8 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | FROM THE NEST Above, College of Health Dean Beth Dolan at a news conference announcing the partnership between Lehigh and Good Shepherd Rehabilitation. Lehigh University has established a formal partnership with Good Shepherd Rehabilitation, advancing the university’s commitment to health-focused collaboration, research and education. The partnership is grounded in a shared vision to improve the lives of people living with disability and represents Lehigh’s first formal partnership with a leading rehabilitation network. Good Shepherd Rehabilitation specializes in the treatment of spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, major multi-trauma, pulmonary disease, respiratory failure, musculoskeletal/ orthopedics and complex pediatric conditions. Led by Lehigh’s Center for Community-Driven Assistive Technologies (CDAT), one of three new University Research Centers (URCs), the partnership is a bold collaboration that is redefining how academic and clinical institutions work together to improve the lived experience of people with disabilities. The partnership creates new opportunities for meaningful engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration from all five colleges across the university. The partnership also advances CDAT, which aims to transform the lives of people with disabilities through interdisciplinary research and cutting-edge emerging and existing assistive technologies. Researchers will develop new and innovative approaches to empowering people with disabilities and expand opportunities in education, employment and health. Even before the partnership was formalized, CDAT’s core faculty team has been engaged in ongoing discussion around shared space and models of partnership with Good Shepherd. Faculty members from Lehigh’s College of Health (COH) and P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science have already partnered with Good Shepherd on multiple research projects. “Growth of research and enhancing partnerships with regional and national organizations are important priorities within Lehigh’s Inspiring the Future Makers strategy,” said Nathan Urban, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “With an aging American population and increasing rates of disability, we see new technologies for assessing and assisting individuals with disability as critical for ensuring the health and economic vitality of our region and country. Partnerships like this one with Good Shepherd Rehabilitation will be critical as Lehigh seeks to play a larger role in health data, technology and policy.” Good Shepherd Rehabilitation President and CEO Michael Spigel says that the partnership is an opportunity to turn research into practical solutions through new discoveries, techniques and tools that make a difference in the lives of patients. “This partnership is so exciting because it helps deeply integrate engineering, neuroscience and data science expertise—all things Lehigh University excels at—directly into Good Shepherd’s programs and services for people with disabilities,” said Spigel. “By joining forces with Lehigh’s nationally recognized researchers, we now have greater ability to tackle real-world challenges with innovation grounded in collaboration.” New Partnership to Advance Assistive Technologies The bold university-wide partnership with Good Shepherd Rehabilitation will drive innovation. By Katie Jones CHRISTA NEU
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