The Center for Graduate Studies hosted the first induction ceremony for West Coast University’s masters of occupational therapy honor society this September.

WCU MSOT: Delta Tau

Payal Bhakta Jacquelyn Braceros Patrick Castillo Tatyana Casto Jennifer Gonzales Susie Hartounian Amber Hubbard Kelly Ibarra Amy Ikeda Jennifer Lian Shannon Kelly

Katherine Malley Stephanie May Kristin Niccoli Julie Nguyen Shari Poindexter Lorraine Ravarra Alexandra Shapiro Michaella Vance Kathrina Viado Melanie Villarroel Christine Yoon

“This was the induction ceremony for Phi Theta Epsilon. We are the Delta Tau chapter of the Occupational Therapy Honor Society,” chapter president and WCU MSOT student Shari Poindexter said. “What we do is advance the profession by doing scholarly activities like offer seminars to new grads, we can do research projects, we can do volunteer activities in the community, we can do anything that raises awareness of occupational therapy and advances our profession.”

To be eligible, students must be in the top third of their cohort for grade point average and demonstrate on the application their level of scholarship and leadership to apply. More than 20 WCU MSOT students took part in the inaugural ceremony with WCU MSOT founding dean and program director Nicolaas van den Heever and Associate Professor Ann E. McDonald. Phi Theta Epsilon is part of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation and Dr. van den Heever was just elected as a member of the AOTF Development Council.

“Like our speaker, Dr. Pamela Roberts, shared with us today, we’re at a critical moment in public healthcare where we really need to be out in the forefront showing society who we are as a profession,” McDonald said. “We are really trying to be there for the population through improving health and wellness and we need more leaders to do that.”

Poindexter said the group has started planning its first activity and plans to complete a project before December

“We’re a group of highly motivated individuals that are interested in advancing occupational therapy and working on projects that will help us grow as practitioners and leaders in our profession,” Poindexter said.

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