Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Lenin C. Grajo
This feature is part of UP CAMP’s Alumni Spotlight Series, highlighting the recipients of the CAMP Luminary Awards. Awarded during the College’s Foundation Month celebrations in November 2025, the CAMP Luminary Awards recognize alumni whose exceptional achievements and service have advanced their professions and created meaningful impact in society.
Among the awardees is Dr. Lenin C. Grajo, recipient of the CAMP Luminary Award for Global Impact – North America, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to occupational therapy education, scholarship, and leadership.
A graduate of the BS Occupational Therapy Batch 2003 of UP CAMP, Dr. Grajo has established himself as an internationally recognized educator and scholar. He earned a Master of Education in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University and a PhD in Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University. Throughout his career, he has received numerous distinctions for excellence in teaching and professional service, including the 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award from the UP Alumni Association and was recently inducted into the prestigious AOTA Roster of Fellows in 2026.
Dr. Grajo’s contributions to occupational therapy education have had a global reach. He has authored and co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and textbooks, and is widely recognized as a scholar promoting the clinical applications of the Theory of Occupational Adaptation. His work has been featured in major occupational therapy references, including multiple editions of Willard and Spackman’s Occupational Therapy and the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, 4th edition, one of the profession’s most influential guiding documents.
His scholarship has influenced occupational therapists, educators, and researchers worldwide. His publications have been widely cited internationally, while assessment tools he co-developed have been adopted in numerous countries and translated for use in the Philippines. Through these contributions, he has helped advance evidence-based occupational therapy practice and education across diverse settings.
In addition to his scholarly work, Dr. Grajo has provided leadership within the profession through various roles in the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), earning multiple Service Commendation Awards. He recently concluded his service as Chair of the Occupational Therapy Academic Leadership Council (OT-ALC), representing occupational therapy academic leaders across the United States. He is also an Associate Professor in Occupational Therapy and Psychiatry and Director of the Professional Education Programs at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Dr. Grajo also continues to contribute to the development of the occupational therapy profession in the Philippines and at UP CAMP. Through continuing education, mentorship, and engagement with local professionals and faculty members, he shares his expertise and supports the continuing growth of occupational therapy education and practice in the country.
UP CAMP proudly celebrates Dr. Grajo’s remarkable contributions to occupational therapy education and leadership, and his continued efforts to advance the profession on a global scale while exemplifying the excellence of UP CAMP alumni around the world.
