MAGAZINE
FALL/WINTER 2021-2022
BISON
ALWAYS A
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K-12 TO HIGHER BECOMING A BETTER COMMUNITY EDUCATION
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John Anthony Serrano, ’02 & G-’04 Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions A new direction for undergraduate admissions: Welcoming students to their future.
INVESTIGATING MEMORIALIZING, PRESERVING DEAF GAIN
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FORGING FRONT ROW NEW SEAT DIRECTIONS TO AMERICAFOR RID
GALLAUDET returns
HOME
Moving onwards and upwards with purpose At the end of a successful fall semester of face-to-face learning, we pause to reflect on how far our diverse signing community has come. In-person New Student Orientation and Homecoming events were an inspiring reminder of how we’re better together at Gallaudet and that we are strongest when each member does their part in keeping us safe and healthy!
President Cordano and returning students show their buff and blue pride during the Bison Walk, a spirited kick-off to the New Student Orientation week.
THE
BUFF & BLUE
SPIRIT LIVES ON!
Support Gallaudet University and the future of the deaf and signing community, with our diverse programs offering a unique and wide range of opportunities for success. Donate to Gallaudet University today! gu.live/donate
EDITORIAL AND DISTRIBUTION
Gallaudet Today Magazine contains news and information for the signing community, including alumni and friends of Gallaudet University.
Executive Editor Bryce Chapman, E-’04
PRESIDENT
Assistant Editor Michelle Gerson-Wagner
Roberta J. Cordano DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS Executive Director, Institutional Advancement Nicholas Gould, ’09 Director, Alumni Relations Rebecca Rydstrom, ’02 UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS Chief Marketing and Undergraduate Admissions Officer Brandi Rarus Executive Director of Marketing and Experience Bryce H. Chapman, E-’04 Director, Public, Media, and Community Relations Robert B. Weinstock, ’77 & G-’83
Editor-in-Chief Nikolya Sereda, ’19
Staff Writers Brandi Rarus Nikolya Sereda, ’19 Michelle Gerson-Wagner Robert B. Weinstock, ’77 & G-’83 Contributing Writers Barbara Michelman Sarah Sparks, G-’18 & AuD ‘20 Derrick Behm, ’12 Christopher Shea, ’91 James McCarthy Artists and Designers Bilal Chinoy, ’07 Meeya Tjiang Matt Daigle, G-’19 Photographers Meeya Tjiang Sarah Goolishian Javier Tabares, ’16
Director, Internal Communications Elise Nye, ’94
LOVE THIS PUBLICATION?
This twice-yearly publication is sent to all GUAA Life Members, and is available by annual subscription to non-members: $15 in the United States, $25 internationally. To subscribe, send a check or money order with your full name and address to Gallaudet University, Office of University Communications, 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002 USA. To subscribe to Gallaudet University news and stories, visit gallaudet.edu/subscribe.
IN THIS ISSUE
GALLAUDET TODAY MAGAZINE
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K-12 to Higher Education: Focused on the Future of Deaf Youth Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions John Anthony Serrano, ’02 & G-’04 shares the new direction of Gallaudet University’s undergraduate admissions office, including how the university finds its students — then provides the optimal student experience.
Deaf Gain: New Research from Visual Learning and Visual Language Lab New research from VL2 continues to shine a light on the unique abilities of deaf brains — and the significant benefits sign language has on one’s cognitive development.
Ritchie Bryant: Forging New Directions for RID
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As its newest board president, Ritchie R. Bryant, ’93, shares his vision for the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and his plans as its first Deaf, and Black, president in the organization’s 57-year history.
Merrill Learning Center: Transforming the Archives and Library Spaces Dean Amy Malm and newly hired Archives Director Jim McCarthy rethink and plan for the transformation of the Library and the Archives — and how they might better serve both the Gallaudet community and deaf communities all over the world.
GIVING AT GALLAUDET Gallaudet University makes a significant impact on the lives of students, from making friends and meaningful connections, to learning and academic growth, to internship and job opportunities, and even to living in vibrant, exciting Washington D.C. When you make a gift to the University, you join thousands of alumni, parents, friends, students, faculty, and staff who support Gallaudet University each year.
ALUMNI OBITUARIES With our deepest sympathies, we note the passing of our Gallaudet University alumni. Read the full list on our website.
Donate today at gu.live/donate
Visit Gallaudet’s Obituaries webpage: gu.live/obituaries
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Dear GALLAUDET TODAY READERS, As we conclude the Fall 2021 semester, we are filled with gratitude. The feeling of being able to come back together as a community is indescribable. We cherish being able to once again cheer on our athletes, innovate and collaborate face-toface, greet others as we walk across campus, and wave at the school buses carrying our youngest learners to the Clerc Center. We are deeply proud of the commitment by everyone in our community to keep each other safe, which has been critical in allowing us to gather again. Our faculty theme from Professional Development Week was Adapt, Balance, and Compassion, which has been wise guidance for how to approach this fall semester. Having compassion for each other is incredibly important as we navigate this time, adapting together as we find our balance. And when we have compassion, it makes our ability to adapt so much easier. Bison Strong means that we protect one another, and that is what we are seeing on campus. Thank you! This semester we welcomed not only our first-year students to campus for the first time, but our returning second-year students as well. They have immersed themselves into learning, both inside and outside the classroom, and we are grateful to the juniors and seniors for teaching the new students about Bison spirit. We are excited to watch
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all the students create new traditions, and continue to build a place of belonging. Gallaudet University is filled with incredible stories and we are eager to share some of them with you via Gallaudet Today. Highlights in this issue include: articles about the student experience in the newly launched VEE courses, as well as the JumpStart program for new and emerging signers, in-depth profiles of multiple employees who are contributing significantly both inside and outside of Gallaudet, and an article on Deaf Gain. We particularly learned from the article by Sarah Sparks, G-’19 & AuD ’20, who has challenged norms by becoming a Deaf audiologist and reinforced how the Hearing and Speech Center is a part of our bilingual mission. Images from our Welcome Home and Homecoming events are also shared here. We were thrilled to host a partial in-person Homecoming for our students, and cannot wait for when we can hold a full Homecoming once again for our alumni to return. The power of Gallaudet is our people. The incredible learning, working, and discovering done each day by those in this community propels us forward. A special thanks to the University Communications team for creating this edition of Gallaudet Today and for their efforts to transform the magazine into what it is now. To our readers: enjoy learning about the latest and greatest from campus and know how grateful we are for each of you and your contributions. With gratitude,
President Roberta J. Cordano
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THE ROAD TO HOME: WELCOME HOME AND HOMECOMING WEEK AT A GLANCE
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Melissa Elmira Yingst, ‘00 and Gally the Bison are the first on stage inside the Elstad Auditorium, prompting cheers from the crowd. Along with the styrofoam LED light sticks, community members also donned their “Road to Home” t-shirts and Gallaudet-branded masks.
WELCOME
HOME WEEK
The road to home has never felt more welcoming! Students, faculty, and staff celebrated the beginning of the school year at our Welcome Home festivities by sharing their heartfelt messages on a community banner, nearly one and one-half years since the university switched to remote instruction in response to the pandemic. 9
THE ROAD TO HOME
The Gallaudet community kicked off Welcome Home week with giveaways! Booths in front of Hall Memorial Building gave away free t-shirts, stickers, ring lights, and wireless charging pads for smartphones.
Gally, the Gallaudet University mascot, loves community members who aren’t shy about showing off their buff and blue spirit! 10
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Students mingle inside the Welcome Home tent, perusing the booths. In the back, a photo booth offers to capture memories for students, as they wait in line for their turn.
Host Melissa Yingst, Student Body Government President Aubrey Moorman, and officers do “the wave” with the excited students, faculty, and staff in the audience.
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THE ROAD TO HOME
HOMECOMING WEEK Homecoming this year was unique with on-campus celebrations for students and virtual activities for alumni. While it was not the same without our full community together, we were able to celebrate being “home” at last. Students took to the week in full force, with plenty of Bison spirit to go around!
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Our Fight Song continues on with a new team of signers and one drummer, bringing the traditional rhythm back to life. What do we bleed? Of course, Buff and Blue!
The football team was cheered on by a crowd of spectators proudly showing their Bison spirit. Even though the game did not turn out in our favor, the day was won by sharing a wonderful Homecoming together.
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THE ROAD TO HOME HOME: WELCOME HOME AND HOMECOMING WEEK AT A GLANCE
The groovy disco fever was at an all-time high as students poured into Saturday night’s Bash and enjoyed the 360 photo booth, free pizza, and inflatable wipeout activities.
President Cordano was present with her Bison spirit and Buff and Blue shoes at every single event during Homecoming week, emphasizing love, belonging, and community.
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Two students held hands as they rollerskated in the blacklight roller party. Complete with funnel cakes, a photo booth, blacklight paint, and the beats of DJ Nico (Nico DiMarco, ’12), students had a glowing good time!
The Gallaudet Dance Company showed off their moves, performing at the Homecoming pep rally.
Two students high five after a rigorous game of archery tag, where inflatable obstacles were set up in the middle of Hotchkiss Field and players targeted each other with foam-tipped arrows. 15
ADMINISTRATION TO ADMISSIONS
K-12 TO HIGHER EDUCATION
FOCUSED FUTURE OF
ON THE
DEAF YOUTH By Nikolya Sereda, ‘19
In one’s career, there may come a moment of transformation, such as a position change or a promotion, that leaves them looking back at years of invested work and time, and looking forward to more years of upcoming accomplishments and contributions. That moment is a milestone that one should relish as the dawn breaks on a new chapter of their career. Currently, newly hired Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions John Anthony Serrano, ’02 & G-’04, stands on that hill. With his attentive eyes, he walks around his new office, adorned with framed pictures,
pennants, and posters, ranging from Gallaudet University, Texas School for the Deaf, and Atlanta Area School for the Deaf. Gesturing to the Deaf Way II poster behind the conference table to the right, Serrano explains the very beginnings of his leadership journey. After graduating from American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, Connecticut, Serrano went straight to Gallaudet University to immerse himself in his collegiate experience. He studied Elementary Education, and cited Dr. Cynthia Neese Bailes, ’70, as one of his cherished teachers during his time. He quickly found opportunities on campus to become involved, such as the Buff and Blue and the Tower Clock. Soon enough, Serrano was working all across campus, engaging with fellow students at Campus Activities, supporting the former Enrollment Marketing unit in conjunction with Admissions, and leading New Student Orientation as a student leader. But what truly changed Serrano’s perspective of leadership? Becoming
John Serrano sits at his desk in his office in the Maguire Welcome Center, with his name plate in front of him and memorabilia on his walls. 16
involved with Deaf Way II and experiencing the high-stakes event coordination as an undergraduate student. He assisted the vice chair of the committee and was able to experience firsthand the stellar outcomes of collaboration. Serrano went on to become the graduation speaker of his class and shared his wisdom with his peers as he drew his undergraduate chapter at Gallaudet to an end, though he would later return for his master’s degree.
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Straight out of college, Serrano headed to Texas School of the Deaf as an intern to carry on his work in elementary education. Soon enough, thanks to his dedication and connection with the students as well as the staff, he moved up the ranks to assistant principal, then to principal, then worked as the director of Academic Affairs for five years. Serrano mused, “My very first class at TSD gave me a gift. They gave me a
John Anthony Serrano, ’02 & G-’04 Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions
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ADMINISTRATION TO ADMISSIONS
picture of our classroom in third grade, and a picture of them now. Some of them I see here as Gallaudet freshmen. It is quite surreal to see them throughout their journey, growing and thriving. It is like a gift that keeps on giving.” After his time at TSD, Serrano moved on to become the superintendent of Atlanta Area School for the Deaf, a position he held for four years. “Running a school has its rewards and its challenges,” explained Serrano, as he thinks back to his time as an administrator. “I loved being on the front lines, such as visiting classrooms, lunch hour, bus time,” Serrano said, “You can do that at a small school and stay connected with the community.” But his connection with the deaf youth of our future is now evolving into a nationwide effort.
Serrano walks around the light-filled Maguire Welcome Center with a student ambassador. Home of the Admissions office, the Maguire Welcome Center is the perfect first stop to learn all about Gallaudet University. 18
Each Gallaudet community member has a role in recruitment and admissions. Everyone is an ambassador of some kind. No matter where you go, you represent Gallaudet… Take advantage of that role and show what Gallaudet can do for future students and professionals. John Anthony Serrano, ’02 & G-’04
Serrano’s new calling in Undergraduate Admissions meant leaving K-12 education and venturing into the world of higher education. Despite this sea change, Serrano was not daunted. “I have been fortunate enough to work within K-12 environments, meaning that I have an understanding of how students today view the world, access information, and interpret it,” he explained. This perspective is not only valuable in connecting with students as they consider their options for a college education, but also catching the attention of students and families that may not have previously known about Gallaudet University.
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As part of his long term vision for Admissions, Serrano discussed exploring more leads, building relationships, and increasing outreach as a whole. With thousands of deaf and hard of hearing students in predominantly hearing colleges or universities as well as K-12 settings, Serrano has a large task at hand. One of the many goals of the Undergraduate Admissions team is to reflect the student experience at Gallaudet. To do this, he discussed building closer ties with various units across campus, such as Clerc Center and Student Success, in order to continue growing their reach and visibility.
Explore our campus through our Virtual Tour! gu.live/V3dDB 19
ADMINISTRATION TO ADMISSIONS
“We have to be a part of the solution,” emphasized Serrano. The line is not drawn when students surpass enrollment and venture into their college journey. In addition to our social responsibility as Gallaudet community members, Serrano explained, the Undergraduate Admissions team has a responsibility to ensure the student experience, from beginning to end, is exceptional, and that is what needs to Explore Gallaudet and get in touch with an Admissions Counselor today! gu.live/4sGs8
Serrano presents at Commencement, looking back to his first year at Gallaudet University, stuffing envelopes. 20
Serrano performs with his peers during a Spirit Week performance.
be reflected in recruitment and marketing materials. “One of the benefits of our digital age is remaining connected on our social media platforms, which allows us to stay on top of our game and follow trends,” shared Serrano. “If I keep learning and adapting, my team will follow.” Clearly, going from the front lines of K-12 administration to the admissions team of a university navigating a pandemic, Serrano is no stranger to transformation. Neither is Gallaudet, as the university continues to adapt and improve, especially with the challenges faced over the past two years. Alumni often muse that their alma mater has changed so much since their time as a student. But now, even current students express that Gallaudet is so different from what it was before the pandemic. As the university continues to grow, Serrano is looking to our community to maintain the wonderful, cherished elements of this university. “This is a place where we can embrace the signing ecosystem. We all play a role in striving for the best.” Filled with optimism, Serrano recognizes the achievements of his team. With the addition of several new hires, most of whom are recent alumni of Gallaudet, the Undergraduate team is primed and optimized to connect Gallaudet to its future shining stars. Throughout the past year, both Admissions units have hosted webinars, made onsite visits, and diligently worked with students remotely to navigate their debut into their collegiate experience. They also worked with applicants and families to determine their best plans for enrollment, as some students are prepared to return to campus the following academic year.
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But often people do not realize that admissions is a university-wide effort. “Each Gallaudet community member has a role in recruitment and admissions. Everyone is an ambassador of some kind. No matter where you go, you represent Gallaudet… Take advantage of that role and show what Gallaudet can do for future students and professionals,” Serrano said. As familiar and new faces continue to grace our campus, Serrano knows that there are some things about Gallaudet University that will always remain a constant. The incredible environment that is Washington, D.C., and all the offerings available to students will not change, but rather continue to grow. “I have been to many cities but none are like Washington, D.C. The neighborhoods, such as Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill, the Metro system, trails, museums, restaurants,” Serrano lists the perks, running out of room on his hand and shaking his head at the sheer number of amenities in this city. But most importantly, the number one constant at Gallaudet is the unique ability to belong. For those who are considering their options for an undergraduate or graduate career, Serrano shares his philosophy, “When you go to college, you seek that feeling of belonging. You can get that when you become involved. When you feel like you belong, your experiences and challenges become more manageable.”
To the future generations of Gallaudet University, we are ready for you. 21
JUMPSTART: JOINING THE DEAF AND SIGNING ECOSYSTEM
JUMPSTART
JumpStart: ASL students emulate the “L” handshape shown on a classroom television from an American Sign Language educational resource. A professor writes on the white board besides the screen.
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DISCOVER YOURSELF in THE DEAF AND SIGNING ECOSYSTEM By Barbara Michelman
Back when she was an incoming freshman, the current Director of Student Success, Jerri Lyn Dorminy, ’93 & G-’95, attended the university’s New Signers Program. This program has since evolved to become the JumpStart: ASL program, a four-week immersion program held each summer prior to the start of the Fall semester for deaf and hard of hearing emerging signers. In 2018, Dorminy and Uriel Torres, ’03 & G-’05, the university’s Student Success manager, became co-leaders of the program, ensuring more years of successful iterations of JumpStart: ASL. Dorminy’s full-circle experience “holds a very special place in my heart,” she said.
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In any given year, 20 to 30 percent of new first year or transfer students are not fluent in ASL, but are encouraged to develop proficiency in both ASL and written English to support the bilingual mission of the university and immerse themselves in the bilingual environment of our campus. The four-week summer program runs Monday through Friday and begins each day with two hours of classroom instruction in ASL. Afternoon workshops offer students the opportunity to apply their classroom learning while also exploring important co-curricularrelated topics such as financial literacy, Deafhood, wellness, and so on. Students then have the opportunity to put their new ASL skills to use while socializing and participating in evening and/or weekend activities organized by a team of upperclassmen peer leaders. 23
JUMPSTART: JOINING THE DEAF AND SIGNING ECOSYSTEM
All the components of JumpStart: ASL work together to support, bolster, and help students successfully transition from their high school experience or another university to Gallaudet, said Torres. Learn more about the JumpStart program! gu.live/YvSc4 Dorminy’s doctoral dissertation focused on emerging signers. She has infused much of what she learned into the current program design. “Students who feel supported develop a strong sense of belonging and identity and experience positive growth and development,” she explained. Retention evidence strongly supports this.
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Having this introductory system of support for emerging signers is linked strongly to higher retention and graduation rates, explained JumpStart program assistant Riley Schultz, ’20. Students who participate in JumpStart: ASL watch their ASL fluency accelerate at a faster pace, become more engaged, and stop using classroom aids such as interpreting services in less time. At other universities, deaf and hard of hearing students often run into accessibility issues and communicate with their teachers and peers through indirect ways of communication such as through an interpreter or written communication. JumpStart: ASL attendance is highly encouraged, though not mandated, for new and emerging signers, but Torres said that
emerging signers who don’t participate in JumpStart: ASL and come to Gallaudet University for the first time at the start of the fall semester experience more challenges. “They are trying to learn (ASL) at the same time as they are learning content in their new classes,” an experience that can be quite overwhelming, Torres said. Collaboration between Student Success and the Department of American Sign Language is key to the JumpStart program’s success, said Dorminy. Through JumpStart: ASL, students “get to know all the professors who are teaching in the fall, and the [professors] support each of the JumpStart students on their language acquisition journey,” she said. “They also provide training to our staff and help us plan events.” Everyone contributes, and everyone works together to coordinate this program and make it successful, she added. ASL is a very visual language and emerging signers likely have had a hearing-centric and/
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or auditory background prior to coming to the university. Making the transition to learning a visual language requires retraining the brain to process language differently. “Students can initially be really exhausted by that shift,” Dorminy said. During their transition to using ASL as their primary language, students decide what type of support services they want, said Torres. They can request ASL to English interpreters, Deaf interpreters, or captioning. “This is an individually-based decision based on how quickly students become immersed in acquiring new language skills.” Meeting students where they are and providing them with the support they need is central to the mission of the program,” said Dorminy. If a student comes from a hearing-centered environment, or one where deafness is viewed as a condition needing to be “fixed,” those students now have the opportunity to learn about how to shift their understanding of Deafness into a more positive cultural framework. For the first time in their lives, when they come to Gallaudet University, they might be seeing their deaf or hard of hearing identity from a positive lens and as something to be valued. Dr. Laurene E. Simms, Interim Chief Bilingual Officer, fully endorses this approach. “From a language planning perspective, we know that students learn in different ways and through different modalities. Offering ASL instruction, and allowing students to determine how they learn best and what 25
JUMPSTART: JOINING THE DEAF AND SIGNING ECOSYSTEM
supports they need, is a prescription for both short-term and long-term success. Almost without exception, our JumpStart students become fluent signers and embrace our signing community and our vibrant culture. They also persist to the second year and to graduation at consistently high rates. JumpStart makes all the difference in the world for them,” said Simms. Decisions on which incoming students will be recommended to participate in JumpStart: ASL are based on students’ applications. Once a student has been admitted to Gallaudet, they are required to take an ASL placement test. Based on their scores, they may be invited to participate in JumpStart: ASL — and a high percentage of them do. The Student Success office is partnering with the Office of the Interim Chief Bilingual Officer to assess language development of JumpStart participants over time. “This is a new addition to the General Education curriculum, and everyone is very excited about it,” said Dorminy. “It will give us more evidence and data about the value of the program.” Dorminy, Torres, and Schultz reflected on the positive changes and the progress of both the Office of Student Success and the JumpStart program since 2018 when the three of them became involved.
“In 2017, I became director of Student Success, but I had no staff … it was really hard to get things going,” Dorminy said. “In 2018, Uriel was hired and Riley as well, and we’ve been able to get the program running more efficiently.” Watching each student grow their bilingual identity is wonderful, said Schultz. “When I came to work for JumpStart, I was a peer leader supporting students one-on-one when they came and moved in,” she said. “From the very first week, it was easy to see the students who were motivated to learn.” Those students, Schultz added, are the ones you know are going to “do great things because they stepped up, they put themselves out there, and they really grew their identity.” Freshman Jeremiah Davis, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, said what he liked most about JumpStart “was getting to know more people and finally being able to learn ASL. When I first got into the program, I was nervous because I grew up with a hearing family and I didn’t know any ASL words, not even my ABCs or numbers, so I was worried that it would be hard to communicate with other deaf students. After participating in JumpStart, I started to feel more confident in myself and I started to improve in signing in ASL really fast. My peer leaders and teachers were very helpful and impressed with what I have learned.” Donovan Fordham, another freshman from Valencia, California, liked making friends and learning sign language, along with the daily group activities arranged by the peer leaders.
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“When I first entered JumpStart, I thought that it would be a lot harder for me to learn sign language than it really was. I was afraid that I was going to learn it at a much slower pace than everyone else, but I ended up learning quickly. A lot of people going into JumpStart, including myself, had never met a deaf person or a member of the deaf community before this past summer. It’s really cool to meet a lot of fellow students you can connect to in an instant.” Fernanda Forero-Tarquino, another freshman who came to Gallaudet from Boston, Massachusetts, shared his experience. “I loved Jumpstart because of the environment we were in. We were able to come to campus a month early where we were welcomed by Riley and the peer leaders. They were very patient with us and really made sure we understood what was going on.” “Oftentimes, the people that I would meet in Jumpstart would have similar experiences as me, such as growing up in a mainstream school and not being able to learn ASL before. I think the fact that so many people had similar experiences really helped us connect and grow closer, which is how I’m still close with many people from Jumpstart today. I was also able to learn a lot about Deaf culture which wasn’t something I was exposed to (in the past).”
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“I just always thought that I’d attend Sacramento State,” she said. But after learning more about Gallaudet, Konstantinidis decided that she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to attend. As a new signer, Konstantinidis said the JumpStart program was so supportive and helped her get into a routine.
“I was also able to learn a lot about Deaf Culture which wasn’t something I was exposed to (in the past).” Fernanda Forero-Tarquino “I’m finding so many people who are like myself, who have gone through the same things in life that I have. I’m building more connections here.” Dorminy said it is exciting to see students who participated in JumpStart reflect on their experience when they get to graduation. “Their talents emerge … it’s a beautiful thing to witness. It’s really important that they develop that pride in themselves, in who they are. They go on to do great things in the community. As they grow, we grow with them.”
Junior Megan Konstantinidis transferred to Gallaudet this year from a local community college in Sacramento, California. She was taking sign language classes and her professor recommended that Konstantinidis, who is deaf in one ear, attend Gallaudet. 27
HEARING AND SPEECH CENTER
HEARING AND SPEECH CENTER
SUPPORTING A DIVERSE SPECTRUM of CLIENTS By Sarah Sparks, G-’19 & AuD ’20
THOUGHTS FROM A DEAF AUDIOLOGIST When I first decided to pursue a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree at Gallaudet University, my friends on campus all had one question: “How is it possible for a deaf or hard of hearing person to be an audiologist?” Now, as a deaf audiologist and proud graduate of the Gallaudet’s Au.D. program, I am still asked that question regularly. Other Gallaudet University alumni have inquired at times, “Isn’t that program for hearing people?” You might be surprised to learn that the audiology clinic on campus has trained many deaf and hard of hearing audiologists and continues to do so today. 28
As is true for many deaf and hard of hearing audiologists, my choice to pursue an audiology doctorate was motivated in part by personal experience on the patient side of the booth. Few audiologists I had worked with as a patient were truly supportive of full access to natural sign languages. Some did not use communication strategies appropriate for signers who use hearing devices, such as gaining visual attention before starting to talk, avoiding asking questions or giving instructions while hearing devices are off, and speaking directly to the patient rather than the interpreter. I wanted to learn how to provide a positive patient experience for signers, which is why I chose Gallaudet University.
As I reflect on my own experience of audiology education at the Gallaudet University Hearing and Speech Center (HSC), James Charlton’s famous disability rights slogan comes to mind: “Nothing about us without us!” Actively participating in the university’s bilingual mission, HSC provides opportunities for students to become experts in culturally sensitive hearing and balance care. Deaf and hard of hearing students benefit from a clinical learning environment where their access needs are prioritized. From day one of the program, clinical educators and classroom instructors support development of strategies and accommodations for success in a hearing-dominated profession.
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Situated in the heart of campus, HSC offers audiology students of all hearing levels an education emphasizing full communication access and respect for diverse language and modality preferences. Desire for a culturally and linguistically sensitive approach is why many Au.D. students decide to study at Gallaudet. Now that I teach Au.D. courses myself, I ask my students, “Why Gallaudet?” Invariably, their responses are, “I want to be a culturally sensitive audiologist and support the Deaf community,” or, “I want to learn ASL because more audiologists should sign.” Graduates of the Au.D. program leave Gallaudet University prepared not only to work with clients who communicate in ASL, but also to offer their audiologist colleagues a Deaf-friendly perspective on clinical services. Dr. Benjamin Harden, the director of HSC, observed that Gallaudet’s Au.D. graduates are uniquely prepared to make a positive difference in the audiology profession. “It’s evident that our graduates are able to make real, systemic change in the profession,” he stated. “There’s a lot of opportunity to be advocates to other audiologists, and it does make a difference in their approach to the Deaf community – even in basic communication strategies and ways to make signers feel more comfortable in the appointment.”
“It’s evident that our graduates are able to make real, systemic change in the profession.” Dr. Benjamin Harden Director, Hearing and Speech Center
Indeed, audiology education at Gallaudet stands out among the country’s Au.D. programs and university clinics. Gallaudet’s Au.D. program graduated its first students in 2002, five years before a doctoral degree became the nationwide standard for entering the audiology profession. Still today, Gallaudet remains the only Au.D. program in the country 29
HEARING AND SPEECH CENTER
that requires development of ASL proficiency. Every Au.D. student must complete a minimum of three ASL courses and two additional courses in clinical sign. They must also learn to conduct clinical appointments in ASL for a variety of audiology services – which are just as diverse as the clients served. At GUHSC, students provide not only hearing tests and hearing aid programming, but also newborn hearing screenings, infant hearing diagnostics, cochlear implant services, auditory processing evaluations, dizziness and balance assessments, and more. Through their clinical rotations, students learn the importance of listening to each client and supporting their personal goals. Students
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learn to work effectively with all clients, whether their goals involve spoken language, listening to music and environmental sounds, or simply completing a hearing test for proof of deafness. Although most audiologists do not work regularly with members of the Deaf community, Gallaudet Au.D. graduates are prepared to serve deaf and hard of hearing clients whenever the need arises and help colleagues as they encounter the Deaf community for the first time. Au.D. students also learn how to support deaf and hard of hearing children and their parents. They gain experience with providing the best possible research-based information while respecting the identities, perspectives, and cultural values of each family. Whereas some professionals might believe that access to sound is essential for a child’s development, graduates of Gallaudet University’s Au.D. program learn from the beginning of their studies that access to language – signed, spoken, or both – is what matters most. Through coursework on hearing technologies, pediatric audiology, and others in addition to clinical education, Au.D. students learn the importance of presenting all communication opportunities – and letting families know that they do not have to choose only one opportunity: signers and hearing device users, sign languages and spoken languages are not mutually exclusive. This support for informed decision-making is not only for families of deaf and hard of hearing children but extends to the clinic’s adult clients as well. Whether a client decides to use hearing aids or cochlear implants is respected as a personal choice. Students learn that listening to the client’s perspectives and goals is essential for providing good care -- an approach that supports President Cordano’s stated mission of sign language for all.
Gallaudet’s deaf and hard of hearing audiology graduates have much to say about their student experiences in the GUHSC. Recently, I interviewed two of my fellow alumni and asked about what their Gallaudet education means to them as Deaf and hard of hearing audiologists. Diane Adler, ’92, a hard of hearing graduate of the former audiology master’s program, noted the program’s influence on her clinical skill development and competence for working with diverse clients. She stated, “The program allowed me to become an excellent diagnostician with hearing loss. I was able to spot disorders just by looking at some patients, I could see how a tumor could affect hearing, and I could determine if hearing loss would be permanent and likely lead to a hearing aid.” Adler noted difficulty finding acceptance within the broader Gallaudet community, which highlights a challenge that I experienced myself as a deaf audiology student. “I don’t think my hearing classmates ever felt the impact of these experiences,” she said. She added that, “Within the program, I truly feel we were all on the same level.”
“Nothing about us without us!” Dr. Gloria Nathanson, G-’06 & AuD ’08, a Deaf graduate of the Au.D. program, also remarked on her learning experience as a student. “I think I might have been the first Au.D. student to work with interpreters,” she said. “My classmates were supportive. They signed, and we communicated well. The program was great with accommodations. In clinical placements and classes, I had what I needed for access.” Although she is not working in a clinical setting
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at this time, Dr. Nathanson asserted that her Gallaudet audiology education has opened many doors for her as a Deaf professional: opportunities to teach Au.D. students, work with Minnesota’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program, and serve as a resource for parents of deaf and hard of hearing children. Audiologic test results can be challenging for parents to understand, and time for counseling families is often limited in busy hospitals and private practice clinics, and Dr. Nathanson’s work fills in some of the gaps. Dr. Nathanson applies culturally sensitive counseling skills that she began developing as a student at HSC. She uses her Gallaudet education to help parents understand their children’s hearing levels and communication needs. Over the years, HSC has educated many students who have gone on to become successful audiologists. Audiology alumni have held leadership roles in local and national professional associations, produced impactful research, opened their own clinics in locations around the world, and trained new generations of audiologists. Deaf and hard of hearing audiologists who studied at Gallaudet University draw upon both lived experiences and what we learned from HSC’s clientcentered approach to care. It is sometimes argued that audiology and Deaf culture are incompatible. Gallaudet-educated audiologists have a unique opportunity to demonstrate that this is not true. “They can coexist, and I feel like my degree is evidence of that,” Dr. Nathanson added. As a deaf audiologist with a great love of both ASL and ears, I could not agree more.
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DEAF GAIN: NEW RESEARCH FROM VISUAL LEARNING AND VISUAL LANGUAGE LAB
DEAF GAIN
NEW RESEARCH FROM VISUAL LEARNING AND VISUAL LANGUAGE LAB By The Center on Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2)
EXPLORING DEAF GAIN BY INVESTIGATING DEAF BRAINS Deaf people have long talked about how sign language confers advantages over spoken language, such as the ability to chat underwater, across a long distance, with one’s mouth full, through a window, and so on. This is part of a growing movement known as Deaf Gain, which has gained visibility over the past two decades, including the publication of the book Deaf Gain: Raising the Stakes for Human Diversity, co-authored by Gallaudet professors Dr. H-Dirksen Bauman and Dr. Joseph Murray. 32
Read Deaf Gain: Raising the Stakes for Human Diversity gu.live/0keQl However, recent publications out of the Action and Brain Lab (ABL), housed in the Gallaudet and National Science Foundation (NSF) Science of Learning Center on Visual Language and Visual Learning, have found compelling neurological evidence for the benefits of learning and using sign language. Dr. Lorna Quandt, director of ABL and an assistant professor in the Ph.D. in
Educational Neuroscience (PEN) program, published three papers, all pointing in the direction of Deaf Gain. The most recent of the three papers is “Enhanced Biological Motion Perception in Deaf Native Signers,” published in Neuropsychologia, an international scientific journal. “We found both behavioral and biological evidence that deaf signers are more easily able to extract relevant movement-related information from their visual environments, even when the movements are difficult to see,” said Quandt, the lead author. “Do deaf signers see differently? Do they perhaps see some things more easily? Our paper shows that yes — there is “enhanced perception of biological motion in deaf native signers.” Read “Enhanced Biological Motion Perception in Deaf Native Signers” gu.live/26CrL In this paper, Quandt’s team conducted two studies to test how deaf native sign language users perceive human motions. The researchers created 18 biological motion point-light displays (PLDs) which showed everyday actions represented by moving dots and 18 scrambled control PLDs which looked like random moving dots. Deaf and hearing participants were asked to rate how easy it was to identify the actions depicted in the biological motion PLDs. The researchers found that the deaf raters reported significantly less effort required for identifying the biological motion PLDs.
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For the second study, deaf and hearing participants underwent a cognitive neuroscience EEG experiment in which they watched biological motion PLDs and scrambled PLDs. The EEG results showed differentiation between scrambled and biological PLDs earlier and more consistently in deaf signers than in hearing non-signers. Quandt and her team concluded that native ASL users exhibit experience-dependent neuroplasticity in the domain of biological human motion perception, or in lay terms: The brains of native ASL users processed human actions faster and more easily than the brains of non-signing hearing persons. Other co-authors include PEN alumna Dr. Emily Kubicek, PhD ’20, current PEN student Athena Willis, and Jason Lamberton, ’02 & G-’07, a human-computer interaction engineer in VL2’s Motion Light Lab. For Kubicek, this was her first experiment as a Ph.D. student in the PEN program. “The idea for it came about when I was in one of my classes and I noticed that, as a hearing person and fluent signer, I still needed to view the signer next to me from practically straight on to understand their fingerspelling properly. In comparison, when I fingerspelled, my deaf native signing colleagues could easily understand me from the side or even from practically behind me. While this builds off of the larger anecdotal evidence of ‘Deaf Gain,’ it provides new information on what that means from a neuroscientific perspective and establishes support for the claim quantitatively.” Today, Kubicek is a Data Scientist at The Walt Disney Company in Los Angeles. “I am in the Disney Media Entertainment Distribution 33
DEAF GAINS: NEW RESEARCH FROM VISUAL LEARNING AND VISUAL LANGUAGE LAB
business segment where I work on the Audience Modeling and Data Science team to create products and models that assist Disney in doing what it does best — storytelling.” Reflecting on her experience at Gallaudet University as a hearing person and a neuroscience student-researcher, she credits Quandt for her present-day success. “My advisor, Dr. Lorna Quandt, supported me in designing and providing me with the resources to execute the research in the Action and Brain Lab on Gallaudet’s campus.” For Athena Willis, who is deaf and in her fourth year in the PEN program, the experience of participating in this study was formative to her ongoing science training. “I remember watching the thinking, designing, and engineering that went into producing those deceptively simple biological motion pointlight display stimuli years ago, and then the following experiments, EEG analysis, and writing — all to show, with neuroscience evidence, that our ability to be able to watch signed languages from any view angles would carry into our everyday non-signing world. I look forward to seeing other unexpected examples of deaf and sign gains come from our research with our brain and body.” For Jason Lamberton, who is deaf and works in VL2’s Motion Light Lab as a humancomputer interaction engineer, the finding validated what he has long known. “It validated what many deaf people already know, that we have a unique, enhanced vision. For example, deaf drivers have increased peripheral vision, despite a historical belief to the contrary that we are dangerous drivers because we cannot hear emergency vehicles 34
or horns honking. It is science which busts those myths.” “This experience working with such a distinguished group of researchers, most especially under the leadership of Dr. Quandt, has been enriching for the overarching goal of improving the lot of deaf people in this world via the advancement of such scientific research,” said Lamberton. These findings neatly dovetail with components of the Gallaudet Promise, the university’s 10-year road map, especially with providing incontrovertible evidence in favor of the first Grand Challenge, “Demonstrating the Value of an ASL-English Education.” Further, the study directly corresponds to the Bilingual Mission imperative and the Knowledge Creation and Discovery priority. Learn more about the Gallaudet Promise gu.live/promise Overall, each neuroscience project I completed at Gallaudet is a small step towards the full understanding that knowledge and use of sign language provides far larger benefits, in both brain and behavior than simply knowledge of an additional language,” added Kubicek. “I am thrilled that we have this important research out in the world now reflecting many years of hard work,” said Dr. Quandt. “Our work suggests that deaf people who learn sign language early possess perceptual advantages when it comes to seeing movement. There is more work to be done
to understand this phenomenon better. Our paper suggests that there is much more to discover about the incredible flexibility of the human brain. A person’s life experiences, like acquiring a signed language early in life, can have powerful effects in many domains of their life later on.” The publication in Neuropsychologia complements two other recent publications by Dr. Quandt’s ABL research team, both of which were also published in 2021. The second paper appeared in Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, and found earlier and more robust sensorimotor discrimination of ASL signs in deaf signers during imitation. The third paper was published in The Journal of Deaf Studies and Education, and found a positive relationship between sign language comprehension and mental rotation abilities. Read “A Positive Relationship Between Sign Language Comprehension and Mental Rotation Abilities” gu.live/k8guI Read “Earlier and more robust sensorimotor discrimination of ASL signs in deaf signers during imitation” gu.live/cv066 Each of these publications was experimental and hypothesis-driven. Said Quandt, “We stated our scientific hypothesis, then ran the study, analyzed the data according to preplanned analyses, and in all three cases, we have stunning evidence for better performance in these domains among deaf signers.” Altogether these three papers suggest
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advantages of early sign language use and invoke Deaf Gain. “The three papers all show Deaf signers showing faster, more accurate, or more detailed perceptions and cognition.” However, Quandt cautions that there is still much to learn. “How much of this is about being deaf, and how much is about knowing to sign? We do not have the answer yet. But these incredible findings — all in sync with one another — show three entirely different ways that deaf signers ‘outperform’ hearing non-signers.” In other words, Quandt says that her research findings do not say learning to sign gives you superpowers, but rather that there are incredible benefits seen in deaf signers. “Also, we have brand new data that shows strong correlations between age of ASL acquisition and certain visual perceptual skills; earlier is better.” So, a critical implication is that those same benefits are at risk if the deaf child does not have full access to visual language. “Converging evidence from many domains shows this — and our research shows it in new ways.” Although research findings by Quandt, Kubicek, Willis, and Lamberton have yet to distinguish between a signing brain and a deaf brain — which has implications for the idea of Deaf Gain--the impact of what has found so far is still personal for Quandt. “I came to Gallaudet knowing that my understanding of language would change,” said Quandt. “But in the six years that I have been learning and using ASL daily with my students and colleagues, it is clear that not only has my mind changed, but my brain has changed, too.” 35
VEE 101
VEE! By Barbara Michelman
WHAT DOES A DEAF PERSON SAY WHEN THEY LEARN SOMETHING INTERESTING? VEE is the written label for an ASL sign that does not have a direct English translation. Its definition incorporates the concepts of “notice, be fascinated by, find interesting, analyze, observe, and watch.” Its use as the name for the first two courses in Gallaudet University’s General Education Program foundational curriculum celebrates the university’s bilingualism and encourages students to be intellectually curious. This program not only marks the overhaul of an aging General Studies Requirements program, but also incorporates new concepts in 36
pedagogy that suit the skill sets and needs of newer generations. This fall, incoming first-year and transfer students took part in the inaugural VEE 101 course, which immerses students into their collegiate experience, covering important topics ranging from Deafhood, bilingualism, and multiculturalism to career exploration. In past years, incoming first-year students were required to take a seminar-type class, GSR 101, the first in a series of General Studies Requirement courses, to help prepare them for the demands of college and teach them important skills such as time management and research methods. That was then. Findings from a rigorous internal review process revealed that the course most needed by new students to ensure their success is one that invites them to explore their whole selves as deaf and hard of hearing
scholars pursuing their college and career goals in a multicultural and intersectional deaf-centric learning environment.
Learn more about the General Education program and our Student Learning Outcomes. gu.live/8JHv9 “Attending Gallaudet University is such a unique experience,” said Dr. Miako Villanueva, G-’04 & PhD ’10, director of the General Education Program and a professor of linguistics. “We really wanted to ensure that a student’s initial entry is about what it means to be part of the Gallaudet community.” In creating VEE 101 and 102, university experts conducted both internal and external studies and reviewed national trends in first year higher education courses. “We learned that today’s youth make better choices when they know their own identity,” said Roberta Lynn Daniels, ’97 & EdS ’07, first year experience coordinator in the Office of Student Success and Academic Quality, and placement coordinator in the Department of Education. “So we took a step back, looked at all their identities and all their Intersectionalities to create four main student learning outcomes for VEE 101: Deafhood; celebrating multiculturalism and multi-identities; bilingualism; and career identity development.”
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INTRODUCTION TO DEAFHOOD Deafhood is an innate understanding of one’s Deaf identity, while celebrating all the positive aspects of deaf and hard of hearing people. The Deaf community operates within overarching systems that are audist, explained Villanueva, which creates a need for these foundational blocks in Gallaudet students’ journeys. “Our students come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have deaf parents, but a large percentage have hearing parents. They may be the only deaf member of their family, or the only deaf student in their entire high school,” she added. “All of these experiences impact their own understanding of what it means to be Deaf. Within Deafhood, we help them develop a positive understanding of themselves as deaf individuals.” The educators and facilitators who lead VEE 101 also come from a variety of Deaf backgrounds and share their own personal experiences with students, which helps them better understand their own place in a much larger context. The work of Marvin T. Miller, ’17 & G-’18 and Nigel Patrick “Paddy” Ladd, helped inform the creation of VEE 101 content on the topic of Deafhood. Miller developed and has been teaching the university’s Deafhood curriculum for the past seven years. This fall, Miller presented “Deafhood and You: The Impact of Surdinalism” to VEE 101 participants.
Explore Marvin Miller’s teachings gu.live/zJmRl
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VEE 101
CELEBRATING INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE IDENTITIES The second student learning outcome for VEE 101, celebrating multiculturalism and multi-identities, invites students into the study of equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as privileges and systemic racism. “We talk about American history; it’s dark,” acknowledged Villanueva. “We also recognize painful behaviors such as superiority or minimizing the experiences of others. [We discuss] the values we should attend to, and how to support/make life more inclusive of people with more diverse backgrounds, such as people who are deafblind and the LGBTQIA+ community.” Oftentimes Deaf people will exclude their other identities because the system is already too oppressive, so students don’t have time to celebrate their full selves, Villanueva explained. VEE 101 affords them the space to bring their multi-identities forward, reminding them that all members of our community do not have to feel like they need to choose a predominant identity. All components of one’s identity are equally important.
“I think a lot of deaf people have internalized negative experiences from using both languages,” she said. “It’s hard to live in this country where English is more highly valued than ASL. Also, not all deaf people are fluent in ASL; maybe they have not been exposed to it until later [in their lives], or just the summer before attending Gallaudet University [through the JumpStart program]. Other students [may] struggle more with the English piece of [bilingualism].” VEE 101 creates the time and place to address and counter attitudinal issues, such as “English is superior to ASL.” “Some students grew up in this system of values, but ASL is our language that we use on a daily basis,” Daniels added. Gallaudet finds itself in a unique position due to its bilingual mission, and every day students open doors in their learning because of our bilingual and bimodal instruction.
COLLEGE AND CAREER ROAD MAP In the last three weeks of VEE 101, students begin exploring their career identity development and are introduced to opportunities across Gallaudet’s five different schools:
“We are many, and we have many identities,” she said.
Science, Technology, Accessibility, Mathematics, and Public Health;
NAVIGATING BILINGUALISM
Civic Leadership, Business and Social Change;
Gallaudet’s Interim Chief Bilingual Officer, Dr. Laurene E. Simms, takes VEE 101 students through the university’s bilingual mission, which is “a really great way to help students understand the complexities of being bilingual,” said Daniels.
Language, Education, and Culture;
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Human Services and Sciences; and Arts and Humanities.
First-year students meet with representatives from each of the five schools at our Career Expo, where they can also mingle with professors, alumni, and fellow students; receive the necessary information to chart the rest of their college road map; and decide on the major that is the best fit for them.
VEE 102 Some recapping of VEE 101 content occurs at the beginning of VEE 102, which first-year students take in their second semester. Content, as well as classroom discussions and guest speaker presentations, in this second foundational course covers the intersectionality of students’ identities, their career readiness, personal health and wellness, and the people, critical thinking, and negotiation skills they will need when applying for a job. VEE 102 also helps students better understand how bilingualism integrates with their college experience, and what it means to be a deaf or hard or hearing individual in the workforce. “When we think about career readiness, we think about who students are, their style, their approach, what they like or don’t like as a whole. Critical thinking is part of that — how we engage with individuals with various backgrounds, how we apply general life skills. We’re not trying to think of just careers, but much broader life skills,” said Villanueva.
MEASURING SUCCESS
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Student retention will be one of the biggest ways to measure the effectiveness of VEE 101 and VEE 102, both Villanueva and Daniels say. Over the past five years, surveys conducted of students reveal the struggles some have with figuring out how to connect and find “their people.” Students who do not feel as though they belong can become the students who leave. Integral to both VEE 101 and VEE 102 is helping students know who they are, discover what unique skills and abilities they possess, and how the university can partner with them. “Our admissions counselors who meet with prospective students are very excited about this transformation of the curriculum,” said Villanueva. “Many of them are recent alumni, so they are thrilled to see this improvement, and the vision behind it.” Villanueva acknowledged that lots of parents may not have a clear or strong picture of what it means to send their child to Gallaudet University. “We know that parents are looking for specific things, programs, etc., and they like the foundation that VEE 101 and VEE 102 provides, that leads [their children] to choosing a major from one of our five schools. The framing helps families understand that we will be supporting their child through this process … what our community values.” “I’m really proud of how our Core Curriculum is designed,” Daniels said. “Before, things were a bit more isolated.” Now Gallaudet students start their college journey exploring and unpacking their individual and collective intersectionalities which leads to 39
DINNER VEE 101 WITH THE DEAN OF FACULTY
an increased sense of belonging. Educating and supporting students to be aware of and feel connected to what is happening out in the real world, as well as understanding how to live and work in it, is central to the mission of the General Education program, she explained. Both Villanueva and Daniels say that feedback on the Core Curriculum changes — from Gallaudet educators as well as the parents of incoming first-year students--has been overwhelmingly positive. Villanueva shared that a few of her friends have reached out personally to share positive feedback on their children taking VEE 101 and all the fascinating topics they are discussing. “Most people get the need for this change and see it as way overdue,” Daniels said. “The facilitators report back that they, too, are processing a lot of this information right along with the students they are teaching because none of them ever had a course like VEE 101 as part of their official education.” The collective reaction is “Finally!”
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DINNER WITH THE DEAN of THE FACULTY DR. KHADIJAT RASHID’S JOURNEY IN HIGHER EDUCATION Brandi Rarus, Chief Marketing and Undergraduate Admissions Officer, sat down to dinner with Dr. Khadijat Rashid, Dean of the Faculty, to ask about her life experiences and what brought her to Gallaudet University.
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Dr. Khadijat Rashid Dean of the Faculty
Thanks for having dinner with me, Dean Rashid. May I call you Kubby?
Rarus Yes, you may!
Rashid
Thank you! So tell me, how did you get started at Gallaudet University and find your way into deaf education?
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DINNER WITH THE DEAN OF FACULTY
I grew up in Nigeria and became deaf at the age of nine from spinal meningitis. My parents sent me to the Ibadan School for the Deaf for elementary and middle school, then Methodist Grammar School for high school. Both used total communication as means of instruction. This was back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. My favorite teacher, Mr. Afolabi, knew about and was influenced by Gallaudet, though he never had the opportunity to attend. He was a really positive influence on me. I also had an uncle who lived in the United States and he told my parents about Gallaudet. When I was younger, my father always told me I would become a doctor. Well, I became a doctor, but not the kind he was expecting! Rashid
I love that! I am sure your dad had to be super proud of you. Not only did you become a doctor, but you also are now the Dean of the Faculty at Gallaudet University. Wow! I also became deaf at age six from spinal meningitis. Same as you! Rarus
I do not remember grieving when I realized I could no longer hear, but I remember how traumatizing that was for my mother. It was super tough on her. She took me to so many doctors, convinced that one of them would heal me and my hearing would return. What was it like for you? Same. My mother was devastated also. She tried so many remedies to see if she could restore my hearing. She tried everything and it was not until I got to Gallaudet that she realized I was happy and just fine the way I am. Rashid
In 2010, I took a White House fellowship under 42
President Obama. I was invited to a Christmas party at the White House and my mother was living with me, so I brought her as my guest. It was an absolutely surreal experience for her. She had the time of her life. She saw both the President and First Lady! She was just beyond herself with excitement. The next morning I woke to a letter she wrote to me about that experience and in it she wrote “....of all my children, you were the one who brought me to the White House…” I know she could never have imagined that when I became deaf at nine. I will treasure that letter for the rest of my life. Wow, that’s really beautiful, Kubby! The truth is that us becoming deaf was a gift to both of us. I believe my mother saw that in my later years and your mother definitely has seen it too. Rarus
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Brandi Rarus Chief Marketing and Undergraduate Admissions Officer
Rashid
For sure. Brandi, for sure.
Last year we completed the transformation to our five school structure. This was really instrumental to how we are transforming Gallaudet. Previously, we had 16 academic departments plus several more programs and it was challenging for our students to navigate through career options. How is this transformation going? Rarus
It’s been wonderful! I have to give credit to the five school leaders. Each of them are faculty-elected and they are an incredibly talented group. Just within that group of five school leaders, we have racial, ethnic, hearing status, gender, sexual orientation, and language diversity, and that is so important in bringing different perspectives of our world to Gallaudet. Rashid
I am really proud of this team. We are in year two of this transformation and will be done by 2022. We are revising the Faculty Handbook and the faculty evaluation system to take into consideration the new structure. We are also looking at all of our major and career offerings to ensure we remain relevant to our students through changing times. For example, we are aiming to expand our Public Health program as a result of the demand with the COVID-19 outbreak. We have our first female president at Gallaudet. What has it meant to you to work for a female president? Rarus
Wow. It is different, and it’s a wonderful kind of different. President Cordano brings compassion for Rashid
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DINNER WITH THE DEAN OF FACULTY
others to our work. She helps us connect on a much more personal level, getting to the heart of our students and our faculty. She has made it okay to have conversations about self-care and about mental health. In fact, we had a meeting the other day that focused on belonging and how we are moving to achieve our equity and belonging imperative. Having female leadership, as well as predominantly deaf leadership that is also diverse, has been a major catalyst for us. Rarus
What do you want our students to know about Gallaudet?
I think I would start by saying our faculty genuinely care about our students. We prepare our students well for their careers or even for self employment. We have many graduates who are successful entrepreneurs. Our diversity is remarkable. We have students from every major U.S. ethnicity and 30 countries, and we are living in our nation’s capital. It’s an amazing opportunity for growth for our students who choose it. The Gallaudet University experience contributes to the growth of the “whole person.” Rashid
Rarus
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It really does. I have loved being here in Washington, D.C. these
past two years with Gallaudet. It’s been so good to welcome our students back after the pandemic sent us home for 18 months. I always say our students are resilient. As the Dean of Faculty, what do you hope for our students? What do you want them to leave Gallaudet with? First, I would want them to be citizens of our world. I want every student who comes to Gallaudet to grow and become who they were meant to be. I want them to leave here with confidence in knowing that they are amazing and have so much to contribute to the world and its people. Rashid
The second thing would be to learn how to learn. We are a liberal arts university. We teach the value of learning, that your education and growth is lifelong and that it goes way beyond your years at Gallaudet. Be curious. Learn how to learn. Find the joy in doing so. Learn how to learn. That’s perfect, Kubby. The best version of ourselves is always yet to come, and that only comes through being curious and open to our world. Thank you for talking to me about your journey. The Gallaudet community is really fortunate to have you! Rarus
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STOMPING GROUNDS
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GALLAUDET ATHLETICS REBOUNDS
GALLAUDET ATHLETICS REBOUNDS AFTER COVID-19 PANDEMIC By John-Samuel Atkinson, Associate Athletic Director for Communications
Time stood still last year as Gallaudet University athletic facilities laid dormant. Fields, courts, locker rooms, workout areas, pool, and offices, normally bustling with activity and energy, were instead empty and lifeless. The COVID-19 pandemic had shuttered Gallaudet’s doors in mid-March 2020 and did not officially reopen to students on campus until August 2021. The lost year cost student-athletes a chance to represent the Gallaudet community through athletics, an honor for which they train diligently year-round. Gallaudet faculty, staff, and students scattered after the 2020 spring break to their homes and pivoted to learning remotely on their laptops, iPads, computers, and smartphones. It was a whole new way of learning and connecting with each other. “It was overwhelming because I was not used to online learning,” said Gallaudet baseball student-athlete Robert Quigley. “It was new to me [and everyone] as we learned how to adapt to the “new normal” dealing with COVID-19 and virtual learning.” 48
Gallaudet athletic coaches and staff stayed connected virtually, remaining in constant communication with their student-athletes and teams. “We did one-on-one meetings via Zoom,” said Gallaudet softball coach Justen Burns, ’98 & G-’07. “We set up a Google site for us to discuss motivation, keep connected, and share inspirational leaders, announcements, and our favorite quotes with each other.” The athletics department posted daily workout videos, tips, and programs for the teams to utilize and shared them with the campus community at large. Watch the videos our athletes shared with each other! gu.live/LftyI “[The shutdown] was very difficult especially since it began during the baseball season,” said Gallaudet baseball coach Curtis Pride.
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GALLAUDET ATHLETICS REBOUNDS
“We all wanted to be together. It was tough for the seniors [on the team] because they missed their last season. It was heartbreaking to not finish the season and complete the seniors’ fourth year of baseball before graduation.” The athletics department celebrated its student-athletes through an online athletics sports banquet in May 2020 and congratulated its graduating seniors remotely. “It was important for the Athletics Department to recognize and connect with our 2019-2020 teams and student-athletes in May after what we had been through the last two months,” said Gallaudet Associate Athletic Director for Communications John-Samuel Atkinson. “The virtual sports banquet gave us an opportunity to properly thank our student-athletes and congratulate our seniors and award winners.”
REMOTE ACADEMIC SUCCESS The safety of the Gallaudet community remained the top priority during the shutdown, and that care and connection helped to keep Gallaudet athletic teams together during the 2020-2021 calendar year. “It was extremely difficult to be remote and away from my team,” said Gallaudet women’s soccer coach Liza Offreda, G-’12. “However, as a team, we committed to regular team Zoom meetings and individual meetings. One highlight was when we did a project to sign a children’s book for young deaf children as part of our community service initiative.” It also propelled several athletic teams to focus on their academics, and in turn, they received recognition for their successes. 50
“We stayed connected via Zoom for our team meetings and workouts,” said Pride. “If any student-athlete had an issue involving computers, Internet connectivity, or other obstacles, I would work to make sure everyone was getting the support they needed.” That support resulted in the following national team academic awards earned by Gallaudet athletic teams in 2020-2021: Baseball earned its first American Baseball Coaches Association Team Academic Excellence Award for having a team GPA of 3.00 or higher. Men’s cross country earned its first U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association All-Academic Team Award for having a team GPA of 3.10 or higher. Men’s swimming earned its second College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association Scholar All-America Team Award for a team GPA of 3.00 or higher. Women’s cross country earned its first U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association All-Academic Team Award for having a team GPA of 3.10 or higher. Women’s soccer earned its second United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for having a team GPA of 3.00 or higher. Women’s swimming earned its first College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association Scholar All-America Team Award for a team GPA of 3.00 or higher. Women’s volleyball earned its 13th American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for having a team GPA of 3.30 or higher.
In addition, many programs earned other national and conference academic honors for its student-athletes. “As a coach, I am extremely proud of them,” said Pride. “Especially during the pandemic and having to focus on virtual learning, it’s not easy. I am very proud they were able to stay focused and keep our goal of maintaining a team GPA above 3.0.” “As a team we were excited and motivated to put our education first during the pandemic. This team academic award shows the community that studentathletes can achieve good grades and succeed together as a unit,” said Gallaudet baseball student-athlete Ben Meyer.
RETURN TO CAMPUS The journey back to campus began in earnest this summer as student-athletes and staff got vaccinated and prepared for the return to Kendall Green and a “new normal.”
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Coach Burns summed things up concisely when asked about how great it is to be back on campus and around his student-athletes and team, “Finally!” “We are looking forward to the new softball season. It has been 19 months of no softball, and we have many new players excited to get out on the field,” said Burns. “We are excited to be back on campus but we want to make sure all staff and students stay safe during this time.” For some, adjusting to the “new normal” is taking a while to get used to. “It still does not feel real. Seeing my friends, everyday, with masks on is the new normal, but it is nice to be back,” said Quigley. “With school being in person, I have more motivation and I’m thrilled to socialize with friends. It is easier with classes since WiFi doesn’t disconnect, which makes it difficult to understand someone’s sign.”
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Gallaudet coaches have been preparing for this fall to be back on campus with their student-athletes and begin building their 2021-2022 teams. “We are together competing on campus, it has been rewarding to see the players thrive in person. We are able to connect at a deeper level and I look forward to continuing our growth on and off the field,” said Offreda. “It feels normal again. It is good to be back,” said Pride. “Now, I am able to practice and help develop our student-athletes’ skills for baseball in-person. I am anxious to see how much these guys have improved themselves over the time being away from each other. Some players worked hard and they came back looking stronger than ever. I am very excited for this season!” We will not take these seasons for granted after not having athletics for over a year. Now, there is a new appreciation for participating in Gallaudet athletics and showing the Bison spirit we know and love! Support Bison athletes on social media! gu.live/AWbY7
Gallaudet University volleyball player Emily Wright catches her breath as she exits the court.
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Summer
YOUTH CAMPS
SESSION 1
June 20-27
2022
SESSION 2
June 29–July 6
Immerse yourself in everything Gallaudet University has to offer this summer and beyond.
Deaf Youth PRIDE
Bison Brainiacs
Got Skills?
SESSION 1
SESSION 2
Explore and embrace your identity!
Explore the world of science and technology!
Design your own summer camp experience!
SESSION 1
(Middle School)
Immerse Into ASL
GenCyber
SESSION 2
Geek out in the world of information technology and cybersecurity!
SESSION 2
Learn the rich language and culture!
BONUS! SIX FLAGS | GALLAUDET | WASHINGTON D.C.
REGISTER NOW: www.gallaudet.edu/youth-programs
Youth Programs
800 Florida Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002
202-250-2189 (videophone) youthprograms@gallaudet.edu gallaudet.edu/youth-programs
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
RETURN on INVESTMENT
A FLOURISHING RISK MANAGEMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM
By Robert Weinstock, ’77 & G-’83
Careful planning, strong leadership, a robust curriculum, ample internship opportunities, and a high post-graduation placement rate: These are all hallmarks of an outstanding academic program. The Gallaudet’s Risk Management and Insurance program, now in its sixth full year, checks all these boxes and more. How Gallaudet University came to have a Risk Management and Insurance program is
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a story in itself, and an intensely personal one at that. In the early 1970s, James Maguire, a 1958 graduate of Saint Joseph’s University and a fairly new insurance agent, befriended a deaf couple who lived in his apartment building in Philadelphia. The couple told him matter-of-factly that deaf people had little or no access to affordable life insurance.
Maguire learned that the company he worked for would not offer preferred rates to deaf individuals. They offered more expensive, substandard rates. Maguire fought to get more favorable rates based on medical underwriting, the same that hearing individuals get. Never giving up, Maguire was able to get the correct, less expensive rates and then his business soared. Maguire immediately wrote policies for his deaf neighbors, and over time, he did the same for many of their friends and associates.
James Maguire speaks to a group of risk management and insurance students at the opening of the RMI program. An interpreter next to him translates his speech.
Learn more about the Risk Management and Insurance program gu.live/EFFiM
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Maguire soon became one of the top life insurance agents in the country. Striking out on his own, he founded the Philadelphia Insurance Companies. As the company grew, he continued to ensure that deaf people, in Philadelphia and elsewhere, had access to agents who would serve all their insurance needs. Philadelphia Insurance Companies flourished, and eventually Maguire sold Philadelphia Insurance Companies to Tokio Marine Insurance Companies. Maguire then became a philanthropist. He gave his alma mater, St. Joseph’s University, a generous gift to establish the Maguire Academy of Insurance and Risk Management. In 2015, he melded his twin passions – for the insurance industry and the deaf community – and endowed the Maguire Academy of Risk Management and Insurance located at Gallaudet University. Maguire spoke at Gallaudet’s Commencement in 2017 and was awarded an honorary degree. James H. Bruner, who has led the program as its first executive director since its inception in 2015, notes that Gallaudet stands alone in offering a business-focused risk management and insurance among all the schools in the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. He sees multiple growth opportunities, including online course and degree program offerings and enrollment of students from other Consortium schools. Bruner also has an interesting story on how he became involved with the deaf community. As an undergraduate student at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), he was a member of the first class to live in 55
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Tower A, a residence hall at the newlyestablished National Technical Institute for the Deaf. It was designed to integrate deaf and hearing students on campus. Bruner had never met a deaf person prior to attending RIT. He soon became friends with many students living in the NTID dorm, especially his deaf suitemate. Bruner started learning sign language, then applied and was accepted into an intensive 10-week summer student interpreting program. He also worked in the NTID English Learning Laboratory during his college years. After graduate school at Rollins College in Florida, Bruner embarked on a 30-year career in the insurance industry with Wausau Insurance Company/Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. When he was offered the position at Gallaudet University, he was determined to transfer all his skills that led to a successful insurance career to creating and building the new Risk Management and Insurance program.
Risk Management and Insurance students watch Bruner intently as he explains to his students about the accomplishments of two guest speakers, seated next to him.
As of Fall 2021, the program had 22 students majoring in risk management and insurance, and two minors. A total of 50 students — majors, minors, and students exploring the field -- are taking foundation courses in risk management, life insurance, and insurance company operations, as well as advanced courses in enterprise risk management and what Bruner calls emerging risks — autonomous (self-driving) vehicles, threedimensional printing, artificial intelligence, climate change, and infectious diseases, to name just a few. According to Bruner, the program’s 14 graduates to date are employed in the public and private sector, at the Philadelphia Insurance Companies, State Farm Insurance Company, the Hanover Insurance Group, and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., among others. Several have passed state licensing examinations and obtained industry certifications: Sarah Bakos-Killam, ’19 works as a production associate with Brown & Riding Wholesale Insurance. She passed her California state Property and Casualty Brokers license examination. Jad Gore, ’21, is a licensed property and casualty insurance broker in the state of
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Anton Fletcher, ’20, and Austin Alton, ’20, who studied the effects of COVID-19 and its impact on insurance regulation; and Jerome DuPuis, ’19, who presented on the risks of cryptocurrency and blockchain and their impact on insurance regulation. The students’ presentations were very well received by DISB commissioners and staff.
New York. He works as a Concierge Client Service Representative with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in New York City. Jake Grindstaff, ’19, is a licensed life insurance agent in the state of Maryland, and is employed by the federal government. Ramon Johnson, ’19, is working with State Farm Insurance, and is in a training program to become a licensed agent. Theodore Miller, ’21, is a middle market underwriting technician with The Hanover Insurance Group. Nabeela Shollenberger, ’20, works as an underwriting technical assistant with the Selective Insurance Group, Inc. Internship placements provide valuable work experience and networking opportunities. Several program graduates have completed internships with the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking (DISB). Most recently, Judy Yang, ’21, worked on actuarial projects, and Jamal Garner, ’20, studied artificial intelligence. Past interns have included Jake Grindstaff, ’19, who researched telematics and insurance; Emelda Sanders, ’19, who researched wearable medical devices;
Other internship sites include the Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Travelers Insurance Companies, Hartford Insurance Companies, Marsh USA, Risk Strategies, World Wildlife Fund, Marsh & McLennan, and DHH Insurance LLC. The latter deserves special mention. DHH was founded in 1999 in Rochester, New York, by Gary Meyer, a deaf entrepreneur who at the time had 16 years of experience in the insurance field. Today, DHH Insurance has a staff of 13 people. In 2005, DHH Insurance became a division of CH Insurance Brokerage Services in Syracuse, New York. It provides services to individuals and entities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, using a network of deaf and hearing agents and a pool of interpreters. Meyer, now nearing 40 years in the field, serves as DHH Insurance’s vice president. Meyer also is an adjunct professor in the RMI program, who both teaches and mentors students. Another regular adjunct professor is Randy Jouben, Director of Risk Management for Fairfax County, Virginia. The future looks very promising for those entering insurance and risk management.
As baby boomers continue to retire, the insurance industry is seeking young, talented people to fill those roles in an expeditious way.
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NO, WE’RE NOT A BOT
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By Michelle Gerson-Wagner
When realization set in that the pandemic was to become a permanent fixture and the campus shuttered in preparation for remote learning, an important question remained: If we can’t be on campus, how would we provide a collegiate experience, and how would we engage with each other in these new times? This question became increasingly important as the weeks and months went on. We asked the same question, for different scenarios: How can we show Gallaudet to prospective students, if we can’t meet them in person? How can we engage with alumni during Homecoming, if they aren’t allowed on campus? How can we support current students if they need help, and if we’re not in our offices? How can faculty and staff feel supported, if the campus is deserted? As the pandemic wore on, the answer became clear: it was going to be less about what we say, and more about what we do, to ensure the best possible experience for everyone.
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NO, WE’RE NOT A BOT
Social media was no exception, and it certainly wasn’t going to be an afterthought. We had information to share, news to announce, milestones to mark. We bridged, joined, related, serviced, maintained -- and we connected: with teachers, parents, current and prospective students, and our staff and
faculty. Whether it was using the Bernie Sanders inauguration meme to show a #mood, responding to a distraught tweet, or grabbing a quick snapshot for a parent of a newly-minted college student, experience and engagement reigned supreme. Enjoy some of our most popular posts!
TIKTOK “Is Gallaudet University real?” was an actual question asked in a Google search. So we took the very same question to our Gallaudet University students and asked them if their beloved university did, in fact, exist. Their reactions? Follow us gu.live/tiktok
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Photo dumps. Enough said.
YOUTUBE
Bobbi and Leila’s Coffee Chat on Youtube and Facebook.
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Follow us gu.live/facebook
Follow us gu.live/youtube 61
NO, WE’RE NOT A BOT
INSTAGRAM When a parent sends their baby to college, it’s hard. We know. So when a parent asks for a photo of their kid, we’re only too happy to oblige. Follow us gu.live/instagram
TWITTER Gallaudet Technology Services had a major e-mail snafu and Gallaudet community members were taking it to Twitter to vent — with hilarious memes. So we did what anyone else would’ve done: ask to be made fun of!
Follow us gu.live/twitter 62
THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR CAREER IS AT GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY Join a vibrant and welcoming working community united in its passion to further advance Gallaudet University and make a difference in the world. Gallaudet brings together students, faculty, and staff from many different cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and communication backgrounds. Gallaudet is committed to a workforce that is as diverse as its student population. Our environment is fully accessible and bilingual in American Sign Language and English.
APPLY TODAY! gallaudet.edu/careers
TRVIA CUP
A CHANCE TO SHINE!
By Nikolya Sereda, ‘19
The Academic Bowl competition, led by Gallaudet University Youth Programs since 1997, has become one of the nation’s top extracurricular programs for deaf and hard of hearing youth. Despite its popularity and ever-growing roster of teams from across the country, the competition can pose some logistical challenges for certain schools. With a minimum of 4 team members on an Academic Bowl team, some students struggle to join because their school or program does not have enough students for a fully formed team. Additionally, some students may feel like they miss their opportunity to fully show their skills in a team setting. Trivia Cup, Youth Programs’ newest venture, is a hybrid trivia-based competition for high school and middle school students. The 64
program started during the COVID-19 pandemic, when all schools were operating remotely. Academic Bowl and Battle of the Books had moved online as well, and many athletic programs were suspended for safety reasons. It seemed like the perfect time to launch! Learn more about Trivia Cup gu.live/qUMBR In September 2020, the pilot program, a 7-week-long competition, kicked off, with each week focused on a different category of trivia. In the competition’s flagship year, the categories chosen were entertainment, geography, science and technology, mathematics, language and literature, U.S.
government and the 2020 election, and last but not least, sports. Students were able to select the weeks they wanted to participate in, based on their preferred categories. They also accumulated points based on their participation, placing them in the running for best overall individual player, a title that can only be won by students participating in more than four categories of the competition. Starting with a round of fifty questions played on the Kahoot app, the top 16 students went on to a playoff bracket. The top 4 winners of the overall competition won scholarships to Gallaudet University. In this season, the competition’s second year, players were challenged with an extra step. After the initial round, the top 32 players moved on to a ranking test. The ranking test then determines both the top 16 and their placement in the playoff bracket. The competition was also reduced to 5 weeks, with the following categories available: entertainment and pop culture, mathematics, science and technology, language and literature, and social studies. Excitingly, this year, the top four finalists from the four core subjects of the Trivia Cup competition will be invited to campus during the National
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Academic Bowl Competition. The finals will be scheduled during the same weekend as the National Academic Bowl, so all attendees can enjoy both competitions. Since some students are not able to participate in Academic Bowl due to their school or program lacking a team, Trivia Cup allows individual students of various grades and ages to play with each other. Participants range from the only deaf or hard of hearing student in their school to students in well-established deaf schools or mainstream programs. Youth Programs has even reported a number of homeschooled students joining the fun! Additionally, the Academic Bowl competition requires a team effort, and sometimes some players may find themselves “stealing the show.” Trivia Cup allows the hidden gems to rise up and claim their victory! On top of that, Trivia Cup is more student-centered, as students can pick and choose what interests they want to pursue. Despite its short lifespan so far, Trivia Cup has proved itself as a great opportunity for educators and families to share and recognize their children’s success, as well as a new way for deaf and hard of hearing youth to connect with one another while testing their astounding brain power! Follow Youth Programs on social media! gu.live/LOnCs
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Ritchie R. Bryant, ’93 Staff Interpreter
A NEW LEADER TAKES THE HELM
RITCHIE BRYANT ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE REGISTRY OF INTERPRETERS FOR THE DEAF By Robert B. Weinstock, ’77 & G-’83 66
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Ritchie R. Bryant, ’93, became president of the Board of Directors of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf on September 1, 2021. He is the first Deaf, and the first Black Deaf, president in the organization’s 57year history. Ritchie, a staff interpreter with Gallaudet Interpreting Services, has been a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) since 2007. He also holds the Conditional Legal Interpreter Permit-Relay (CLIP-R) credential. He spent the first half of his career teaching American Sign Language in high school, community college, university, and continuing education settings. Over time, he segued to interpreting in deafblind and medical settings, then began the process of becoming certified.
Learn more about Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf gu.live/5VnK6 Bryant’s journey to the RID presidency was atypical. He ran for president earlier in the year and finished second in a three-way race between the incumbent president and two deaf candidates, including Bryant himself. The incumbent president subsequently resigned, as did all other RID board members, triggering a special election to fill vacant positions. In this election, conducted in late August, Bryant had one opponent, and won by a significant margin.
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A NEW LEADER TAKES THE HELM
Bryant’s campaign platform centered around three concepts: Accountability, Collaboration, and Thriving, or ACT. He knows that he and his newly-elected and appointed Board members have a formidable task in front of them — restoring member and consumer confidence in RID — but he is upbeat. He notes that his election is significant because this is the first time that RID is being led by people who are both service providers and recipients of services — Bryant as president and Star Grieser as the organization’s chief executive officer. “I feel that our team — this Board — is well-equipped to face challenges, as is our chief executive officer. We have similar vision and similar goals,” Bryant said. “One of our challenges will be not just to communicate, but to actively engage with our members. We recognize that we have made mistakes in the past, We will address them, and together we will give our members a feeling of ‘We are RID.’” “My leadership began at Gallaudet,” Bryant said. As a student, he was president of the Black Student Union, vice president of his class, and an officer in his fraternity. He was also active in the Student Body Government. Also at the university, he learned both to challenge and be challenged in his thinking, a skill set he carries to this day. Since graduation, Bryant has lived in Texas, northern California, Ohio, New York, and now Washington, D.C. He became involved with the Texas Association of the Deaf, helped establish the Buckeye chapter of the American Sign Language Teachers’ Association, and was a member and officer of the Pennsylvania ASLTA. He also helped establish the Dayton 68
(Ohio) chapter of National Black Deaf Advocates, and served as vice president of the Philadelphia Chapter Black Deaf Advocates. “Living in different parts of the country helped me build an extensive network,” he said, “but it all began at Gallaudet. My advice to students is to begin to create your personal and professional network; it will pay off in many ways throughout your career.” Bryant started his career as an ASL teacher and specialist. He had some prior experience interpreting for deafblind churchgoers in his native Texas, but it was not until the late 1990s, when he lived in Columbus, Ohio, that he began to segue to interpreting. “I was involved with an ASL mentoring service for hearing interpreters who wanted to improve their ASL skills. Former RID President Ben Hall led this program under the auspices of Ohio Rehabilitation Services. I also worked as a special services provider (SSP) and deafblind interpreter during an American Association of the Deaf-Blind conference in 2000.” Bryant moved to Philadelphia that fall to become the ASL program coordinator at Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. While there, he received Deaf Interpreter training under Dr. Eileen Forestal. This experience led Bryant to realize that all IEPs should have deaf-hearing interpreting teams. He encouraged the leadership to adopt this practice, and it still continues to this day. “Pennsylvania is wellknown for supporting the concept of deafhearing team interpreting,” he explained. Dr. Forestal’s training proved impactful on Bryant’s journey as well. “From there, I decided to pursue a career in interpreting.”
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He continued his “day job” while interpreting evenings and weekends, principally in medical and deafblind settings, and became RID-certified in 2007. He also earned RID’s Conditional Legal Interpreting Permit-Relay (CLIP-R) credential. Bryant is no stranger to RID leadership, having served as a Deaf Member at Large (DMAL) on the RID Board from 2015 to 2017 and as a member of the organization’s Deaf Advisory Council (DAC). As president, he wants to see RID reinstitute some of certification programs and refine its structure and maintenance cycles. Looking ahead, Bryant expects to be involved in the interpreting profession and RID longterm, mentoring and supporting BIPOC deaf interpreters as they seek certification. He is already doing this; according to the biography on his website, Bryant has been presenting ASL/Deaf-related workshops for over 20 years. With his experience as an ASL mentor and ASLPI/SLPI evaluator, he trained Deaf people to become ASL mentors for signers from the Community Interpreter Grant program. He has provided consulting services ranging from deaf interpreting to development of evaluations for future deaf and hearing interpreters to various organizations and agencies.
Learn more about Ritchie Bryant gu.live/8fFW8
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Tammy Beck Hennig, ‘97, stands at the base of the Archives’ warehouse storage, reflecting the sheer scale of shelving and stored items. 70
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MERRILL LEARNING CENTER:
TRANSFORMING THE ARCHIVES and LIBRARY SPACES By Christopher Shea, ’91
When the Merrill Learning Center (MLC) opened in 1981, it was a sparkling centerpiece for the center quadrangle of Gallaudet University. The MLC’s emphasis on natural sunlight and clear sightlines made it one of the first buildings to incorporate concepts that parallel with the more recent philosophy of DeafSpace, and its striking modern design made it a popular place for campus pictures.
However, the windows that welcome so much sunlight into the MLC have also welcomed in rain, and heavy storms resulted in a series of leaks that, while not immediately threatening to the Library and Archives collections, brought in mold and caused electrical issues, making it clear there were long-term problems with the building that could not simply be patched. In fact, the very first day the MLC opened, there were leaks immediately identified. Now, what originally started as a small facelift for the Library space in the building has expanded considerably and has led to some exciting new changes for the Library and Archives. These changes also come partially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed the MLC and the Gallaudet campus. However, the sudden shutdown also provided Dean Malm, the administration, and newly hired Archives Director Jim McCarthy an opportunity to rethink and plan for the transformation of the Library and Archives and how they might better serve the Gallaudet community and deaf communities worldwide. First, the planned update to the expansion now includes other parts of the building and also means that throughout the process, the departments that once 71
MERRILL LEARNING CENTER: TRANSFORMING THE ARCHIVES AND LIBRARY SPACES
The Library has found its new temporary home during the renovations of MLC. Housed in I. King Jordan Student Academic Center 1221, the Library space is smaller, but very welcoming. The walls of the new space are lined with images from various time periods in Gallaudet University’s history. Along with smart phone/ tablet charging stations and cozy decor, the
called the MLC home will have to find new places on campus. These departments include Video Services and their respective studios, Gallaudet Technology Services, the ASL Proficiency Interview team, and others. The staff and most of the functions of the Library and Archives have relocated to new offices in the I. King Jordan Student Academic Center. The bookcases have been taken down, and the Library collection -- books, tapes, microfilm, and all – has found shelter off-campus. But for the Archives, moving offices is easy compared to the challenge of moving the world’s largest collection of deaf-related material. Most members of the Gallaudet community do not fully realize how much material the Archives contains -- four large storage rooms, including over 21,450 linear feet (or four miles) of shelving. Its collection includes not only papers and records, but a huge variety of items of all different shapes and sizes. Further, many of the items in the Archives are one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable; some are fragile and require careful handling. The Archives collection includes: 72
temporary space is being outfitted to create a lively atmosphere for growth and learning. To ensure the safety of students, the Library has implemented a new reservations system so that people get the space they need while staying healthy and socially distant. While all of the Library’s books are located at the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC), the shelves in the interim library will be filled with new and highly-requested books. Every day, couriers deliver books from
Rare books that date back as far as 1540, including book collections formerly belonging to Charles Baker, Edward Miner Gallaudet, Elizabeth Peet, and Melville Ballard Hundreds of film reels, videotapes, and DVDs representing tens of thousands of hours of footage Previous issues of The Buff and Blue, On the Green, and Gallaudet Today, as well as international deaf newspapers and magazines Trophies and plaques of all shapes and sizes Sports uniforms, event T-shirts, preparatory class caps and beanies, and student organization shirts Assistive technology, including light flashers, TDD/TTYs, videophones, pagers, and hearing aids
the WRLC facility to Gallaudet community members. The myriad services traditionally provided by the Library are still offered, so all students have access to the resources they need for their education. Through the Inter-Library Loan Service, students can borrow books from across the nation and the world. The library also offers e-books, video streaming services, printing services, research support including citation support, journals and e-journals, and
More than 1,800 pieces of art and 100,000 photographs, including more than 300 photo albums and scrapbooks Stained glass from Ole Jim’s original windows, buff and blue tiles from College Hall’s original floor, a piece of flooring from the Hughes Memorial Gymnasium basketball court, a chunk from the edge of the Fowler Hall basement pool, and other memorabilia from old campus buildings
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scanning books/chapters for fair use. There is also a DeafBlind Braille embossing station along with ZoomText features available in the new space.
tracked in real time. In order to accomplish this, the Archives staff was one of the first units to return to full-time work on campus despite the pandemic. Fortunately, since the Archives’ physical space was so large, social distancing was easy to maintain!
Clocks, flags and banners, posters and signs, mugs and glassware, canes, diplomas, tote bags, furniture, games, and more.
The second obstacle was finding a place to put everything. Not just any space will do for archival storage. Many old and fragile items in the collection need an environment with precisely controlled temperature and humidity to make sure they remain in optimum condition.
The first obstacle in moving all this material was keeping track of what was being moved. To that end, the Archives staff began working on a full inventory in January 2021, with the goal of clearing the Archives out of the MLC entirely by the end of the winter of 20212022. Spreadsheets track every individual box and item, and everything in the Archives will eventually be tagged and their locations
Here, Gallaudet’s participation in the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) has paid dividends. One of the benefits of membership in WRLC is access to their Shared Collections Facility (SCF) in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, which includes three massive environmentally controlled storage bays. The libraries of the eight WRLC member universities use this facility to store books 73
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McCarthy and the staff hope that when the time comes to return to a new, modernized Merrill Learning Center, it will be as an equally modernized Archives that will continue to be the world’s greatest repository of Gallaudet and deaf history.
The Merrill Learning Center is empty. Years of wear and tear is apparent, but its new form, yet to come, remains a beacon to look forward to.
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and other items that are in low demand, and it is the perfect environment for the Archives collection as well. The SCF can hold almost 370,000 cubic feet, which works out to over 128 linear miles of shelf space, or over 340,000 average-sized bookshelves. All this space is necessary because Gallaudet shares it with seven other Washington area universities, each with sizable collections of their own. Furthermore, the SCF staff, including Tammy Beck Hennig, ‘97, who manages the SCF space, is available to retrieve and ship any needed materials back to Gallaudet. This way,
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even though most of the Archives collection is going to be off-site, it will be accessible. Archives staff will still be able to retrieve materials users might need for their research within 2-3 business days. The Archives also has opened a publicly accessible reading room with a selection of frequently used materials available for patrons in the I. King Jordan Student Academic Center, right next to the new interim Library space. In combination with this, the Archives, under McCarthy’s leadership, is also making a push to increase the collection’s digital accessibility. Dean Malm has obtained a high-speed flatbed scanner for digitizing papers and photographs, and with this equipment the Archives recently made 40 years of the On the Green internal staff newsletter available online. The Archives is also in the process of digitizing a document collection about the integration of Kendall School in the 1950s, and more documents are to follow. Explore the Archives online! gu.live/y3qFn
Taken together, the mandated move from Merrill Learning Center and the pandemic has given the Archives staff an opportunity to reevaluate how their unit serves the university. McCarthy and the staff hope that when the time comes to return to a new, modernized Merrill Learning Center, it will be as an equally modernized Archives that will continue to be the world’s greatest repository of Gallaudet University and deaf history.
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OFFICE OF THE OMBUDS EXPANDS
OFFICE OF THE OMBUDS EXPANDS:
NAVIGATING CONFLICT RESOLUTION THROUGH a Diverse Cultural Lens
By Nikolya Sereda, ‘19
Elizabeth Stone The University Ombuds
SooHyun Tak, ‘90, ‘93, & G-’95 Ombuds Facilitator
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Conflict can, and will, arise during life and work. It can stem from all types of issues — for example, interpersonal conflict or a communication breakdown. This is where the field of ombuds practice is crucial; given the multilayered complexity and demands of higher education, the idea is that an ombuds office can assist in conflict resolution, group work, meditation, restorative practices, and systemic change.
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Originating from the concept of an “ombudsman” in the 18th century -- the Scandinavian ideal referring to an individual who serves as a third agent of the people -- the ombuds profession has seen unprecedented growth in higher education and beyond. Corporations, non-governmental organizations, and K-12 programs are seeing merit in launching their own ombuds programs, with the goal of reducing and resolving conflict
Norma Morá Associate Ombuds
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ELIZABETH STONE
among their employees, constituents, and consumers. Although “Ombudsperson” or “Ombudsman” is still in common usage, “Ombuds” is becoming the standard term for the person performing this function. The International Ombuds Association (IOA) has recently changed from Ombudsman to Ombuds. The four principles of ombuds are confidentiality, impartiality, informality, and independence. There are different kinds of ombuds depending on the type of field. Higher education, corporations, K-12 settings, and non-governmental organizations are considered appropriate environments for organizational ombuds, which practice those four principles. The Office of the Ombuds takes on an organizational ombuds role, as opposed to advocacy or classical ombuds roles.
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When the Office of the Ombuds at Gallaudet University was founded in 2008, over 250 colleges, universities, and K-12 programs had established Ombuds positions. Numbers have continued to increase since then. Recently, the International Ombuds Association recently achieved a membership of 1,000 constituents.
Learn more about the International Ombuds Association gu.live/R9WYp According to Elizabeth Stone, the University Ombuds, “The road to the establishment of the Office of Ombuds started in 2006 when students of color protested the University’s flawed process which eliminated Dr. Glenn B. Anderson, ’68 & H-’14, as a candidate for President per paper screening without a chance for an interview. When Dr. Robert R.
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Through many conversations, long waits, and two searches, the one-person Office of the Ombuds finally grew to three people in Fall 2021. According to Stone, it took 13 years of lobbying by three different Ombuds to make this possible for a more diverse office.
SOOHYUN TAK, ’90, ’93, & G-’95
Davila, ’53 & H-’96, became the university’s ninth president in 2007, he saw an immediate need for an ombuds office.” President Davila asked Edgar B. Palmer, ’77, to explore and collect information on establishing an ombuds office. Palmer was the first known deaf person to attend an International Ombuds Association conference. He also chaired the search committee which led to the hiring of Suzanne Singleton Rosen, E-’88, as Gallaudet’s first Ombuds. Without the great contributions made by BIPOC deaf community members, the Office of the Ombuds would not be where it is today. Rosen Singleton served until 2012, and was followed by Dr. Michael L. Moore, ’68, who served as Interim ombuds for one year while a national search was conducted. The position of Ombuds was vacant for one year after Dr. Moore retired. In January 2015, Stone became the university’s third Ombuds.
The Office of the Ombuds recently welcomed two new staff members: Norma Morán, Associate Ombuds, and SooHyun Tak, ’90, ’93, & G-’95, Ombuds Facilitator. According to Stone, this 150 percent increase in staffing is quite a remarkable achievement. For context, there are a variety of ratios across the industry. Some major universities with over 30,000 members only have one Ombuds, but some have expanded, such as the University of California at Davis, which serves over 35,000 students and has a team of five Ombuds. Because of the unique community Gallaudet serves, there are very limited options for highly trained conflict resolution practitioners who are bilingual in ASL and English, and those who are deaf. Stone says that “the increase in staff is not about the size of the University but about providing additional opportunities for University community members to come forward to share any concerns in a safe space.” Stone adds that “...these additional resources, without a doubt, will allow for the Office of the Ombuds with various conflict resolution competencies to be able to meet its mission of serving the Gallaudet community more broadly.”
Learn more about the Office of the Ombuds’ new staff. gu.live/xW08J
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Morán, as the Associate Ombuds, will be responsible for undergraduate and graduate student visits, conflict resolution and competence training, and data visualization, management, and reporting. “We are excited to have her on board to help us meet growing demand for these services, and especially for supporting our student community,” Stone shared. Tak, as the part-time Ombuds Facilitator, will be responsible for facilitating circles which includes pre-, during, and post-sessions. Depending on the visitor’s preference, Ms. Tak will co-facilitate with the Ombuds, by herself, or with another person.
“Every visit matters, and the Office of the Ombuds is committed to providing every visitor the opportunity for a fair and equitable process.” Elizabeth Stone Stone explained that the expansion of her Ombuds team also means they have the ability to direct some of their energy into big-picture, long-term strategies. Through their interactions with the campus community, the Office of the Ombuds has a unique perspective into the issues that erode healthy atmospheres on campus. Their work leads them into situations where inequitable treatment, power struggles, need for feedback, group dynamics, communication breakdowns, and other factors come into play. By navigating these situations, Stone and her team will be able to develop data and insights on the major issues that 80
the university needs to address as a whole. The expansion of the team will help with this initiative, providing us the oversight and expertise needed to make a gainful impact. Morán expressed that one of the office’s goals is to also foster more deaf and hard of hearing involvement in the ombuds community, given its strong culture of networking and professional development. Stone discussed how Gallaudet University is in a unique position in the ombuds field with our cultural context and the wide spectrum of identities that coexist in our community. In every interaction, the ombuds team must consider all perspectives and cultural lenses. By having more deaf and hard of hearing ombuds with intersectional identities in the field, their impact would foster greater
cross-cultural connections as well as share the tools and knowledge other ombuds can use in their various establishments, especially when they find themselves interacting with deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, and disabled, people in their work. This would also encourage other ombuds offices to consider the importance of being inclusive and complying with providing accommodations. Stone said, “Gallaudet University has supported us with new, additional resources in order for us to meet our mission in serving Gallaudet students, staff, faculty, alumni, and families with confidential conflict management resources. Every visit matters, and the Office of the Ombuds is committed to providing every visitor the opportunity for a fair and equitable process.”
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The most powerful influence this expansion has may be the addition of three deaf ombudspeople with diverse intersectional identities in the field of ombuds work. The contributions of Stone, Tak, and Morán will not only make a continued impact on the culture and growth of Gallaudet University, but also in the ombuds field. The Office of the Ombuds shall continue to pave the way for conflict resolution and restorative practices with a diverse cultural lens, and educate others in the ombuds industry on the unique perspective deaf and hard of hearing individuals contribute to our society and our world.
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CHARLES WILLIAMS
Charles Williams
AN ENDOWMENT TO COMMEMORATE AN ADVOCATE and LEADER By the Development Office
Sisters Carla and Jessa Williams grew up watching their father, Charles “Chuck” V. Williams, fight for rights and access for the Black Deaf community. As toddlers in 1987, their father became Ohio’s first deaf juror. As children in 1995, they saw their father receive his high school diploma from Ohio School for the Deaf, 45 years after Williams was supposed to graduate. Carla remembers, “My dad always said he started each day with two strikes against him: he was Black AND he was deaf.” Back in 1950, two months before his high school graduation, Charles Williams’ white classmates vandalized the superintendent’s car. When the school administrators investigated to find out who did it, his friends panicked and asked Williams to not tell on them. Choosing to keep his word to his friends and remain silent, Williams was expelled by the administration and sent home to Cleveland. 82
Williams’ family was well-respected in Cleveland. His father was a lawyer, and later became a judge who worked at the downtown courthouse. His parents were shocked that he was expelled, and drove two hours to Columbus to straighten out the situation with the school administrators — but the administrators refused to readmit Williams. While he never graduated, his friends who vandalized the car got their diplomas. At the time, Gallaudet College was not admitting Black students. So, without a high school degree or a college to attend, Williams’ dream to become a lawyer like his father was impossible. However, he started a lifelong career of advocacy to bring opportunities for Black Deaf people. He even campaigned for
Charles “Chuck” Williams with his wife, daughters, and grandson celebrating his 90th birthday.
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his neighbor and childhood friend, Carl Stokes, who became Cleveland’s first Black mayor in 1967, as well as Richard Celeste, who became the governor of Ohio. Williams’ advocacy journey led him to meet many other Black Deaf leaders. In 1980 when he sued the Democratic National Convention for not providing interpreters, he went to Washington, D.C., for the trial. His intention was to improve access for deaf people to vote, and meeting other Black Deaf leaders in D.C., led to the organization of the first Black Deaf Advocates Conference in 1981. This work was formalized with the creation of the National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA) which has approximately 35 chapters across the country today.
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Williams’ firebrand reputation in advocating for equal rights for over 45 years not only led to him finally receiving a diploma from the Ohio School for the Deaf, but recognition from many organizations in both the hearing and deaf worlds. Going forward, Carla said, “The future of Deaf leadership in this country has to do more than just include Black Deaf leaders. It must raise up and center these voices as Black Deaf persons are experiencing the political and cultural issues in society at an even greater level of discrimination than most.”
Charles “Chuck” Williams playing football at Ohio School for the Deaf at Columbus, circa 1949.
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From 1995 to 2008 during their teenage years, Carla and Jessa watched their father serve on the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees. Williams never accepted anything secondhand for Black Deaf students at Gallaudet. As the article from Represent Collaborative featuring Charles Williams’ life reported, “He called out unequal treatment anytime he saw it — he demanded to know why Black students would get suspended for ‘smoking a little pot’ or other minor infractions, while their white peers were let off. For Williams, more than 50 years may have passed since his own unjust punishment at the Ohio School for the Deaf, but it was clear many of the same inequities persisted.”
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NBDA in Washington DC. L to R: Dr. Glenn Anderson, ’68 & H-’17, Charles Williams, Dr. Ernest Hairston, ’61, and Linwood Smith, ’65. Image courtesy of Charles Williams.
Read the article from Represent Collaborative gu.live/QtQHi “My dad gave so much of his time by serving on the Board of Trustees at Gallaudet,” Carla recalls. “He loved this experience and it brings back such fond memories for our entire family. It was an amazing twist of fate considering he could not attend Gallaudet back when he was younger.” Upon completing his service on the board in 2008, Williams was awarded the Doctorate of Humane Letters. In 2019, Williams finally retired after multiple careers. He spent 35 years working at the Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Department, and then taught ASL at Baldwin Wallace University and Cleveland State University for 24 years. His advocacy work, however, still continues today, and Williams is still known as a fearless Black Deaf leader in both Black and Deaf communities. For Williams’ 90th birthday on March 25, 2021, Carla and Jessa decided to create a surprise
endowment for their father, named the Charles V. Williams Scholarship Fund. The scholarship funds will be given to Black and deaf or hard of hearing students seeking a degree from Gallaudet University, with preference given to applicants from Ohio.
Today, there is about $10,000 left to raise before the fund becomes fully endowed. Anybody can give to the fund at: gu.live/4Yc60 Family, friends, and other people who were inspired by Williams’ lifelong advocacy chipped in to raise the $25,000 minimum needed to establish the endowment. On his birthday celebrating with his family, Williams got a new Gallaudet sweatshirt, and then Carla explained the endowment established in his name. He was so surprised. “Creating this fund allows people to show their love for my dad while supporting the future educational endeavors of a Black deaf person from Ohio,” Carla said. “It was the perfect tribute and a great way to continue his legacy!” 85
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ALUMNI STAFF By Nikolya Sereda, ‘19
RACHEL BASS, ’14 & G-’19 86
LORENZO LEWIS, ’19
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F GIVE BACK
ASHLEY PABON, ’19
KLIMENTINA KLIMENTYEVA, ’19 87
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RACHEL BASS, ’14 & G-’19 STUDENT SUCCESS COACH
Why Gallaudet? The reason I chose to come to Gallaudet is because I value the sense of community here, the connections between one another. I started working at Gallaudet because I wanted to begin my journey in discovering my identity of who I am as a DeafPlus individual. I felt Gallaudet was a great place to start. Now, I’m here because I want to give back and empower other students in their journey to grow and thrive. Since your time as a student, compared to your experience now as staff, how has the university changed? I can answer this as a person with multiple disabilities. When I was a student, I would crave finding connections and resources for those with disabilities. I wanted to support Gallaudet in finding ways to support and improve access and sense 88
of belonging for the disability community at Gallaudet. I participated in many boards and committees including the Accessibility Council, to address various barriers in different areas on campus. Through the work we’ve done on the boards and committees, we’ve learned more about the missing gaps and what is needed to improve to better support the DeafBlind and DeafPlus communities. With the development of the Student Success Coach position specifically for DeafBlind students, these students now have someone they can go to for non-academic challenges. DeafBlind students finally have that person they feel connected with due to having a shared understanding of experiences. They are able to have more support than before on additional levels. I am able to provide the students with a safe space to share their own unique experiences as a DeafBlind individual at Gallaudet. This was something that we did not have during my time at Gallaudet, and I am excited to see the new transformation in support for the community. That’s a huge difference between then and now. I know that Gallaudet University is working hard to provide support and ensure that their voices are heard. I’ve also noticed that throughout my time here at Gallaudet as both a student and as a Student Success Coach for DeafBlind students, Gallaudet has been taking huge strides in ensuring that these efforts are culturally sensitive and trauma informed to ensure these students have a more positive and inclusive experience on many levels. How has the culture of belonging here at Gallaudet University evolved? With COVID-19 and social distancing, it can be difficult for DeafBlind and DeafPlus students to have complete access, and often they feel a lack
of connection with the community. That’s where my position comes in, to provide that layer of support. We want to make them feel like Gallaudet is their second home. In fact, we are now working on establishing the “3D” Organization for students. The 3D Organization stands for DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and DeafPlus Advocacy, Education, and Cultural Students Organization to represent disability diversity on our campus. The purpose of this organization is to provide an opportunity to become involved and support one another in efforts to advocate, educate, and socialize through workshops and events. It will be a huge benefit to the DeafBlind and DeafDisabled community, for sure.
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cultures. Diversity is key, and I notice that there are more opportunities to be invested in the growth of diversity and support for our students. Gallaudet is always in my heart. I’m proud, I’m very proud to see that progression. I gotta say that if it wasn’t for Gallaudet, I wonder where I would be today! Gallaudet has positively impacted me and helped shape who I am today. Gallaudet has given me so many opportunities to grow and thrive! I want to continue that and pass over that torch to all other students in their journey!
In addition to the 3D Organization, through my work at Student Success, I’ve hosted various focus groups and support groups for DeafBlind students where they can gather to discuss various topics. This has given them that additional opportunity and space to gather together to support one another. What advice do you have for emerging deaf leaders? Do not be afraid to step into the Gallaudet experience. Take advantage of all the opportunities because Gallaudet is your journey where you can thrive and succeed. Don’t be afraid to ask for support and make mistakes — it’s all part of the learning process.
LORENZO LEWIS, ’19
Why is it important to you to give back to Gallaudet University? Giving back is about supporting growth, supporting students. Gallaudet is a big part of the Deaf community and the DeafBlind, DeafPlus, and DeafDisabled community. Gallaudet has improved so much in so many different areas, acknowledging different communities,
Why Gallaudet? My journey is actually kind of interesting, as a person who did not know American Sign Language before coming to Gallaudet. I was supposed to go to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). I’m from the South, so I hate the cold. I do not like snow. So I told myself, let’s go to Gallaudet because of its location. When I came here, I developed
STUDENT SUCCESS COACH
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my identity as a deaf person. Before, I didn’t know what it was like to be in a fully deaf environment, what the deaf community looked like, how it all felt. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and went to Washington D.C., and the rest is history. I grew my signing skills, my self-confidence as a deaf adult. Since your time as a student, compared to your experience now as staff, how has Gallaudet changed? A lot. When I was a student, I once hosted a town hall for students of color, focused on how staff and faculty can effectively support them. Students and community leaders spoke on panels and faculty, staff, and administrators were able to learn about the experiences they had. We learned a lot about the missing gaps and what we need to improve as an institution. Then that’s when my role was established as a Student Success coach, because when students have non-academic challenges, they don’t have anyone to go to about these things. [Student Success coaches] also hold them accountable to their personal goals they have for themselves, and encourage them to become the best versions of themselves. Along with Dr. Martreece Watson’s support, I also set up a petition with a group of students to establish a safe space for students of color, and now it has become a real place, under the Multicultural Student Programs, where the Student Success office used to be. I’m happy our students have this, so they can have all the resources they need and feel like Gallaudet is their second home. That sense of belonging is so important, and the data shows the demand from the students for change. Gallaudet is moving in the right direction. I’m also noticing that our leaders are becoming more aware. We all have our own framework, but now thanks to 90
Black Lives Matter, and other important events that have happened in the last few years, our framework has become broader. How has the culture of belonging here at Gallaudet evolved? I’m from the South, so I’m used to people being blunt, sometimes ignorant. But now I feel like people know that their actions affect others, and I see more people actually wanting to be more culturally sensitive, trauma-informed, and make a difference in the culture here. I can also see that Human Resources is working hard on bringing a more diverse pool of talent here. What advice do you have for emerging deaf leaders? I would simply say, in the next four years, make sure you take advantage of the opportunity to meet as many people as possible. I’m a profound introvert, even if it seems like I am extroverted. But I recognize that every time I step out of my comfort zone, good things happen. Also, don’t become too intimidated by the word “networking.” I often see misconceptions about networking; people may assume that networking is talking to those individuals who hold a high status in the community. But that’s not what it is. Networking is talking to people and building genuine human connections, especially with those who want to see what is best for you, and want to see you thrive academically and socially. These are the types of people you want to surround yourself with. When you arrive here, you may feel like you want to fit in, but that’s normal. That’s human nature. Who you surround yourself with can determine and shape your future. Also, I wanted to add that it’s normal to ask for help. As a first-generation college student, I
had the notion that if I asked for help, I would be perceived as not college ready, or not college material. Now in my role as a Student Success coach, I see students, even those with a strong academic background, asking for help. It’s amazing and eye opening, and makes me wonder what would happen if I could go back in time with the knowledge I have now. I would definitely be more assertive with what I want and need. Why is it important to you to give back to Gallaudet? I feel like I’m obligated to give back because if it wasn’t for Gallaudet, where would I be today? When I first came here, I had that mindset of “I’m here to get a degree and make my family proud, whatever”. But what I didn’t realize was that getting a college degree will open the doors to so many opportunities.
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Why Gallaudet? I know it is a very common answer, but I knew this would be the only place where I had direct experience with my language. I knew I would not have full access at other universities, where interpreters can miss the little things, and my words can get lost in translation. Here, my experience is my experience. Gallaudet is a place for me to grow. Here, deaf individuals challenge themselves and can go above and beyond with fewer barriers. Since your time as a student, compared to your experience now as staff, how has Gallaudet changed? A lot! I’m happy to see the growth in the POC population; every year there are more and more and to me, that is important. Gallaudet is a place for everyone to thrive, and I am glad Deaf POC students are taking advantage of that opportunity. Pah! Happy to see them getting the support they deserve. What advice do you have for emerging deaf leaders? As a first-generation student, when I arrived, I thought all I had to do was just focus on academics. But in reality, college is all about trying new things. Whatever comes your way, take all the opportunities, risks, mistakes, heartbreak, everything! Do whatever you can to absorb new experiences and skills because this is your playground. While academics are key to your success, everything else in your life is just as important to your growth.
ASHLEY PABON, ’19
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
Why is it important to you to give back to Gallaudet? I see a lot of myself in these students, I want to make sure they have the support they need. I know that the K-12 education system can fail deaf students. I love our deaf community. I give back, making sure [deaf students] can thrive. 91
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the Marketplace and added chairs on the Gallaudet Mall. It really uplifts our community’s vibrance. The Union Market district has really expanded so much. It’s wonderful to have that space connected to Gallaudet for our community to enjoy!
KLIMENTINA KLIMENTYEVA, ’19 HUMAN RESOURCES ASSOCIATE
Why Gallaudet? First, Youth Leadership Camp influenced my decision to attend Gallaudet. Second, complete access and direct communication were priorities of mine. Third, I’d always wanted to live in a city and I knew personal growth would happen at Gallaudet. I will always be eternally grateful for my decision! Since your time as a student, compared to your experience now as staff, how has the university changed? For me as a student, I was so focused on my activities, I didn’t think much about [the inner workings of the university]. Now as a staff member, I have a completely different perspective. It feels like a completely different world. Gallaudet has definitely changed so much; they renovated 92
How has the culture of belonging here at Gallaudet University evolved? Gallaudet has increased awareness and recognition of diverse identities, including deaf, hard of hearing, deaf blind, and more, as well as [people who use] different languages. I also notice it is more accessible for everyone. When I was a student, there wasn’t much accessibility for DeafBlind people like transcripts and image descriptions, but today that has changed hugely compared to my time as a student. What advice do you have for emerging deaf leaders? Grab every opportunity, and take advantage of mentorships from people who know more than you do. Absorb all the knowledge you can from leaders and you can continue sharing that information with future generations. Don’t be afraid to take risks too. Young minds may feel like they are not experienced enough to do this or that, but I say, if the opportunity is there, do it! Why is it important to you to give back to Gallaudet University? It is inarguable to say that my college days are one of the most treasured years of my life. Over time, I recognized the lessons learned at college and how they add value to my career. For me, giving back is a way to feel connected to that important part of my life, especially when I think about everything that Gallaudet did for me. I want to give back as a gesture of gratitude.
2021 - 2022 Elementary NATIONAL LITERARY COMPETITION The National Literary Competition challenges and inspires deaf and hard of hearing students in the 2nd through 5th grades from any school and program to compete to showcase their ASL skills at a national level.
CATEGORY PRIZES
ASL CATEGORIES Storytelling Presentation Poetry Handshape Story
We will award the top two submissions in each category with Amazon gift cards. 1st Place $100
2nd Place $50
Submit your ASL creations between February 21st and March 4th! apply.gallaudet.edu/register/NLC_Elem
Youth Programs gallaudet.edu/youth-programs youthprograms@gallaudet.edu
CONNECT WITH US @GUyouthprograms
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