Dr. Rory Cooper Receives IEEE Honor

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Rory Cooper, PhD, FISA & Paralyzed Veterans of America Professor and Distinguished Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology, Professor of Bioengineering, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, Founding Director and VA Senior Research Career Scientist of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, is the recipient of the IEEE 2022 Award for Biomedical Engineering. He received this honor “for extensive contributions to wheelchair technology that have expanded mobility and reduced secondary injuries for millions of people with disabilities.”

Dr. Cooper notes, “Thank you for helping to make it possible for me to be the recipient of the 2022 award (medal) for Biomedical Engineering. It was a long team effort starting many years ago with Boy Scouts, SLOSH, US Army, VA GI-Bill, Cal Poly, Paralympics, UCSB, CSUS, and the University of Pittsburgh and VA. As well as many people along the way – then and now. Also, a special thanks to Paralyzed Veterans of America and to my family (especially my wife, Rosi) for always believing in me. This award is shared by my students (past and present), family, friends, and colleagues within the Human Engineering Research Laboratories.”

Each year the IEEE Awards Board recommends a select group of recipients to receive IEEE’s most prestigious honors. These are the men and women whose exceptional achievements and outstanding contributions have made a lasting impact on technology, society, and the engineering profession.