Director of the Graduate Certificate Program in Assistive and Rehabilitation Technology, University at Buffalo
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Dr. Lenker is an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Science and directs the Graduate Certificate Program in Assistive and Rehabilitation Technology at the University at Buffalo. He received his B.S. (1984) and M.S. (1897) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis, and his B.S. in Occupational Therapy from the University at Buffalo in 1997. In 2005, Dr. Lenker received his Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo with a dissertation entitled Functional and Psychosocial Impact of Computer-Based Assistive Technology Devices for Adults with Disabilities.
Dr. Lenker's extensive research experience includes several projects that bridge engineering and technology to the fields of universal design and occupational therapy. At the IDEA Center, Dr. Lenker has been involved with research and two grants for the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Consortium (RERC) on Universal Design. His current research focuses on universally designed consumer products in the kitchen, bathroom, and home office. He has extensive publishing experience with peer-reviewed conference papers and journal articles, has presented at several national conventions (including the RESNA Annual Conference), and he has been an invited presenter at several research institutions throughout the United States and Canada. In addition, he has created and taught numerous courses at the University at Buffalo on the topics of occupational therapy and assistive technologies.
Dr. Lenker is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association and Human Factors & Ergonomics Society, and has served as a member of the executive committee of RESNA since 2004. He has received awards and research grants from the American Occupation Therapy Association, RESNA, and the Rehabilitation Services Administration, US Department of Education.
