Occupational therapy students win prestigious awards

Erin Caspers and Vanessa Pinto, both graduate students in the Department of Occupational Therapy, have recently received fellowships for the 2017-18 academic year.

Erin Caspers will receive a $5,000 Dr. Margaret Berry Fellowship after placing third nationwide in the National Alpha Lambda Delta Graduate Fellowship competition.

The National Council offers 26 graduate fellowships each year, ranging in value from $3,000 to $7,500. These fellowships are available to Alpha Lambda Delta members with a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA. Other factors considered include employment, campus activities and letters of recommendation.

Caspers, currently in the 4+1 accelerated OT program, graduated with her bachelor's degree this April and will earn her master's degree in June 2018. This summer, Erin will be volunteering at Adam's Camp, an adaptive sports camp in Colorado for children with disabilities, before beginning her full-time graduate studies in July.

Vanessa Pinto will receive the WMU Thurgood Marshall Fellowship for 2017. This is a highly competitive fellowship and a limited number are awarded annually.

Recipients of the Thurgood Marshall Fellowship are selected because they exemplify the values and accomplishments of Marshall, the first African-American justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, who also successfully argued Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. In addition to nullifying the legal basis for racial segregation, that case also shows that the Constitution necessarily must evolve to accommodate a deeper understanding of human values. In Marshall's view, the noblest citizens are those who labor toward this refinement.

Vanessa will be engaged in research within the OT department over the summer, including assisting with data analysis of views toward Hispanics among CHHS students. She will also be preparing for her level II fieldwork placement beginning in summer II.