOT faculty and staff in not just this application but also throughout the course of graduate school."

GROW students visit Japan

MOT student, Randy Woychuk, along with a group of students from Global Rehabilitation Organization at Washington (GROW) met with researchers and clinicians in Japan recently. The trip included stops at medical universities, a prosthetics and orthotics factory, rehabilitation centers, and a Honda factory that largely employs people with disabilities for whom the equipment and workflows had been adapted. Besides learning about the therapies and support available to patients in Japan, GROW observed Respect for the Elderly Day, a Japanese national holiday, by visiting the atomic bomb museum in Hiroshima.

Our future

Congratulations to the MOT Class of 2024!

We would like to thank our contributors: Patsy Cadwell - UW Medicine Advancement, Melinda Johnston - UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Communications Manager, Bruce Fisher - Photography.