Gary Behm

Gary Behm serves as the Interim Dean of NTID Academic Affairs at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), a college of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He is a senior tenured faculty member in the Engineering Studies Department with over 30 years of professional engineering leadership experience, including a significant tenure at IBM where he held roles as engineer, project leader, and project manager before returning to RIT/NTID.

His educational qualifications are:

• Associate of Applied Science in Electromechanical Technology, RIT/NTID
• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology, RIT/NTID
• Master of Science in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Lehigh University

Dr. Behm's research is centered on accessibility technology and engineering solutions for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and visually impaired individuals. His expertise spans electrical engineering, assistive technology, human-computer interaction, and manufacturing systems. He has pioneered innovations in haptic devices, computer vision for low vision assistance, and systems for emergency vehicle detection, all aimed at enhancing accessibility in educational and public settings.

His recent scholarly contributions (2012) demonstrate a strong focus on both educational strategies for underprepared deaf and hard-of-hearing students and technological solutions for low vision assistance, highlighting an interdisciplinary approach that bridges engineering and education.

He holds 15 patents, including:

• Methods and systems for early warning detection of emergency vehicles
• Apparatus and method for enhancing field of vision of the visually impaired
• Method and apparatus for a tactile haptic device to guide in real-time obstacle avoidance
• Apparatus and method for sensing of three-dimensional environmental information
• Method and system for reducing variation in film thickness in semiconductor manufacturing

Dr. Behm has led significant research initiatives, notably as director of the Center on Access Technology Innovation Laboratory and as an engineering lead for faculty and students in developing accessibility solutions. He has secured research funding, including the NSF VL2 Grant for the Baobab App port to Android, and has extensive experience in mentoring students through his roles as lecturer, advisor, and tutor in the Engineering Studies Department.