Spotlight on Excellence: 2025 AOTF Fellowship and Scholarship Recipients

The American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) is thrilled to announce the recipients of its 2025 Fellowships and Scholarships. These prestigious awards recognize and support exceptional occupational therapy researchers and scholars advancing the field through innovative research and impactful scholarship.

2025 Fellowship Recipients:

Bridget Kraus, PhD, MOT, OTR/L: Postdoctoral Fellow at The Curators of the University of Missouri. Title: Occupational Therapy Practitioners' Understanding and Promotion of Spinal Cord Injury Self-Management Throughout the Continuum of Care. Recipient of the Nedra Gillette Endowed Research Fellowship: This award supports foundational occupational therapy studies into the human condition.  

Lindsay Spell, OTD, OTR/L: Postdoctoral Fellow at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Title: Asthma Home Occupation-based Modified Environmental (HOME) Assessment: Implementer Perspectives. Recipient of the Nancy Talbot Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: This fellowship seeks to improve diversity within the occupational therapy workforce.  

2025 Scholarship Recipients:

Marshae Franklin, OTD, MSOT, OTR/L: PhD Candidate Research Assistant at the University of Southern California. Title: Exploring Authentic Belonging as Narrated by Black Autistic Women in STEM and Its Implications for DEI in Higher Education and Beyond. Recipient of the Dr. Gary Kielhofner Doctoral Research Scholarship in Occupational Therapy: This scholarship recognizes research that advances the field of occupational therapy through investigations in key areas.  

Vanessa Yanez, MSOT, OTR/L: PhD Candidate at Texas Woman's University. Research Title: Exploration of the psychosocial experiences and occupational participation in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: A phenomenological study. Recipient of the Bonita Kraft Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Scholarship: This scholarship supports research in mental health and severe mental illness.  

Amy Watson-Grace, OTD, OTR/L, BCP: Graduate Research Associate at The Ohio State University. Research Title: Sensory Processing, Sex Differences, and Autism Special Education Eligibility: Investigating Policy, Perceptions, and Practice. Recipient of the Dr. A. Jean Ayres Doctoral Candidate Scholarship: This scholarship supports research in sensory integration and/or sensory processing.  

The Dr. Carolyn Baum Cognitive Function in Daily Life Mentor Award Recipient:

Timothy J. Wolf, OTD, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA from the University of Missouri. This award recognizes outstanding mentors in functional cognition research and provides funding to support their mentee's research. Dr. Wolf's mentee is Melanie Morriss Tkach.

Congratulations to all of the 2025 AOTF Funding Recipients! Their research promises to significantly impact the field of occupational therapy and improve the lives of individuals and communities.