Hail to Heroes Pitt Football Game
HERL became involved with "Hail to Heroes" from the onset in 2015, when Dr. Cooper met with the university's Athletic Director and had a discussion about doing more to honor and recognize the service and sacrifice of Veterans and Military Service Members from the region or affiliated with Pitt (e.g., alumni, family of students, etc).
Our current involvement includes helping to organize military and first responder booths and displays on Rooney Way; identifying people to be recognized on-field, escorting guests at the games, working with miliary units for swearing in ceremony, collecting bios and photos, having coins and towels made, and working closely with Pitt Football to coordinate the "run of show".
State of the Science Symposium
HERL and Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s (WRAMC) Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation joined forces to host the first State of the Science Workshop in 2005. With the continuous support of numerous organizations, this effort has grown into an entire symposia series, bringing workshops several times a year to WRAMC. The workshops deliver to healthcare professionals the latest "state of the science" information needed to treat people with disabilities, especially returning wounded soldiers. Rehabilitation experts from the VA, Department of Defense, universities, and private industry have gathered at the workshops to lecture on topics such as polytrauma, traumatic brain injury, and regenerative medicine. A broad audience composed of civilians, government officials, laymen, patients, family members, providers, academics, industry representatives, and researchers attend the free symposia. To date we have completed over twenty symposia which covered topics of assistive technology, spinal cord injury, polytrauma, amputation, ultrasound imaging, virtual reality in rehabilitation, and sensory impairment to name a sampling. We have attracted an average of 125 people per event and offered approximately 50 individuals continuing education credits per symposium. Additionally, through video teleconferencing, we are able to reach DoD medical personnel oversees (e.g., Landstuhl) and DoD, VA, and civilian participants throughout the continental United States.
Veterans Sporting Events
HERL has conducted research at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG) and National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic (NDVWSC) since 2000 and 2006, respectively. These sporting events help us to interact with and serve our veterans who use wheelchairs, as well as disseminate our research results, educate wheelchair users on our work, and recruit people who use wheelchairs and who live outside of Pittsburgh to participate in our research studies. Residents from Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) also participate in this effort.
Keystone Wheelchair Games
The first ever wheelchair games held at HERL on March 14th, 2025!
Stay tuned for next year...
PAST EVENTS
Meet Your Army
Meet Your Army was a monthly series of interviews by Dr. Rory Cooper with notable people serving in or attached to the United States Army.
VOLUNTEER
Handcycle Assistance Team (HCAT)
Volunteers from HERL and SHRS provide medical and non-medical assistance for handcycle and pushrim athletes on races and events throughout Pittsburgh, year-round. This includes assisting the athlete in getting the necessary medical aid, handcycle repairs, and providing them with a means of getting themselves and their handcycle back to the finish line area and to private transportation.
Contact Dan Fisher to volunteer.
dfisher@pitt.edu
Examples of annual events that HCAT participates in are the Pittsburgh Marathon, and the Rush to Crush Cancer.