Sarah Schoen Wins Jim Hinojosa Alumni Award

Sarah Schoen, PhD, OTR/L

Congratulations to the recipient of the tenth annual Jim Hinojosa Distinguished Alumni Award, Sarah Schoen, PhD, OTR/L.

We are delighted to announce the recipient of the 2026 Jim Hinojosa Distinguished Alumni Award: Dr. Sarah Schoen. The award, named in honor of the late Dr. Jim Hinojosa’s immense impact on the NYU Steinhardt Department of Occupational Therapy and the entire field of OT, recognizes outstanding NYU OT alumni making significant contributions to the profession.

Dr. Sarah Schoen—a two time graduate of New York University’s occupational therapy program, holding both a Master’s degree and a Doctoral degree—is an Associate Professor in the Masters in Occupational Therapy Program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. She completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in Developmental Psychobiology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center prior to becoming the Associate Director and Director of Research at STAR Institute for Sensory Processing in collaboration with Dr Lucy Jane Miller.

Dr Schoen has 40 years of experience in Occupational Therapy as a clinician, mentor, researcher, and educator. Her clinical and research expertise in pediatrics focuses on neurodevelopmental disorders and sensory integration and processing. She helped establish the Sensory Integration Research Collaborative (SIRC) and has been a contributing member for the past 23 years. Dr Schoen has published over 70 research papers and is a co-author of the Sensory Processing 3 Dimensions Scale, which is in the final stages of development. She is an Associate Editor for the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, and regularly serves as a peer reviewer for multiple journals in the field. Dr Schoen received the Recognition of Achievement Award from AOTA in 1997, the Virginia Scardina Award of Excellence in 2011, and the A. Jean Ayres Award in 2022. In 2025, she was recognized as a fellow of AOTA, also receiving the Outstanding Mentor award from the organization.

We recently talked to Sarah about her career, her experiences at NYU, and her advice for future OTs and OT students. Please read on for the full interview.

Congratulations! What does receiving this award mean to you?

This award means the world to me. I feel truly blessed that I was able to do both my masters and PhD work at NYU and that I benefited from Dr. Hinojosa’s knowledge, wisdom, and kindness throughout those years of academic coursework and beyond into my career. He taught my pediatric courses, attended meetings of our pediatric special interest group over 40 years ago, and most importantly he helped me shape my dissertation research.

He truly impacted who I am as an OT, and my commitment to knowledge development and research. I will never forget the day Jim called me at work and invited me to enroll in the PhD program at NYU, and he continued to be a welcoming, familiar face on my visits to NYC after I moved to Denver for my post-doctoral work. As I reflect on this honor—one I will always cherish—it reminds me of how meaningful it is to trace the impact one person has, not just on the people they touch directly, but also on whomever those people go on to touch. This clearly represents the exponential influence Jim has had on the field.

What motivated you to pursue OT, and what continues to inspire you?

Everyone in OT always has an interesting story about how they ended up in the profession, and it often starts with a person who touched their lives. Mine was another OT who worked in the activities department of a psychiatric hospital. I spent a summer volunteering with her in Providence, RI and that inspired me to apply to OT schools. Happily, I landed back in my home town, NYC!

As a double graduate of NYU (Masters and later PhD), tell us about your journey through those programs, your time in between them, and how your career has developed beyond them. How did NYU Steinhardt prepare you for what came next?

NYU was an environment where I was able to thrive because of the support of the faculty and the “just right” academic challenges; it truly was the right place at the right time for me personally, professionally, and academically.

A PhD program was always something I knew I would pursue after my Masters. It was just a matter of time. So, in-between the degrees I solidified my clinical skills, took opportunities to hone my writing skills, to teach, and to present at professional meetings and guest lecture at local OT programs. But the PhD gave me so much more. It moved my critical thinking to a higher level, further refined my writing skills, and allowed me to evolve into a fully-fledged researcher. I discovered the joy of conducting research, publishing papers, and broadening my impact on the profession. My experience at NYU and Jim’s influence well-positioned me to mentor up-and-coming clinicians and researchers, encouraging critical thinking and especially being able to share my knowledge about frames of reference.

This award honors exemplary graduates and recognizes their contributions to the field – what are you most proud of/ what has been a notably rewarding experience?

Wow, that’s a tough question. There is no one thing I am most proud of, I think, but I do treasure my current role as a mentor to the next generation of researchers. I cherish the sense of community it has fostered, as well as motivating others to advance their own careers through critical thinking, knowledge, and growth. I am proud of my openness to learning, always striving to do more and give back to the profession. Being an OT has furnished me with so many outlets for my drive to continually grow personally and professionally.

You have been impressively active in research – what advice or words of wisdom do you have for students hoping to start careers in research, and for OT professionals further along that path?

I think everyone can benefit from collaborators and mentors at any stage of their career. I rarely publish alone because I benefit so much from others who can critically evaluate my work or contribute new ideas and perspectives. I have been blessed with opportunities to work with incredibly talented colleagues. I also believe strongly in the importance of a PhD for those professionals who aspire to a career in research – the knowledge and skills I obtained in the PhD program were invaluable to shaping my research career path.

What do you wish for the future of OT? How would you like to see the field develop and grow?

My hopes and dreams for OT are focused on the field of sensory integration and sensory processing. I want to see continued recognition for sensory integration across settings and across the lifespan. I see growth in its application in schools, and with adults, and I look forward to seeing how the evidence continues to build regarding its application and effectiveness. I hope the educational opportunities continue to expand along with this, as we move towards a shared vision on the direction of research priorities in the field.

Sarah Schoen NYU Distinguished Alumni Jim Hinojosa Award Speech April 2026

Thank you, to Dr Paula Kramer, and thank you to the entire NYU Occupational Therapy Department for this esteemed honor. NYU was truly the right place for me at exactly the right moment in my life. When I first applied to OT programs after college, I never imagined I would stay in the profession. But it took only one semester for me to realize that this was where I belonged.

Some of you may not even know the Barney Building, but that’s where the department lived in the early 80s. As a born-and-bred New Yorker, I was thrilled to be coming home—and even more thrilled to be living in Greenwich Village. But very quickly, the excitement of the city was matched, and then surpassed, by the passion I found in the program. The intellectual challenges, paired with the unwavering support, were distinctive and deeply meaningful. And at the center of that experience was Jim, along with the rest of the faculty.

Jim had a remarkable way of sharing knowledge—always pairing it with personal discovery. Learning never felt hard, but it always felt rewarding. He was kind, generous, and endlessly encouraging. He introduced me to pediatric OT, which unintentionally shifted me away from mental health, and that direction was solidified during my pediatric fieldwork with my dear friend Nancy, who is here today. I remain forever grateful to her for that experience.

Those early years were filled with adventures into the profession, all fueled by Jim’s support. He encouraged a small group of us pediatric clinicians to form a special interest group to deepen our knowledge. He got me involved in the New York State Association and helped me contribute to what I still believe was the best conference I had attended.

Then the journey took a remarkable turn. One day, Jim called me at my office while I was treating and asked if I wanted to enroll in the NYU OT PhD program. Advanced education had always been part of my aspirations, but this was a rare opportunity—the entire degree funded by the Maternal and Child Health Department of the U.S. Federal Government. At the time, MCH was working to elevate the academic preparation of several health professions, including nursing and occupational therapy, to meet the growing demand for research-driven clinical programs.

I was stunned. I called my mother and asked what I should do. She said, “Are you kidding? Of course you need to accept.” So I called Jim back immediately, and continued my journey …..with him in my corner.

The program was exhilarating. We met with leaders in the field, traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby with congressional representatives, and worked in small, dynamic student study groups of future PhD scholars. Jim served on my doctoral committee and played a vital role in shaping my research. I was excited by the idea of writing a frame of reference, and his guidance—along with the leadership of Dr. Anne Mosey, who chaired my committee—made that possible. It was truly a dream team, and they carried me across the finish line.

During that time, I had the privilege of serving as an adjunct faculty member in the NYU OT department, assisting with pediatrics and research courses, and later working part-time after completing my PhD. As much as I loved teaching, I knew research was my true calling. So I headed to Denver for a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Lucy Jane Miller—and I never left.

But Jim was always there. Through visits to the department, through conversations, and through the book that he and Paula transformed into an institution—Frames of Reference in Pediatric Occupational Therapy. I’ve been fortunate to contribute chapters to every edition, from Neurodevelopmental Treatment to Sensory Integration to the STAR Frame of Reference. And I’ve continued to support younger researchers and clinicians as they develop new frames of reference for the profession—two of which have now been published in our OT journals.

So how do we measure a life? By the people we touch and the legacy we leave. I cannot imagine anyone touching more lives or leaving a greater legacy than Jim. He left us far too soon, but his influence continues to shape countless careers, including mine. I am profoundly grateful for the gifts I received from him—and for the gifts I continue to receive from Paula, who also shaped my professional identity from day one and continues to impact me both personally and professionally.

As I stand here today, I carry with me every mentor who lifted me, every colleague who challenged me, and every student and child who reminded me why this work matters.

Thank you to the NYU Occupational Therapy Department, and to Paula, for this meaningful recognition. This award is not the end of a journey—it is a promise to keep giving back with the same generosity that was given to me. It is an honor I will carry with deep gratitude.