OTD News Volume VI, Issue 1

Page 2 OTD NEWS, Volume VI, Issue 1 By: OTD Faculty The OTD program hosted its 4 th Annual Fall Ceremonies on Friday, November 13, 2015 at the Sheraton Hotel on Princess Palm Avenue in Tampa, Florida. The ceremonies consisted of four different celebrations: the white coat and Pinning ceremonies, the Pi Theta Epsilon-Beta Delta Tampa induction, and the Legacy Project Passing the Torch tradition. Over 250 guests attended, including Dr. Sandra Dunbar, DPA, OTR/L, FAOTA and Elena Vizvary, MS, OTR/L, Students’ families, friends and loved ones came from distant places like California, Colorado, Maryland, Santo Domingo of the Dominican Republic, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Virginia. Pi Theta Epsilon. Pi Theta Epsilon is the national honor society for occupational therapy students and alumni. PTE seeks to promote leadership, research, and scholastic excellence among occupational therapy students. Ten students were inducted this fall: Bryce Carsone, OTD-S; Lydia Fritzsche, OTD-S; Kerri Easterling, OTD-S; Sunayana Malavalli; OTD-S, Sarah Weldon, OTD-S; Cheryl Mae Granada, OTD-S; Kelsea Rose Grampp, OTD-S; Jordan Powers, OTD-S; Jonathan Pitts, OTD-S; and Nicole Kozee, OTD-S. White Coat and Pinning. The Class of 2018 received their white coats as it signals the transition into clinical work, in our program it signals the entry into professional coursework. The white coat represents clinical service and care, and the color represents purity and cleanliness (Whaley, 2014.) The Class of 2016 received the NSU shark pin. This pin symbolizes an important event and has a very special meaning. It signifies your entry into your doctoral transformation. It also means that you are not walking alone as well as your commitment to the profession of occupational therapy and is a reminder that you will always be a part of your Alma Mater, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) (Reinoso, 2015) The Passing of the Torch. Class of 2015 will be forever known for their creation of the Legacy Project and the journal, OCCUPATION: A Medium of Inquiry for Students, Faculty and Other Practitioners Advocating for Health through Occupational Studies. The torch has now been passed on to the Class of 2017!  Fall Ceremonies 2  1st Annual Research Colloquium 3  Student Occupational Therapy Association 4  Pi Theta Epsilon 5  FOTA: Louise Samson Award 6  “WFLA”: Faculty in the News 7  Alumni Corner 8  Honor Students 9-10 Inside this issue: