Candy Cooley joined AOTF in 2025 as the Executive Assistant. Candy provides administrative support to the Executive Office and serves as the primary point of contact for the Board of Trustees, as well as for strategic planning activities and several standing committees. Candy also supports the Foundation’s Awards & Recognition Program, volunteer development, and nominations processes, and assists with the coordination of the Planning Grant Collective, Engage Summit Conference, and Annual Conference.

Before joining AOTF, Candy held executive administrative assistant and program specialist roles at the National Institute of Health, where she focused on improving operational systems, supporting leadership teams, and fostering mission-driven collaborations.

Candy attend Rochester Institute of Technology followed by UMGC for her BBA- Bachelor of Business Administration. Outside the office, you will often find me exploring different restaurants & foods, indulging in culinary adventures, I love spending time in the mountains as well as at the beach. My most precious moments are spent with my daughter and my family.

The AOTF Scholarship Program is proud to recognize the dedicated service of Kerri Morgan, PhD, OTR/L, ATP, professor at Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, as she concludes her term as Co-Chair of the Scholarship Review Committee. Dr. Morgan's leadership has been instrumental in modernizing the application and review process, making it more user-friendly for students and more efficient for reviewers.

Under her guidance, the program experienced remarkable growth. In the most recent cycle, the Scholarship Program received nearly 350 applications and awarded over 50 scholarships—a significant increase in both applicants and awards compared to previous years.

While Dr. Morgan will be stepping down from her Co-Chair role, Mary Zadnik, PhD, OTR/L, will continue in her position, providing continuity and experienced leadership. Joining her as the new Co-Chair is Tracey Recigno, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, a professional occupational therapist with nearly two decades of experience in clinical and academic settings. Dr. Recigno is the program director for the developing hybrid Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at Hawai‘i Pacific University in Honolulu. Though the program is based in O‘ahu, she resides in southern New Jersey, just outside Philadelphia. In addition to her new role, Dr. Recigno also serves as Vice President of Pi Theta Epsilon (PTE), a national occupational therapy honor society. 

New Timeline for the 2026 Application Cycle

In a departure from tradition, the AOTF Scholarship Program will shift its application launch from mid-August to mid-January 2026. This change is designed to better align with academic calendars and provide applicants with additional preparation time. Scholarship recipients will be notified in May 2026.

For more information about the Scholarship Program or to submit questions, please contact: David Robertson, scholarships@aotf.org.