University of Pittsburgh Student Occupational Therapy Association
The officers from the graduating class of 2010 are:
Wikar Kadhim
President
Amanda Miller
Vice-President
Lori Sopko
Secretary
Anne Marie Sweeney
Business Manager/Treasurer
Betsy Boyce
Class Liaison
Caitlin Feeney
AOTA Representative
Michelle Straitiff
POTA Representative
Sarah Petrus, Ryann West
Student Advisory Board
Dawn Crivello
Academic Integrity Hearing Board
Sarah Heim, Susie Hirsch
Store Manager
Natalie D’Angelo, Benjie Gross
Photographer
The officers from the graduating class of 2011 are:
Matt Blinky
President
Geoff Mack
Vice-President
Laura Mariotti
Secretary
Elizabeth Fox
Business Manager/Treasurer
Allison Shearer
Class Liaison
Elyse Aufman
AOTA Representative
Kara Cutshall
POTA Representative
Jill Smolenski
Emily McCalmont
Student Advisory Board
Kim Troiano
Academic Integrity Hearing Board
Chris Bollinger
Heather Gresh
Store Manager
Jamie Musick
Abby Schaffer
Photographer
Read about UPSOTA activities in the UPSOTA newsletter
Pitt MOT Students achieved the Silver Level of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA) Student Membership Circle. To achieve the Silver Level, 85% of students must be members of AOTA - 93% of Pitt MOT students are members!
Occupational therapy students have been involved in the following activities:
Drs. Ketki Raina, Min-Mei Shih, and MOT students - Betsy Boyce, Katherine Boyle, Heidi Carpenter, Megan Duncan, Benjamin Gross, Wikar Kadhim, Sudong Kang, Ashley Keene, Amanda Miller, Chikaodiri Onuoha, Angela Pasquarelli, Anne Marie Sweeney, Carla Tcruz, Ryann West, and Lori Zatlokovicz represented the Department of Occupational Therapy at The Assistive Technology Day for the Pennsylvania Governors’ School for Healthcare.
Dr. Denise Chisholm and MOT Students – Betsy Boyce, Katie Cech, Alisha Cousins, Dawn Crivello, Cortney DiVito, Lori Fantazzi, Benjamin Gross, Susanne Hirsch, Wikar Kadhim, Ashley Keene, Rory Mahoney, Renee McDade, Chikaodiri Onuoha, Angela Pasquarelli, Sara Pelikan, Hannah Ritter, Melissa Stauffer, Ann Marie Sweeney, Carla Tcruz, and Lori Zatlokovicz represented the Department of Occupational Therapy at The 6th Annual Southwest Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center Summer Health Career Academy.
Dr. Ketki Raina, Mary Lou Leibold, and MOT students – Alisha Cousins, Benjamin Gross, Ashley Keene, Amanda Miller, Shelley McCauley, Missy Stauffer, and Jeanna Thomas represented the Department of Occupational Therapy at the “So You Want To Be A . . .” event for high school students and their families.
Natalie D'Angelo, Benjamin Gross, Yu Yun Huang, Shelley McCauley, Amanda Miller, and Sarah Petrus represented the Department of Occupational Therapy at the "National Disability Day" event and provided assistance to students with disabilities.
Betsy Boyce, Benjamin Gross, and Caitlin Finney represented the Department of Occupational Therapy at the School to Career Day sponsored by the Oakland Planning and Development Corps.
Betsy Boyce and Benjamin Gross represented the Department of Occupational Therapy at Career Connections Charter High School of Pittsburgh.
Ellen Malinoski, Sarah Petrus and Jeanna Thomas represented the Department of Occupational Therapy in a joint presentation with Dr. Denise Chisholm. The students presented the “student perspective” in a presentation that included information on occupational therapy as a profession and the requirements and application process for PITT’s MOT program.
Faculty of the Department of Occupational Therapy (Dr. Denise Chisholm and Pam Toto) and 23 1st year MOT students assisted local organizations rebuild and repair the homes of low-income homeowners in Allegheny County, particularly the elderly and those with disabilities, through Rebuilding Together. In the weeks preceding National Rebuilding Day occupational therapy students and faculty worked with the contractor and home owner to identify homeowner needs, home safety issues, and make recommendations for environmental accommodations.
The Beta Tau Chapter of Pi Theta Epsilon started their “Breakfast Club” Journal Club meetings this May. Two faculty representatives, Drs. Elizabeth Skidmore and Nancy Baker, have each reviewed one of their articles.
Courtney Baressi, Heidi Carpenter, Natalie D’Angelo, Susanne Hirsch, Julie Kearney, Ashley Keene, Amanda Miller, Lori Sopko, Melissa Stauffer, Anne Marie Sweeney, Kim Thomas, and John Willet raised money for arthritis research by participating in the Arthritis Foundation’s Annual Arthritis Walk at Kennywood Amusement Park.
PAC The House event . . . The Distinguished Occupational Therapy Advocating Committee (DOTAC) of the University of Pittsburgh Student Occupational Therapy Association (UPSOTA) raised $575 for the American Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee (AOTPAC) with the PAC The House fundraising event. DOTAC was established by the male students in the MOT Class of 2011.
Michelle Anderson and Stephanie Young, mentored by Drs. Denise Chisholm and Ketki Raina, presented on their experiences abroad at the 31st Annual POTA Conference.
Pi Theta Epsilon, Beta Tau Chapter – Betsy Boyce, Alisha Cousins, Cortney DiVito, Caitlin Feeney, Ellen Malinoski, Shelley McCauley, Renee McDade, Amanda Miller, Angela Pasquarelli, Sarah Petrus, Lori Sopko, Anne Marie Sweeney, Carla Tcruz, and Jeanna Thomas were inducted March 2009. Pi Theta Epsilon is the national honor society for occupational therapy students. More information on Pi Theta Epsilon is available here.
University of Pittsburgh Occupational Therapy Students have received the following Honors, Awards and Scholarships:
Student Representative (2008-2010), Commission on Education, Assembly of Student Delegates, American Occupational Therapy Association – Abbey Sipp. Abbey was elected from a national pool of candidates.
2009 Award of Scholarly Excellence, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh – Laura Waterstram for her scholastic achievement and scholarly excellence in research activities.
2009 Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Scholarship – Michelle Anderson.
2009 Jewish Healthcare Foundation Patient Safety Fellowship – Betsy Boyce, Natalie D’Angelo, Benjamin Gross and Melissa Stauffer.
2009 Interprofessional Student Competition, Advancing Interprofessional Student Education at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences – Benjamin Gross and Wikar Kadhim were members of the team selected as the 1st Runner Up.
2009 SHRS Poster Contest – Melissa Stauffer was the 2nd prize winner of the graduate category for her poster titled, Equine Assisted Therapy.
2009 Greek Room Committee Scholarship, Nationality Rooms, University of Pittsburgh – Melissa Stauffer. The scholarship will support her volunteer experience in the Experiential Learning International’s (ELI) Program in Greece.
2009 Fred C. Bruhns Memorial Award, Nationality Rooms, University of Pittsburgh – Wikar Kadhim. The scholarship will support his volunteer experience in the Experiential Learning International’s (ELI) Program in Jordan.
2008-2009 Jewish Healthcare Foundation Jonas Salk Fellowship – Michelle Anderson, Benjamin Gross, and Wikar Kadhim.
2009 Mary Minglen Memorial Scholarship, American Occupational Therapy Foundation – Abby Sipp.
2009 Anne Pascascio Scholarship, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences – Shelley McCauley.
2008 SHRS Scholarship – Wikar Kadhim.
2008-2009 UPMC Endowed Scholarship – Sarah Petrus.
2008 Pitt Alumni Association Graduate Scholarship – Sarah Petrus.
2008 Abe and Jean Comensky Memorial Scholarship, United Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh – Benjamin Gross.