On Sunday, July 9^th, 2023, the Occupational Therapy profession lost a genuinely wonderful person and significant member of our community, Lands Banks. Lands served as the Manager of Administration and Facilities for AOTA for over 25 years. Lands was an integral part of AOTA, a man with a magnetic and uplifting personality who was always there to help friends, colleagues, and family members. His passing leaves a large hole in the hearts of all those who knew him and those impacted by his work.

AOTF, AOTA, and its donors have created the Lands Banks Memorial Scholarship in Occupational Therapy to honor his memory and further his legacy. Thanks to the generosity of friends, family, colleagues, and dozens of occupational therapists, the Lands Banks Memorial Scholarship is now endowed! AOTF is highly grateful to all the donors who have helped secure this scholarship forever and keep Lands’ spirit alive by helping future generations of occupational therapy students. 

Congratulations to our inaugural recipient, Katerina Garbis, University of Illinois-Chicago!

• "I was introduced to the OT field by one of my childhood friends. I was feeling stuck and unsure of what I wanted to do during college, confused about how to incorporate all of my interests into my future career. She recommended I shadow some OTs, and I ended up loving it! I was drawn by the community care aspect of OT and how we encourage working with empathy at the forefront and by considering all aspects of a person. I also saw that as occupational therapists, we help people who may feel like they are at the lowest point in their life, where being unable to complete a part of a routine may feel dehumanizing and frustrating. I realized I would be a comforting figure in people's lives as an occupational therapist, and someone my patients found approachable in such a vulnerable time."

The Lands Banks Memorial Scholarship in Occupational Therapy will provide financial aid to support a student in pursuing their degree. Eligible candidates must be pursuing an entry-level degree, i.e., OTA, MOT, MSOT, or OTD, at an AOTA-accredited US institution, enrolled as a full-time student, and have completed at least one year of coursework.

In addition, candidates for this scholarship must demonstrate their involvement in community service and/or service leadership.

Preference for this scholarship will be given to students from historically underrepresented minorities in occupational therapy.

The annual scholarship award will be $2,000.

Support the Lands Banks Memorial Scholarship and the memory of Lands Banks with AOTA's I GOT YOU shirts, tumblers, and bags.

The American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) is thrilled to announce the recipients of its 2025 Research Fellowships and Scholarships. This funding supports post-doctoral researchers and doctoral candidates in pursuing their OT research. 

2025 Research 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 Research 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 American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) is also excited to announce the inaugural recipient of our new mentorship funding!

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.