The Department of Allied Health Sciences celebrated its 11th annual Scholarships and Awards Brunch, designed to celebrate donors and students across eight departmental programs.
More than 175 people, including dozens of esteemed donors, joined more than 100 student scholars from the Department of Allied Health Sciences to celebrate the department’s eleventh annual Scholarships and Awards Brunch on Saturday, November 11, 2017. Student scholars represented eight programs within the department.
Programs represented at the brunch included:
- Division of Clinical Laboratory Science
- Division of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling
- Physician Assistant Studies
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
- Division of Physical Therapy
- Neurodiagnostics and Sleep Science
- Division of Radiologic Science
- Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences
Highlights included a speech from Jennell McIntosh, a third year Doctor of Physical Therapy student. McIntosh was the recipient of the Rose and Dave Hamm Annual Scholarship for Clinical Excellence in Physical Therapy.
McIntosh spoke about the importance of increasing the diversity of professionals within the field of physical therapy. She spoke about her time volunteering with the local Boys and Girls Club and teaching the students about physical therapy as a career, the importance of being physically fit and active, and exposing them to the field in general.
“It became my mission to not only become an exemplary physical therapist, but to make an active, conscious effort towards promoting the profession to little brown boys and girls,” McIntosh said. “The excitement in the eyes of those children continues to push me today to do my very best in the classroom and the clinic.”
Dr. Stephen Hooper, chair of the Department of Allied Health Sciences, and a professor and associate dean at the UNC School of Medicine, provided opening remarks. He wished a happy Veterans Day to those who are both esteemed donors and current students. “We are grateful for your service and honored to recognize you here today,” Hooper said.
Hooper expressed his sincere appreciation for the support from the donors. Because of the generosity and gifts from donors, students will benefit from the University’s newly launched The Campaign for Carolina. “We will champion our faculty through highlighting their innovation, technology, and research,” Hooper said.
“We will inspire loyalty in our students through enrichment opportunities to advance allied health education—all to serve more North Carolinians.
The annual brunch was held at the Rizzo Conference Center in Chapel Hill.