Roster of Fellows Award
Established in 1973, the Roster of Fellows recognizes occupational therapists who have made a sustained, documented contribution to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) through volunteer service, leadership, advocacy, and/or expertise. Recipients have demonstrated a pattern of giving back to the Association, going beyond the expectations of professional practice, and have produced a measurable impact on members, consumers of occupational therapy services, or the profession as a whole.
Spirit of the Award
This award honors those who have genuinely invested their time in AOTA. Fellowship is not a recognition of long careers or clinical excellence alone — it is earned through demonstrated, sustained volunteer contribution to the Association.
Description and Purpose
- To recognize occupational therapists who, through sustained volunteer service and contribution to AOTA, have demonstrably advanced the profession and/or served its members, consumers of OT services, or the public.
- To distinguish sustained, above-and-beyond contribution to AOTA from exemplary clinical practice or professional accomplishment alone.
- To provide an incentive for active volunteerism with AOTA and leadership within the Association.
- To honor the alignment of professional expertise with meaningful organizational service over time.
Criteria
All criteria must be met for a nomination to be considered. Nominations are evaluated based on the scope of the nominee’s volunteer contribution, the documented impact of that contribution, and the nominee’s sustained influence on AOTA or the profession over time.
- The nominee must be an active member of AOTA at the time of nomination and at the time the award is given
- Sustained AOTA Volunteer Service: The nominee must demonstrate a minimum of five (5) cumulative years of documented volunteer service to AOTA, exclusive of compensated employment. Service may include committee membership, task force participation, elected or appointed leadership, special projects, or other formal volunteer roles. Service to state associations or external bodies does not fulfill this requirement unless undertaken in an official AOTA capacity
- Above-and-Beyond Contribution: The nominated service must be clearly distinguishable from the nominee’s paid professional responsibilities. Nominators must explicitly describe what was volunteered: time, expertise, or leadership, and why this goes beyond normal work expectations. Reviewers will not infer this distinction; if it is not documented, it will not be credited. Titles, length of service, or prestige of roles are not evaluated independently of documented outcomes.
- Demonstrated Impact: The nomination must document a measurable or clearly describable impact on AOTA, its members, or consumers of OT services. Impact must be specific. Examples include growth of a program or initiative, documented policy influence, mentorship outcomes, or member-reported benefit.
- Scholarly or Organizational Contribution (at least one): The nominee has contributed through scholarly work (publications, research, presentations) and/or organizational leadership (committee chair, elected officer, working group lead) that has advanced the Association’s mission.
What Does Not Qualify Alone
- Years in the occupational therapy field, clinical excellence, employer-assigned committee work, service to organizations other than AOTA (unless in an official AOTA capacity), and strong nominations with no documented impact do not, by themselves, meet the criteria for this award. Nominators must connect the nominee’s AOTA volunteer contribution to a specific and documented outcome.
Previous recipients: 2017–Present
The following members have been awarded the Roster of Fellows Award.
Previous recipients: 2006–2016
The following members have been awarded the Roster of Fellows Award.
Previous recipients: 1995–2005
The following members have been awarded the Roster of Fellows Award.
Previous recipients: 1984–1994
The following members have been awarded the Roster of Fellows Award.
Previous recipients: 1973–1983
The following members have been awarded the Roster of Fellows Award.