OT students attend summer institute for future scientists

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Elsie Bush and Colette Chapp

Two students from WMU's occupational therapy graduate program will attend the third annual Summer Institute of Future Scientists in Occupational Therapy in June. The one-day program matches future student scientists with doctoral and post-doctorate mentors.

Elsie Bush and Colette Chapp, first and second-year grad students respectively, were selected from a group of highly qualified applicants that submitted to a rigorous application process.

The institute is a joint program from the American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Foundation that seeks to identify potential scientists in entry-level education programs, connect them with mentors in the OT scientific community and help students develop a peer network.

"I'm very proud of these students," says Dr. Maureen Mickus, associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy. "I'm so excited for both of them and know that this will contribute to their skills related to research in the field."

The facilitators and mentors will be composed of faculty and doctoral/post-doctoral students from established research programs around the nation, which makes the institute an ideal networking opportunity for attendees. In addition, all students who attend the institute are also invited to the two-day Occupational Therapy Summit of Scholars, which immediately follows the institute at the University of Kansas Medical Center.