Center on Knowledge Translation for Technology Transfer
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About Us
We are a diverse group. Our educations range from bachelor to doctoral levels. Our professional experience encompasses the academic, industry, community and government sectors. We share a common interest in advancing the models of product and service innovations, by linking the methods of research, development and production. Our field of application is assistive technology for persons with disabilities, but the models and methods have broad application.
For fifteen years we operated as a national technology transfer program. Our outcome oriented motto was “Moving new or improved products to the marketplace.” We worked with garage inventors, university scholars and business entrepreneurs to assess the utility of their creations, at the same time we worked with consumers, clinicians and manufacturers to identify their problems requiring solution. We helped commercialize over fifty devices in that time, as well as contributed to the field’s understanding of the elements that comprised success. See the archived website: t2rerc.buffalo.edu.
We are now engaged in a slightly different program. While we still collaborate with stakeholders to identify both problems and solutions, we are doing so only in partnership with selected corporations and universities. At the same time, we are applying the concept of knowledge translation to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the innovation process for all of the stakeholders engaged in our field. As in the past, our evolving models and methods can be generalized to other fields engaged in generating technology-based devices and services. We invite you to browse the links on this website for additional information about this work.
University at Buffalo (SUNY)
Joseph P. Lane, MBPA - Mr. Lane is Director, Center for Assistive Technology and is Dean’s Liaison for Program Development. He is providing overall project management, leading the R2 Knowledge Value Mapping Study and the D2 Knowledge Base Project which integrates all of the prior literature on models, methods and metrics, as well as current findings on knowledge translation and technology transfer. Through the past 15 years of the RERC on Technology Transfer, Mr. Lane established an expert team representing all stakeholder groups. His trans-sector approach to R&D generated publications and presentations at academic, industry and government forums. Each funding cycle generated a single major publication summarizing the advances during that timeframe. From 1993 to 1998 this was the invention and innovation processes, the role of intellectual property ownership, and first articulated the Technology Transfer Model in use today. From 1998 to 2003 this was the three transfer strategies of Supply Push, Demand Pull and Corporate Collaboration. From 2003 to 2008 this was the evidence-based outputs and outcomes from other RERCs to identify what practices worked or didn’t work and why. All of these findings are being integrated into the Need to Knowledge Model, as an evidence-based, operational framework for achieving innovations by linking the three methods of research, development and production.
Vathsala I. Stone, PhD – Dr. Stone is leading the KT4TT’s Research Project 3 Intervention Program, which will test the contribution of Knowledge Translation methods to knowledge awareness and use among target users and organizations. She serves as director of research and internal program evaluation. Dr. Stone brings to KT4TT eleven years of prior experience as a member of the T2RERC team as well as prior KT experience from consulting for educational and social programs, such as the UNICEF- funded street children programs. Dr. Stone holds a Ph.D. degree in Educational Evaluation & Research Design from Florida State University, 1974, an MS in Science Education from North Carolina State University, 1971, a BEd in Physical Science & Math Education and a BS in Physical Science & Math, both from the University of Mysore, India.
Machiko R. Tomita, PhD - Dr. Tomita is a Senior Graduate Faculty member at the University at Buffalo. She is currently a Co-Principal Investigator on the DRRP. She is the Director of Aging and Technology Projects that are comprised of several research grants related to aging, funded federally from the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (USDE) and the National Institute of Aging (NIH), and also funded by the Japan Society of Promoting Science, and local organizations.
Her current research includes testing the effectiveness of e-health to provide health support for self-management of chronic conditions among various geriatric populations such as patients with congestive heart failure, spinal cord injury, depression, and arthritis. Also, she conducts a research study of caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease and creating instruments for community health including quality of life and independent living among older adults. Other research projects include: Effectiveness of wellness computer network among home-based frail elders; Smart house in collaboration with RERC-Tech Aging (University of Florida); Creation of national management database for Centers for Independent Living in collaboration with RRTC-IRM (Independent Living Project in Western New York ); Creation of instrument for independent living in collaboration with RRTC-IRM; and Creation of instrument for Universal Design application for toys for Let's Play Projects.
James A. Leahy, BS – In 1993, Mr. Leahy brought twenty years of industrial product design, development and project management to the T2RERC. He has led the Supply Push transfer program which led our transfer successes. He created the Corporate Collaboration program where we partner with Fortune 500 companies (e.g., Black & Decker, White Rodgers, and Whirlpool) to improve the access and use of new mainstream products. He has created partnerships between major corporations and other RERCs. Mr. Leahy's experience reviewing over one thousand prototypes and successfully commercializing nearly fifty devices qualifies him to lead Project D1 where he will continue to generate new product outcomes from original R&D and where he will demonstrate effective TT practices to NIDRR grantees, and these grantees will function as participant/observers. He will also be the lead for Technical Assistance performed by the DRRP.
Jennifer Flagg, BS - Jennifer Flagg holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management, with a concentration in Marketing from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Since 2001, Jennifer has worked in the field of technology transfer, collaborating with RERC’s, SBIR applicants and grantees, and assistive technology consumers to transfer new technologies for people with disabilities into the marketplace. Ms. Flagg developed first-hand experience in new product development practices by performing extensive primary and secondary market research, developing business and marketing plans, and offering SBIR grant writing and consulting services to companies and inventors in the assistive technology marketplace. She has collaborated in the development of funded SBIR proposals across agencies, including the Department of Education, the National Institute of Health, and the National Science Foundation. She is responsible for the execution of Research Project 1 for the Center on KT for TT, and will lead the systematic review of knowledge translation literature.
Christine R. Oddo, MS - Ms. Oddo directs Center for Assistive Technology (CAT) Client Service operations and is chief liaison to the NYS Office of Vocational and Education Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID). She consults with UB’s Office for Students with Disabilities to ensure all campus workstations are accessible to students with a variety of functional impairments. She functions as a Principal Investigator on sponsored projects, and is liaison to the national Alliance for Technology Access. Ms. Oddo received a Masters degree in Occupational Therapy with a concentration in Physical Disabilities and ACT. On the KT4TT grant, Tina will bring her expertise in the assistive technology field to Research Projects R2 and R3.
Susan M. Arnold, BS – Ms. Arnold will support the PI in the administrative duties and Co-PI in support of the R3 research project. She also coordinates the Centers' websites. Ms. Arnold joined the Center for Assistive Technology (CAT) in 2001 as administrator and split her time on various Center projects. She previously spent fifteen years as an administrator within a UB industry-university cooperative research program on bio-surfaces.
Katrina Bytschkow, BA - Katrina has been James Leahy’s graduate research assistant since June, 2009. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University at Buffalo in 2009. She is currently pursuing a dual degree at the University at Buffalo and will earn a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) as well as a Master’s of Social Work (MSW) in May 2012. Katrina did substantial research related to alcohol, substance abuse, and post traumatic stress disorder as an undergraduate under Dr. Jennifer Read, from January 2007 through August 2009. She published an article, “Before the Party Starts: Risk Factors and Reasons for ‘Pregaming’ in College Students”, on the act of college students drinking before they go out to drink, in the Journal of American College Health in 2010. Katrina contributes business experience gained in both her MBA classes as well as an internship held at Blue Cross Blue Shield from May 2010 through August 2010 where she was a Human Resources Intern developing a 3-year strategic plan for the company moving forward. She plays a large role in market research and facilitating focus groups held to define ideal consumer products and compiling the reports for manufacturers.
Amanda Nobrega, BA - Amanda Nobrega holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Fredonia State University. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work at the University at Buffalo and has worked within the human service field for over three years. In the past, Amanda interned at the Salvation Army Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center as well as Horizon Health Services. Amanda will begin her internship at UB Counseling Services in the fall of 2010. Presently, Amanda is employed as a residential counselor at Heritage Christian services where she supports adults with developmental disabilities. She also serves as a key liaison between the UB School of Social Work and the Community Health Foundation. In this position, Amanda collaborates with various community stakeholders and activists to form a coalition of change that aims to lead and assist individuals, organizations, and communities through a mobilization of resources in education, prevention, and response to the multi-dimensional aspects of trauma as a root cause of the growing public health crisis in Western New York.
Western New York Independent Living Inc.
Douglas J. Usiak, BS - Mr. Usiak has been Executive Director of WNY Independent Living for the past 25 years. He was PI for the RRTC on Independent Living Management from 2000-2006. The WNYIL Family of Agencies consists of the Independent Living Center, Native American Independent Living Services, Mental Health Peer Connection, and the Independent Living of Niagara County. He has been a Co-PI on the T2RERC since its inception, leading our dissemination efforts, co-directing the efficacy studies and facilitating all consumer groups. Mr. Usiak will lead the Dissemination and Training Projects and will serve as liaison to SEDL for the organization and infrastructure for utilization activities.
Michelle Lockett, MBA - Michelle Lockett holds a BA in Psychology from Ithaca College, NY and MBA from Canisius College, NY. Michelle began working with the RERC on Technology Transfer as the Consumer Testing Coordinator for the WNY Independent Living Project in 2005, where she was responsible for recruiting consumers and coordinating other logistical aspects of focus groups. Within the KT4TT, she is involved with instrument development, and conducting and analyzing intervention studies. She also maintains the consumer and knowledge databases. Michelle previously worked as a Market Research Analyst in the newspaper industry (Buffalo News) and the retail food industry (Tops Markets, LLC). She also has experience as a Customer Relationship Marketing Manager for Tops Markets.
SEDL
John D. Westbrook, PhD – Dr. Westbrook is Program Manager for SEDL's Disability Research to Practice initiative which includes the National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR). Over 26 years, he has managed numerous disability and rehabilitation. His expertise includes information dissemination and utilization and knowledge translation. Dr. Westbrook will Chair the Advisory Board and advise the Utilization Program.
Joann Starks – Director of Dissemination & Training - Ms. Starks is a Program Associate within NCDDR where she directs survey activities and develops/edits technical assistance products and reports. She is liaison to the community of practice on Research Quality and to the Task Force on Systematic Review. Her expertise include Communities of Practice, evidence-based guidelines and systematic reviews of disability research, copyright issues, and electronic information systems. Ms. Starks will also support the Utilization Programs.
CIRRIE
John Stone, Ph.D. is the Director of the Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange (CIRRIE), a NIDRR funded DRRP program whose mission is to facilitate the sharing of information and expertise between rehabilitation researchers in the U.S. and those in other countries (http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/). The project developed a database of 77,643 published articles on rehabilitation research conducted outside the U.S. Also as part of the CIRRIE project he served as the Editor of a 13-volume monograph series on the cultures of persons with disabilities who have immigrated to the U.S. from other countries, as well as a newly published book, Culture and Disability: Providing Culturally Competent Services (SAGE Publications). Dr. Stone will support Project D2, Knowledge Base and Toolkit for KT and TT.
Dan Conley, MLS - Mr. Conley is the webmaster for the CIRRIE, responsible for ensuring all content is published in a fully accessible format. He designed the database of citations and all associated processes and Oracle scripts. Additionally, he programmed the framework for the International Encyclopedia of Rehabilitation. Mr. Conley will support Project D2, Knowledge Base and Toolkit for KT and TT.
