Rory Cooper is featured in a Department of Veterans Affairs virtual exhibit

Rory Cooper, Pitt’s associate vice chancellor for research for STEM-health sciences collaborations and Distinguished Professor of Rehabilitation Science and Technology in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, is featured in a virtual U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) exhibit celebrating the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding and its commitment to bettering the lives of veterans.

The Freedom 250 exhibit highlights several significant milestones in the VA’s formation and history, including Cooper’s contributions to rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology as the founding director and VA senior research career scientist of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, a VA Rehabilitation R&D Center of Excellence in partnership with the University.

[Read more: HERL is leading an ARPA-H grant to develop a wheelchair with a robotic arm.]

Cooper has led groundbreaking research in wheelchair design, robotics and other assistive technologies to help individuals regain their independence. He holds more than 20 patents, is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. In 2023, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by the president of the United States and was inducted into the 50th class of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Photography by Aimee Obidzinski