The College of Public Health has established the Richard T. Lauer Memorial Scholarship Fund, supporting students in their pursuit of academic excellence, in remembrance of Associate Professor Richard Lauer, who passed away suddenly in mid-February. 

Faculty and students from the college’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program raised around $3,500 to assist Lauer’s family with immediate needs, and through the DPT program seed funding has been provided for the scholarship in Lauer’s name.  “It will be an endowed fund and live on in perpetuity at the university, so Rich’s legacy will never be forgotten,” said Scott Burns, interim chair of the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. 

Lauer, a Temple faculty member since 2008, had studied the effects of cerebral palsy on motor skills and perception and explored the use of electrical stimulation to restore function in adults and children with neuromuscular disabilities. He recently had been teaching undergraduate classes in kinesiology.

“Rich was a beloved faculty member and friend. He was known for his willingness to help, love of teaching and joyful demeanor,” Burns said. “He was an excellent teacher with passion and dedication to the development of young minds.”

Lauer was not a physical therapist by training but a biomedical engineer, with a PhD in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. With his expertise in biomedical engineering and electrophysiology, he brought valuable perspective to his physical therapy instruction and to his research in the field, Burns said. 

Contributions to the Richard T. Lauer Memorial Scholarship Fund can be made through Temple’s secure giving site. In addition, all are encouraged to submit a thought or fond memory of Rich Lauer at cphgiving@temple.edu.