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The Illinois Institute of Technology’s (IIT) alumni magazine, Illinois Tech Magazine, recently published a profile of Nancy Paridy, president and chief administrative officer at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and member of IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law’s class of 1983.
The wide-ranging interview offers insight into Paridy’s nearly 30 years at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.
Notably, Paridy played an integral role in 2017 as the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) transitioned to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, the first translational research hospital where researchers partner with clinicians in patient care.
Additionally, her decade of work lobbying on Capitol Hill helped result in the 2022 passage of the Dr. Joanne Smith Memorial Rehabilitation Innovation Centers Act, a law that provides a way to extend best practices to rehabilitation facilities throughout the country.
“One-third of the people in the world will require some rehabilitation during their lifetime,” said Paridy. “That is a huge, huge number. We’ve really got to be focusing on the future and how we can help mold that future.”
In the article, Richard Lieber, PhD, chief scientific officer at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, said Paridy brings a wealth of legal knowledge and expertise to her position, and is fueled by deep-seated empathy for everyone around her.
“Her passion is authentic and her energy — she outworks us all,” said Dr. Lieber. “She is definitely one of the most considerate and compassionate humans I have ever known.”
Paridy pointed to an early experience that informed her lifelong concern for people — especially those with impairments.
“My mother had a stroke when I was in high school,” she said in the article. “So I particularly connected with people who had disabilities. Everybody puts their pants on one leg at a time, and it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do. We need to celebrate our differences.”
Photo credit: Bonnie Robinson
