CAHS Distinguished Alumni
The University of Cincinnati College of Allied Health Sciences presents Distinguished Alumni awards on behalf of its four departments.
2026-27 CAHS Distinguished Alumni
Sandra Grether, PhD, ’94
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Sandi Grether, PhD, is a speech-language pathologist, educator and researcher whose career has focused on supporting children and families through clinical practice, education and research. She retired from the University of Cincinnati as an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she worked in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Her work has focused on pediatric hearing loss, intellectual disabilities, childhood apraxia of speech, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), with an emphasis on interdisciplinary training and research. Grether has continued to mentor and educate future speech-language pathologists and currently serves as a Capstone Content Expert in AAC for Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions’ Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology program
Bralynda Watkins ’12
School of Social Work
Bralynda Watkins, MSW, is a nonprofit leader with more than 30 years of experience in operations management, organizational development, process improvement and employee engagement. She is Chief Operating Officer of HERCincinnati, where she leads organizational operations and works to strengthen programs, processes and staff development. Previously, Watkins served in leadership roles with Cincinnati Union Bethel and Jewish Family Service and held a variety of operations, human resources and employee development positions with Comair Airlines. She has remained active in the nonprofit community and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Leadership Council for Nonprofits.
Danielle Morgan ’19, ’22
Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
Danielle Morgan, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist whose career has focused on helping patients maintain independence and improving care for older adults. She has practiced across skilled nursing, acute care, inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient settings, with a particular focus on fall prevention, aging in place and geriatric care. A graduate of UC’s occupational therapy program, Morgan has remained actively engaged with UC as a clinical educator and mentor, teaching and guiding occupational therapy students and supporting community outreach through the Successful Aging in the Geriatric Experience (SAGE) program. She was recognized with the 2026 Outstanding Fieldwork Educator Award for her dedication to developing future practitioners.
Jesse Floyd ’19
Department of Clinical Health and Information Sciences
Jesse Floyd, MHI, RHIA, is a health information management leader with 16 years of experience advancing healthcare operations through information management, technology and process improvement. He is Chief of Health Information Management Services at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System in Charleston, S.C., where he oversees multiple health information programs. Throughout his career, Floyd has combined healthcare expertise with technology and analytics to improve efficiency, strengthen information integrity, and support quality patient care.
Past Honorees
- Colleen O’Rourke, PhD ’72 – Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Karthik Ramani, MD ’18 – School of Social Work
- Kelli Barton Schneider, DPT ’12, ’15 – Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
- Kenneth Harker ’18 – Department of Clinical and Health Information Sciences
- Nancy Creaghead, PhD ’78 – Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Angela King, MSW ’12 – School of Social Work
- Kyle Nordrum, DPT ’15 – Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
- Sandra Soto ’04 – Department of Clinical and Health Information Sciences
- A.U. Bankaitis, PhD ’95 - Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Cynthia Blocksom, MEd, RDN ’79 - Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
- Siu-Fung "Will" Chan, MD ’03 - Department of Clinical and Health Information Sciences
- Lauree Handlon, MHA ’17 - School of Social Work
- Henna Muzaffar, PhD, RDN ’03, ’05 – Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
This event is open to all University of Cincinnati alumni, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, or any other class or status protected by applicable law.