A Michigan college that is the proud recipient of the largest gift to an occupational therapy program in the U.S. knows exactly how it will divvy up the donation, according to a published report.
The Department of Occupational Therapy in the College of Health and Human Services at Western Michigan University took on the $2 million gift earlier this month from two residents of Kalamazoo, where the school is based, according to WMU News. The occupational therapy program's 90-year history makes it the oldest in the state of Michigan.
"This is a wonderful tribute to our program from two people who know this discipline better than anyone," school president John M. Dunn said during the announcement of the gift. "They have chosen to invest in the future of their profession by supporting a program that they know to be among the best in the world."
One-and-a-half million dollars will be used to endow an occupational therapy chair, and $250,000 apiece will be earmarked to establish a distinguished professor position and to fund innovative projects, such as the first online journal for the industry.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates prospects for occupational therapy jobs are projected to be strong, particularly for servicing the older generation.