AMTA is excited to announce the 2025 recipient of the Arthur Flagler Fultz Research Award

Congratulations to the 2025 Arthur Flagler Fultz Research Award recipients, Amy Wilson, Ph.D., MT-BC, and Stephanie A. Kolakowsky-Hayner, Ph.D., CBIST, FACRM, and their winning proposal, “Recovery through Intervention and Sound Engagement (RISE).” 

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability combined in the world. The primary aim of this study is to determine if the Recovery through Intervention and Sound Engagement (RISE), a music-based intervention created based on a theoretical model of hope in the context of music therapy, can elevate mood and activate the process of broadening and building to increase hopeful thinking patterns. 

About the Recipients

Amy Wilson, Ph.D., MT-BC, is a music therapist at Saint Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute in Overland Park, Kansas. Her interest in hope and music therapy began at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2005 and continues with her current work in rehabilitation. Dr. Wilson proposed and developed the first music therapy position at Saint Luke’s Hospice in 2007. Dr. Wilson has clinical experience in hospice, behavioral health, and with bereaved children. In her doctoral studies at the University of Kansas, Dr. Wilson began a line of research studying the role of music-based interventions in hope for adult medical populations.

Stephanie Kolakowsky-Hayner, PhD, CBIST, FACRM is the Neuroscience Research Director at Saint Luke’s. She is an accomplished healthcare executive with over 25 years of leadership experience in research, clinical operations, mentoring, and strategic program development. Recognized for driving innovative initiatives that enhance patient outcomes, streamlining operations, and securing multi-million-dollar funding from federal and private sources, she has proven expertise in leading multidisciplinary teams, developing and implementing national protocols for traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury rehabilitation, developing comprehensive curricula for international certification, and influencing healthcare policy at the federal level. Stephanie is adept at cultivating collaborative partnerships with stakeholders, aligning research with organizational goals, and leveraging data-driven strategies to improve clinical outcomes. Dr. Kolakowsky-Hayner is committed to advancing clinical research, education, and advocacy through evidence-based practices and transformative leadership.

About the Arthur Flagler Fultz Research Fund

The Fultz Fund is an annual research grant of $20,000, awarded by AMTA and generously supported by David’s Fund by Tom and Lucy Ott. Fultz Fund Chair. Dr. Michele Forinash and Dr. Eugenia Hernandez-Ruiz led the submission review process. We are grateful to the reviewers and those who submitted a research proposal.

The first “Fultz” grant was awarded in 1999 and continues to this day to encourage, promote, and fund music therapy research and/or to conduct research on new and innovative music therapy treatments. The fund seeks to support research in the field of music therapy in the following areas: Clinical Research, informing best practices in music therapy, and Health Services Research, assessing the role of music therapy practice in the context of emerging health care delivery models.  A full list of recipients is available here.

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