Professor Receives Award at Disability Conference
At the 23rd Annual U.S. Conference on Disability at The University of Scranton, from left: Lori Bruch, Ed.D, Ralph N. Pacinelli, Ed.D., Award recipient and associate professor, Counseling and Human Services; Rebecca Dalgin, Ph.D., professor and chair of the University’s Department of Counseling and Human Services; University benefactors Patricia and Edward R. Leahy, honorary conference co-chairs; University of Scranton President Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J.; and Victoria Castellanos, Ph.D., dean of the University’s Leahy College of Health Sciences.The 23rd Annual U.S. Conference on Disability at The University of Scranton, titled “The Rehabilitation Act: Learning From Our Past, Knowing Our Present, and Building Our Future,” featured nationally respected speakers addressing access, advocacy and employment in the age of artificial intelligence.
Lori Bruch, Ed.D, associate professor, Counseling and Human Services Department, and faculty fellow, Office of the Provost, received the inaugural Ralph N. Pacinelli, Ed.D., Award, presented at the conference in honor of the lifelong leader in vocational rehabilitation.
Dr. Bruch joined the University faculty full-time in 1995, having previously served as an adjunct professor at Scranton since 1989. She has served as chair of the Counseling and Human Services Department since 2015. She also served as co-chair of the University’s annual Conference on Disability for more than a decade.
Earlier this year, she received the University’s Excellence for University Service and Leadership Award, which recognizes a faculty member who has contributed service to the University community, particularly those who demonstrate academic leadership by effectively mentoring their junior colleagues.
Dr. Bruch’s research interests include the American’s with Disabilities Act, employment of individuals with disabilities, attitudes towards persons with disabilities, professional identity for rehabilitation counselors, rehabilitation counseling curriculum, supervision and accreditation, and life span development. She has published nearly 20 articles in academic journals and had presented at more than 40 conferences and meetings.
Dr. Bruch is a member of many national and regional organizations, having served as a board member and chair of the Council on Rehabilitation Education, president of the National Association of Rehabilitation Leadership and president of the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Association, to name just a few.
Speakers at the Conference on Disability included Carol Dobak, deputy commissioner of the U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Alison Levy, director of the Office of Technical and Information Services at the U.S. Access Board; Kathy West-Evans, director of business relations for the National Employment Team of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation; John Evans, recently retired Vocational Rehabilitation program administrator for employee relations for the State of Washington Department Social Health Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; and Gary Karp disability awareness speaker, trainer, consultant and author of “Life On Wheels: For the Active Wheelchair User.” University of Scranton professors Kathy Stefanelli, Ph.D., counseling and human services and Renée Hakim, Ph.D., chair and program director of physical therapy at Scranton, also presented at the conference.
The conference was presented by the University’s Leahy College of Health Sciences and the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Endowment. Conference co-chairs were Rebecca Dalgin, Ph.D., professor and chair of the University’s Department of Counseling and Human Services, and Dr. Bruch. University benefactors Edward R. and Patricia Leahy served as honorary conference co-chairs.
