Awards

UOTA Eunice Chen Mentorship Award

Purpose: To provide recognition to an occupational therapy professional who has demonstrated excellence in mentorship related to the profession of Occupational Therapy in the state of Utah.

2024 Recipient: Steven Smith

Steven has been a willing mentor for many years to many students who are hoping to become Occupational Therapists. He is always willing to let students come and shadow with him as they are needing to get their hours in place prior to applying to school when many other therapists say no. He offers kind, direct feedback and explains the OT process so well. He has inspired many to continue in their pursuit of becoming an occupational therapist, including taking on level I and level II fieldwork students. He does OT in the right way, by engaging with his students and making sure their needs are met despite their challenges and disabilities.

Past Award Recipients

UOTA Excellence in Practice Award

Purpose: To give recognition to an Occupational Therapy professional that has demonstrated excellence in- practice, research, education and/or collaboration, and who has contributed to the enhancement of the profession of Occupational Therapy in the state of Utah.

2024 Recipient: Travis Chamberlin Travis is leading change in so many areas of our profession.  He has led the charge toward ensuring that occupational therapy is a valued service in school districts in Utah.  He is an excellent example of the type of professional we should all strive to be.

Past Award Recipients

UOTA Bonnie Held Award of Service

Purpose: To give recognition to an Occupational Therapy professional that has demonstrated excellence in service to- OT practice, the UOTA organization and the community.

2024 Recipient: Lynn FarleyAs co-chair for the UOTA Annual Conference, Dr. Farley's efforts have elevated the annual conference to a new level- the first UOTA Annual Conference sell-out. To most conference attendees, the annual conference is frequently viewed as a one-day event where OT practitioners gather to renew associations and fulfill continuing education requirements. In reality, the annual conference is a year-long planning process requiring diligent attention to myriad details and hoping that everyone shows up when they need to.

In addition to co-chairing the conference, Lynn recently transitioned to serve as our Vice President, where she demonstrates servant leadership within the executive board and committees. She has great ideas and she is eager to put her shoulder to the wheel to help.  Her love for OT is evident in all that she does. Lynn is very deserving of the Bonnie Held Award of Service.

Past Award Recipients

UOTA OT/OTA Partnership Award

Purpose: To give recognition to an occupational therapist and an occupational therapy assistant residing and working in the state of Utah, who exemplify the professional partnership through collaborative efforts that promote the occupational therapy profession, and to provide motivation for OT/OTA partnerships throughout the state to contribute to the innovative progression of occupational therapy through OT/OTA partnerships.

2024 Recipients: Lauren Enderly and Janet SouthwickLauren Enderly, OT, and Janet Southwick, OTA, are an exceptionally good OT team working together in Weber School District.  During COVID-19, Janet volunteered to take on additional schools when an OT team member unexpectedly needed to leave.  Janet finished off the school year without complaint and made sure that her students made adequate progress.  In the fall, Lauren Enderly, a newly graduated OT from Ohio, joined Weber School District and was assigned to work with Janet. With nearly two decades of OT experience, Janet helped Lauren with the day-to-day procedures of school-based practice and encouraged her to think deeply about their students so that they could use their time wisely and effectively.  Janet and Lauren have now worked many years together as a strong OT/OTA team. Through reflection, they have made changes to better serve their students. They recently saw a need to provide more school-wide training in handwriting instruction. As a result of their efforts, they are now influencing more students with writing development than they had ever anticipated. Lauren and Janet are ideal candidates for the UOTA OT/OTA Partnership Award.

Past Award Recipients

 

UOTA Lifetime Membership Award

Purpose: To give recognition to a retired UOTA member who has been dedicated to the OT profession and UOTA over the years.

2023 Recipient: Mary Ann Gunnuscio, COTA/L
Mary Ann is a retired occupational therapy assistant who has been a UOTA member since 1997 (minus one year) or 25 years! She served as UOTA Executive Board OTA Representative from about 2005 to 2007. She currently serves as the Specialty Practice Liaison for Adult Rehabilitation and on the Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures as a committee member (2022-current). She was the 2019 UOTA Annual Conference Keynote Speaker on the topic "Compensated Work Therapy Program for Veterans" which she initiated at Utah's Veterans Medical Center. Mary Ann  was also the recipient of the OT/OTA Partnership award in 2017 and 2019. Mary Ann started out as an OTA in home health and  later spent  20 years at the Veterans Medical Center in rehabilitation (14 years), outpatient, acute care including intensive care, and home health. As a fieldwork educator for OTA students, Mary Ann has mentored over 30 students! Other awards she has received include the Fieldwork Educators Award in 2011, nominated for the "Spirit of George Wahlen " award in 2017, nominated for the "Gertie Gibson safety award” in 2019, and recipient of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs Special Contribution award in 2003.  A nominator said, “Mary Ann has always been involved with committees and is a good example of all the values of being an OT practitioner. She retired from the VA and was an asset to all in her office. She has mentored me and so many other COTA and OT students throughout her career and has greatly impacted many others by her willingness to be a clinical instructor.”