Rebecca Brightwell
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
Associate Director / Public Service Faculty
Job Description
For the past fifteen years, my work has focused on serving agricultural workers on a local and national level. My primary expertise falls into the following areas: working with rural agricultural populations (including military veterans and underserved populations); assisting individuals with chronic health conditions and/or disabilities with worksite and educational accommodations; business planning/marketing for business start-ups; and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) curricula design. My family owned a cotton gin for over eighty years. As a result, I am committed both personally and professionally to see the farmers in our Nation succeed.
I also head the Assistive Technology Innovation Lab at IHDD/UGA. In addition to conducting research, the lab trains over 100 occupational and physical therapists each year on assistive technology applications.
Recent Grant Awards:
- Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network: Southern Region, Co-PI, US Department of Agriculture, 2020 -2023
- Teaching Veterans About Food Safety Utilizing Universal Design Principles, PI, US Department of Agriculture, 2018 -2022
- AgrAbility, Co-PI, US Department of Agriculture, 2018 – 2022
- Farm Boot Camp, PI, US Department of Agriculture, 2017-2019
- Teaching Veterans About Food Safety Utilizing Universal Design Principles (Pilot), PI, US Department of Agriculture, 2017 -2018