Rory Cooper was named to the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association Executive Committee

The University of Pittsburgh’s own Rory Cooper has been named to the United States Olympians and Paralympians Association’s (USOPA) Executive Committee, a group of  Games alumni who aim to inspire all communities and help foster volunteer work.

The distinguished professor in Pitt’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences won a bronze medal in the 4x400 meter wheelchair relay at the 1988 Paralympic Games in Seoul, South Korea (photo of him above). In addition, he served on the steering committee for the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Scientific Congress in 1996, was the sports scientist for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic team and received the 2013 IPC Scientific Achievement Award. Cooper also served as a member of the U.S. Paralympics staff in 1992 1996 and 2008.

Cooper is 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 Pitt. In October 2023, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Biden and he was inducted into the 50th class of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

An elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, Cooper has authored or co-authored more than 400 peer-reviewed journal publications, has 30 patents awarded or pending, and has written two books. He is also a fellow of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the Biomedical Engineering Society.

— Nick France, photography courtesy of Rory Cooper