Ashli Molinero Advisory Board Member and Affiliate Faculty

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Biography

Ashli Molinero, DSc, graduated from Chatham College in 1993 with a B.A. in Communications. She completed her M.Ed. at the University of Pittsburgh and earned a Doctorate in Information Systems at Robert Morris University in 2004. Her commitment to patient advocacy and the delivery of exceptional care is demonstrated in her extensive history of 23 years of working in the hospital & health care industry concentrating in program evaluation, policy making, instructional design, curriculum development, facilitation, standards development and compliance, service excellence and service recovery. Prior to joining UPMC Community Provider Services as the Director of the Disability Resource Center in 2015, Dr. Molinero was an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology. In her current role at UPMC, she ensures accessible healthcare for people with disabilities through education and resource development, staff awareness and training, policy development and patient advocacy.

Dr. Molinero's commitment to health and wellness for people with disabilities is evident in her not only in her professional career, but also through her personal life as a competitive handcyclist and endurance athlete. An advocate for participation in mainstream sports for people with disabilities, she has completed and placed in the top 3 of her category in more than 15 marathons including: Pittsburgh, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle and Boston. In addition to marathons, she competes in mainstream cycling events across the country. She was one of two women among 12 cyclists to compete in the Alaska Challenge in 2014. Covering 280 miles from Anchorage to Fairbanks over five days, the race is known as the most grueling handcycle race in the world and “The Tour de France of Handcycling”. Locally, she races for the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers handcycling team, of which she is a founding member. She is an honorary member of the Paralyzed Veterans Racing Team for her efforts in supporting and encouraging veterans to get into the sport of cycling for its impact on physical, mental and emotional health.