NCOTA Awards & Recognitions

NCOTA confers awards and recognitions yearly to recognize outstanding contributions and accomplishments of members.

Award of Appreciation
Expresses the appreciation of the NCOTA for significant contributions to the advancement of occupational therapy in North Carolina during the preceding year. Nominees may be individuals or groups. This award is open to non-members (non-OT/OTA) and to members. This award is noncompetitive.
 

Award for Outstanding Practice
Recognizes an individual for practice excellence in Physical Disabilities, Administration, Pediatrics, Home Health, Gerontology, Mental Health, Clinical Education (both academic and nonacademic), Community Service, Developmental Disabilities, Research, and Technology. This award is competitive within the area of practice recognized.

Janice O’Conner Alvarez Clinical Fieldwork Education Award
Recognizes an outstanding clinical fieldwork educator or clinical fieldwork coordinator/ supervisor. This award may be presented to one individual yearly.
 

Award of Merit
Recognizes outstanding contributions to the profession of Occupational Therapy in the preceding year by an NCOTA member.
 

Nova Award
Recognizes outstanding achievement in the practice of occupational therapy and NCOTA during the individual’s first five years in the profession. This award is presented to an individual once and is not necessarily awarded each year.
 

OTA Award
Recognizes outstanding achievement in the practice of occupational therapy and NCOTA. This award is presented to an individual once and is not necessarily awarded each year.

Suzanne C. Scullin Award
This is the ultimate award for a broad scope of contributions to the practice of occupational therapy and NCOTA. This award is presented to an individual only once and is not necessarily awarded each year.

The Suzanne C. Scullln Memorial Award is the highest award presented by the NCOTA. The award is designated to recognize an individual who has made a wide range of contributions to the practice of occupational therapy and to the NCOTA. Suzanne Chase Scullin, in whose memory the award was established, was born in 1945 in Columbus, Ohio. Suzanne went to OT school at the Ohio State University and her first job was as a psychiatric occupational therapist at Upham Hall at the OSU Medical Center. In 1970, Suzanne began work at NC Memorial Hospital in the department of Psychiatric Occupational Therapy. She quickly established and demonstrated her excellent treatment skills and was an energetic contributor to program development. In 1974, she became interested in pediatric occupational therapy and was developing a very good outpatient program. Suzanne's career was cut short by her death in an automobile accident in June 1976. She was survived by her husband and one child. It was her degree of professional integrity and sound clinical competence which is commended and perpetuated through recognition of our colleagues in Suzanne's honor and memory. The Suzanne C. Scullin Memorial Award is presented to an individual only once and is awarded only when an individual is identified who meets the high standards and accomplishments the award recognizes. It is not necessarily awarded each year. Scullin awardees are announced and recognized at the NCOTA annual conference awards ceremony. They receive a plaque and also receive a life membership in NCOTA. The members who have received this award have all made broad and lasting contributions to occupational therapy and to the North Carolina Occupational Therapy Association. The Scullin honorees include:

• 1976-Beverley Gaines
• 1977-Irene Hollis
• 1978-Juta Fowlkes
• 1979-Marlys Mitchell
• 1980-Jane Rourk
• 1981-Judy Colditz
• 1982-Shellye Bittinger
• 1983-Scott Worley
• 1984-Randy Strickland
• 1985-Cathy Nielson
• 1986-Betty Dickey
• 1987-Kathleen Jones
• 1988-Teepa Snow
• 1989-Virginia King
• 1991-Robbin Newton
• 1995-Peggy Wittman
• 1996-Kim Townsend
• 1997-Carol Siebert
• 1998-Wendy Wood
• 1999-Tony Bright
• 2000--Sherry Stancliff
• 2001-Lynn Losada
• 2002-Sue Coppola
• 2003-Evelyn Bloch
• 2005-Jan McKelvey
• 2007-Cindy Bell
• 2008-Bill Walsh

Nominees for all awards (except for non-practitioner nominees for the Award of Appreciation) must be current NCOTA members in good standing.