In The Valley

Lehigh University Announces Community Advisory Board for the Center for Community-Driven Assistive Technologies (CDAT)



BETHLEHEM, PA, May 18, 2026 — The Center for Community-Driven Assistive Technologies (CDAT) at Lehigh University has announced the appointment of its inaugural Community Advisory Board. Composed of leaders from healthcare, education, technology and advocacy organizations, the board will steer CDAT’s mission of transforming the lives of individuals with disabilities by bridging cutting-edge research with real-world application.

CDAT is a university-wide research team at Lehigh University that integrates expertise from all five colleges—Engineering, Health, Education, Arts & Sciences and Business—to advance disability health equity and interdependence. The center co-creates, evaluates and scales innovative solutions to dismantle barriers to independence and well-being across life transitions, mobility and access, and smart spaces.

“The advisory board ensures CDAT stays grounded in field needs and that faculty research is informed, relevant and translated to achieve the greatest possible impact for individuals with disabilities and older adults,” said Vinod Namboodiri, CDAT Director, Forlenza ’75 Endowed Chair in Health Innovation and Technology, and Professor in the Department of Biostatistics & Health Data Science and Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

A Collaborative Community of Experts

The Community Advisory Board consists of a diverse group of experts representing a wide spectrum of populations that support individuals with disabilities across settings and life stages. Many board members bring lived experience with various forms of disability and partner with the center to co-design and evaluate technologies through Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR).

Inaugural board members include:

  • Darryl Adams, Accessibility & Assistive Tech Innovator (Retired Director of Accessibility, Intel)

  • James Coughlan, Senior Scientist and Director of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Blindness and Low Vision, Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute

  • Ken Faltischek, Co-Founder & Board Member, CareConnect

  • Julie Fogt, Director, Centennial School

  • Seth Hoderewski, Executive Director, Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living

  • Maureen Leeson, Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer, Bethlehem Area School District

  • Emily Lyter, Administrative Director for Clinical Research, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation

  • Michelle Mitchell, Disability Support Services, Lehigh Carbon Community College

  • Judy Shanley, National Director of Mobility, Transportation, Education, and Youth Transition, Easterseals

  • Arielle Silverman, Director of Research, American Foundation for the Blind

  • Katie Siwy, Vice President of Programs, The Arc of Lehigh and Northampton Counties

  • Burton Sutker, President, SBS

  • Tammy Thompson-Cooke, Statewide Lead for Assistive Technology and Educational Consultant, Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

  • Jeff Walker, Senior VP, Corporate Strategy, Mergers, and Acquisitions, BraunAbility

  • Maria Zullo, Director of Disability Support Services, Lehigh University

  • Megan Zweiback, Director of Pupil Services, Souderton Area School District

“Our advisory board includes local, regional and national community members who can provide expertise, input based on lived experience and novel ideas that will guide CDAT development, evaluation and dissemination of assistive technologies,” said George DuPaul, CDAT Associate Director and Professor of School Psychology. “Many CDAT advisory board members are and will be partners with us through all phases of the research process.”

Driving Real-World Impact

Advisory board members meet virtually to review research, offer feedback on focus areas and strengthen connections between the center and the broader disability community. Current research initiatives range from mature projects like MABLE (Mapping for Accessibility in Built Environments), which helps visually impaired people navigate indoor environments, and Project PEAK, which provides parents of children with ADHD with effective behavior management strategies, to new seed-stage initiatives, all aimed at fostering holistic independence and translational tech development.

For more information about CDAT and its research projects, please visit cdat.lehigh.edu.

About the Center for Community-Driven Assistive Technologies (CDAT)
CDAT transforms the lives of individuals with disabilities by bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world application. By fostering a collaboration between researchers and the community, we co-create, evaluate and scale innovative solutions that dismantle barriers to independence and well-being. Learn more at: cdat.lehigh.edu.

About Lehigh University
Located in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Lehigh Valley, Lehigh University is one of the nation’s most distinguished private research universities. Through academic rigor, an entrepreneurial mindset and collaborative opportunities, we challenge our students to become the leaders of the future. Learn more at: www2.lehigh.edu.

Information provided to TVL by:

Amy White