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SCHOOL OF REHABILITATION SERVICES AND COUNSELING
ALUMNI AWARDS: CALL FOR NOMINATIONS 2023
The School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling (SRSC) at UTRGV is pleased to recognize distinguished school alumni who have made significant contributions in the field of rehabilitation counseling, both regionally and nationally. In recognition of our school alumni, this announcement serves as a call for nominations for the following two awards:
THE BEATRICE WRIGHT REGIONAL ALUMNI AWARD
This award is named after an advocate who worked tirelessly to improve services for people with disabilities. Dr. Wright advanced the idea that disability is not a problem centered within the individual, but rather a problem rooted in the psychological, social, and built environment in which people with disabilities live. This award honors alumni who have made a significant contribution within the region to the field of rehabilitation counseling, be it through education, publications, research, policy or legislative efforts, leadership, service, or advocacy.
THE JUSTIN DART NATIONAL ALUMNI AWARD
This award is named after “the father of the American Disabilities Act.” In his lifetime, Mr. Dart received several awards, among them the Presidential Medal of Freedom, this nation’s highest civilian award. He toured the country at his own expense to advocate for disability rights and to spread his vision of “the revolution of empowerment.” Toward this end, this award recognizes school alumni who have made significant contributions on a national level to the field of rehabilitation counseling, be it through publications, research, policy or legislative efforts, leadership, service or advocacy in the advancement and equality of people with disabilities.
For more information read the 2023 Alumni Awards Announcement
To Apply: If you are interested in nominating someone for this award, please download the 2023 Alumni Award Application form.
Self-nominations will not be accepted. Submit, as one PDF document, the completed application, a summary as to why you are nominating the nominee, 1 letter of support, and the nominee’s CV. Separate documents will not be accepted. Prior recipients must wait three years to be considered for the same award. Preference will be given to nominees who have not been previously awarded. Complete PDF packets are due no later than June 02, 2023 via e-mail to the awards committee chair (Rommel Johnson, rommel.johnson@utrgv.edu). Award recipients will be notified four weeks after the application deadline and will be acknowledged during SRSC’s Annual 2023 Conference later this summer (Date TBA).
If you are interested in nominating someone for this award, download the 2023 Alumni Awards Application
The Hidalgo County Commission voted Tuesday, April 19th to support a proclamation recognizing April 30th as National Therapy Animal Day.
National Therapy Animal Day was created by Pet Partners, the leading therapy dog organization to recognize all the exceptional therapy animals who partner with their handlers and can be found helping people of all ages in a variety of settings including hospital, schools, and nursing homes. The organization has more than 10,000 registered therapy animal teams, which make more than 3 million visits each year.
Denise Silcox, a Clinical Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling presented the proclamation to the commission while speaking about her experiences with therapy animals.
“We know that a visit from a therapy animal will not fix the serious problems in our Nation and our County, but they are always willing to lift a helping paw in trying situations. With Covid coming to an end, the time to advocate for therapy animals and to encourage facilities and volunteers to get involved is now”
