Gallaudet Today Magazine | Spring/Summer 2021

MAGAZINE

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BECOMING A BETTER COMMUNITY

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MEMORIALIZING, PRESERVING

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FRONT ROW SEAT TO TOAMERICA AMERICA

The GALLAUDET

VALUE What we do here changes the world Gallaudet is where we grow, make lasting memories, and contribute in ways beyond our imagination. Thank you for being a part of a diverse signing community, focused on adding value to our world.

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EDITORIAL AND DISTRIBUTION

Gallaudet Today Magazine contains news and information for the signing community, including alumni and friends of Gallaudet University.

Editor-in-Chief Bryce Chapman, E-’04

PRESIDENT

Staff Writers Brandi Rarus Nikolya Sereda, ’19 Robert B. Weinstock, ’77 & G-’83

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

Managing Editor Nikolya Sereda, ’19

Contributing Writers Ashley Gutierrez Barbara Michelman Susan Lorimor Derrick Behm, ’12 Meredith Peruzzi, ’11 Artists and Designers Bilal Chinoy, ’07 Meeya Tjiang Matt Daigle, G-’19 Sarah Goolishian

Director, Marketing Bryce H. Chapman, E-’04 Director, Public and Media Relations Robert B. Weinstock, ’77 & G-’83

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IN THIS ISSUE

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Becoming a Better Community Through Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion This past year has taught us so much, which is why Gallaudet is committed to a better future for all of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Becoming more inclusive, aware, and accessible for all members of our community is of utmost importance and is a priority of the university’s equity, diversity, and inclusion work.

Communication is Key: Nearing a Year in Leading Gallaudet’s COVID-19 Efforts The public health team and administration has been hard at work navigating the university’s pandemic response, but this work is just as important as communicating those updates effectively to our whole community. Meet the lead communicator on the front lines, ensuring that every student, faculty, and staff that steps on campus can do so safely.

Memorializing, Preserving, and Expanding Deaf Culture in a Rapidly Evolving Neighborhood The campus has changed tremendously throughout the years, and it will continue to evolve. The Sixth Street development plans and the Kendall Division II Memorial plans are well underway and are prepared to make an impact on the campus experience.

Go Where None Have Gone Before: Trailblazing Research Empowering Our Community Did you know that Gallaudet is now an R2 high research activity institution?

This accomplishment not only changes us from a local to a nationwide school, but also allows us to continue our groundbreaking, impactful research and research education for our students.

We the Students: A Front Row Seat to America’s Social and Political Engine Being located in the heart of Washington, D.C. has serious perks. Historical monuments, museums, congressional internships, local rallies and events… you won’t miss a thing in this vibrant city.

ALUMNI OBITUARIES With our deepest sympathies, we note the passing of our Gallaudet University alumni.

Read the full list on our website.

Visit Gallaudet’s Obituaries webpage: gu.live/obituaries

NAVIGATING

IMMENSE CHALLENGES

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Dear Gallaudet Today readers, As I reflect on the last year, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude at the strength, compassion, and resilience of the worldwide Gallaudet community.

We live in a time of immense challenges.

A global pandemic. Racism and prejudice.

Deteriorating civility.

Yet, this community of leaders, innovators, and changemakers has diligently, stubbornly, pressed forward. We have adapted to a COVID-19 virtual world and created vibrancy and connection in the cloud. We have challenged and changed racist systems and examined our own behaviors to eliminate prejudice, and will continue this critical anti-racism work. We have analyzed democracy and recognized the vital role deaf people play in our communities and in creating civil discourse.

We have not stopped. Rather, we have advanced at a rapid pace. Upon the conclusion of the May 2021 Board of Trustees meetings, it became clear that their presentations and discussions showed the myriad of ways Gallaudet is creating, innovating, and adapting for the future. The enthusiasm and anticipation was palpable.

We also celebrated the Classes of 2020 and 2021 in a virtual commencement. It was not the ceremony we dreamed of, but we are grateful to honor these incredible students, who now carry the distinguished title of alumni. What a spectacular group of scholars.

They have experienced extensive disruption

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and distraction but persisted and obtained their degrees. We are so proud of them.

Our Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center students have also shown phenomenal leadership as they persisted during challenges this year. As difficult as this virtual environment is for adults, I often think of our children and teenagers and what they have endured this year. They are powerful examples of tenacity and strength.

This spring/summer issue of Gallaudet Today shares many of the ways in which Gallaudet has not only survived but thrived despite the myriad of obstacles faced during this pandemic. Details about our anti-racism work, robust research activities, and the internship and career successes of our students and graduates are only some of the many highlights you will read in this edition. These stories are just a fraction of the incredible work happening among the Bison community.

As always, there is much more to be done.

However, with the commitment and care we have in the Gallaudet family, I know we will continue to strive and thrive. Through our research, reconciliation, and refinement, we are building a better future for everyone affiliated with Gallaudet, and beyond. Find a way you can contribute and join us as we become the community we know we can be.

We are thrilled to be reopening and cannot wait to be back together on campus for the Fall 2021 semester. See you soon!

With gratitude, Roberta J. Cordano 5

BECOMING A BETTER COMMUNITY THROUGH EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

BECOMING A BETTER COMMUNITY through EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION The year 2020 will be forever defined by two historical events: a global pandemic and a racial reckoning, both of which intersected, exposing long-standing, systemic inequalities. During a time of deep, painful reflection and education, dedicated individuals and institutions committed themselves to the critical work of expanding equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Since December 2020, Gallaudet’s efforts have been guided by a five-year anti-racism plan with university-wide equity priorities and metrics that will be measured and tracked across the following areas:

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Leadership and Culture

2. Mission and Values 3. Communication and Education 4. Policies and Practices 5. Continuous Engagement The entire plan is available online and is continuously being updated with progress reports.

Learn more about our Anti-Racism Plan gu.live/antiracism

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Elizabeth A. Moore Interim Chief Diversity Officer

The university’s Division of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (DEDI) has been instrumental in leading this work. Interim Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Elizabeth Moore, ’81, G-’94 & PhD ’11, and her entire team have collaborated with students, racial equity professionals, and university leadership, faculty, and staff to more deeply engage in anti-racism action planning and programming.

“We must share the work that is required to dismantle racism and systemic oppression in creating more inclusive, welcoming environments,” said Dr. Moore, adding that this critical mission must begin at the individual level. “Our ability to assess ourselves… realize our own biases… this is

important to understand as we unpack this work together.”

Gallaudet’s belief in shared governance and cross-divisional, cross-level collaboration ensured that the anti-racism work began with meaningful engagement and community dialogue, conversations that challenged systemic racism and explored the effects of racial inequity for Gallaudet community members on and off campus. Simultaneously, DEDI also engaged university leadership, faculty, and staff in anti-racism education and discourse to more deeply examine how racism influences educational systems and impacts all stakeholders.

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Training has been the leading method for community members to increase their knowledge and insights. Students, university leadership, faculty, and staff have been provided training to help them unpack their own implicit biases and become anti-racist.

In addition to the five-year anti-racism plan to guide university-wide efforts, DEDI also spearheaded the creation of an anti-racism Statement; encouraged Gallaudet community members to take the Anti-racism Pledge; and created new reporting protocols for anyone who witnesses an incident of bias, or is the target of bias.

and inclusive. Understanding the unique culture of each department, what faculty and staff do on a daily basis, and with whom they interact has been key to DEDI’s work, Dr. Moore explained. Significant progress has already occurred, highlights of which include: • A number of anti-racism and diversity related courses, called VEE 101 and 102, have been developed at the Division of Academic Affairs’ General Education Program, led by Dr. Miako Villanueva, G-’04 & PhD ’11.

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The Office of Financial Aid has changed its policies and procedures to help more BIPOC students receive scholarships to meet their financial needs.

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The Office of the President has created a pipeline program for BIPOC students who meet Gallaudet’s rigorous academic standards and are seeking to continue or advance their graduate studies here.

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Undergraduate Admissions is seeking to identify and recruit more BIPOC high school students interested in obtaining their bachelor’s degree at Gallaudet.

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Student organizations have taken a very active role in leading anti-racism training at the peer-to-peer level, creating opportunities for dialogue and giving students the opportunity to talk about racism within their own community.

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The University has hired more diverse suppliers and vendors, such as a Blackowned consulting firm to help develop the anti-racism plan.

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The Office of Human Resources is transforming its policies and procedures to ensure that employees truly feel comfortable interacting with one another

Read our Anti-Racism Statement gu.live/statement

Take the Anti-Racism Pledge gu.live/pledge

Gallaudet knows that anti-racism work is not just people making changes in their everyday lives after reading one or two books, and attending some training sessions. This work, to be successful, must be implemented, embedded, and ongoing across the entire system, reaching all students, faculty, and staff.

Each university department is revisiting its mission, policies, and procedures to transition the overall focus toward being more diverse 8

across differences, and truly take advantage of the benefits that HR has to offer.

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The Department of Public Safety has completely overhauled its emergency response to include more focus on mental health and other support services, as opposed to students left with no alternatives other than public safety officers. Dr. Moore explained that these efforts are aimed at changing the narrative of how police officers approach students of color.

“DEDI is not doing its work in a vacuum; we are working and collaborating together, building anti-racism efforts into the fabric of all of our work,” Dr. Moore added. “This is how the work will succeed.”

CELEBRATING BLACK DEAF HISTORY

GALLAUDET GALLAUDET TODAY TODAY | SPRING/SUMMER | FALL/WINTER 2020 2021

“DEDI is not doing its work in a vacuum; we are working and collaborating together, building antiracism efforts into the fabric of all of our work,” she added. “This is how the work will succeed.”

- Dr. Moore

While Gallaudet works to become a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive community, the university is also committed to providing a more accurate, expansive accounting of historical events and individuals who paved the way. In particular, plans are progressing on the Kendall Division II Memorial honoring the contributions of historical pioneer Louise B. Miller.

In 1952, Louise B. Miller, the parent of three Black Deaf children, along with other parents of Black Deaf children, filed a class action suit against the Washington, D.C. Board of Education for the right of Black Deaf children to attend the Kendall School for the Deaf on the campus of then-Gallaudet College.

Louise B. Miller

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BECOMING A BETTER COMMUNITY THROUGH EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

The family of Louise B. Miller received her honorary degree during Commencement 2021

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The Miller et al. v. Board of Education of District of Columbia et al. court decision mandated the creation of the Kendall School Division II for 23 Black Deaf children and four teachers, which helped lay the foundation for the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Supreme Court decision and the dismantling of educational segregation in America. This monumental moment in American history is currently memorialized by a small plaque in a discreet location facing the Kellogg Conference Hotel. The university strives to bring greater prominence and awareness to this historical milestone.

The plans for the Kendall Division II Memorial will help tell the overall experience of Black Deaf history in America as visitors are guided through four stages: awareness, freedom, remembrance, and healing.

“Gallaudet is working hard to communicate the value of diversity, to remind everyone that this is a diverse, respectful environment,” Dr. Moore said. “We have a lot of differences, as well as a lot in common. In all that we do, we want to reflect the value we place on diversity.”

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The Center for Black Deaf Studies (CBDS) is an entity that supports research, teaching, and learning in Black Deaf Studies and other disciplines that benefit from a more detailed coverage of the Black Deaf experience, such as history, literature, sociology, and religion. CBDS will serve as a resource center. Its aim is to preserve the history of Black Deaf education, community, culture, and language. The Center supports research on the experiences of Black Deaf people of African descent and offers courses for the new Black Deaf Studies minor under the Deaf Studies department. The Center will promote the retention of Black Deaf and hard of hearing students. The Center will organize lectures, films, speaker series, discussion forums, and partner with community and campus organizations to sponsor lectures and workshops that create a better understanding of Black Deaf people in the wider economic and political systems.

The Center will:

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Offer courses for the Black Deaf Studies minor, focusing on the histories and cultures of African Americans with an appreciation for the historical, social, and political influences of Africa and the African diaspora.

SPOTLIGHTING THE BLACK DEAF EXPERIENCE

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Sponsor cultural events including dialogues and celebrations.

Gallaudet’s recognition of the critical need for essential research into the Black Deaf experience in America led to the establishment of the Center for Black Deaf Studies. Led by Dr. Carolyn McCaskill, ’77, G-’79 & PhD ’05.

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Connect students to and/or create research opportunities in collaboration with affiliated faculty and campus partners.

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Provide an environment of care and support for students, faculty and staff, and community members.

To read more about the memorial, refer to page 25 of this issue.

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Employ staff members committed to student advocacy, advising, and mentorship centered on positively impacting student retention and graduation.

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Monitor, coordinate, support, and encourage research in the community.

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Raise funds to support programs for the center.

Current initiatives include the development of Black Deaf history and Black ASL linguistics courses, a Black ASL dictionary, and expansive research and documentation of the Black Deaf experience.

Learn more about the Center for Black Deaf Studies gu.live/cbdstudies

CREATING SAFE SPACES The past year was also marked by a shameful uptick in hate crimes against Asian Americans.

According to a report released in March 2021 by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, hate crimes against Asian Americans spiked 149 percent between 2019 and 2020.

Recognizing that Asian students and community members have different experiences than Black and Latinx students, Thuan Nguyen-Lakrik, ’00, former manager of Student Advocacy, Development and Mentoring in the Office of Multicultural Student Development and Mentoring, and Counseling faculty members Dr. Cheryl Wu, G-’89, and SooHyun Tak, ’90 & G-’95, collaborated 12

in providing free support groups for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students, faculty, and staff during Spring 2021. These support groups provided a safe environment for participants to disclose their thoughts and feelings, and to find solace in each other’s shared experiences.

The organizers also worked to establish an AANHPI faculty and staff coalition.

“Race is often seen in a black and white paradigm. This misses the AANHPI community completely and creates invisibility,” Wu said. “All too often Asian Pacific Islander communities are lumped together as one monolith group.

This could not be farther from the truth as our communities have different cultures, languages and dialects, cultural practices, values and beliefs, holidays, and customs and come from all over East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and the Pacific Islands.”

While deaf Asian representation exists in the education community, the mental health field still lacks deaf professionals who can provide Asian students with the targeted support they need. Wu added, “While there is greater deaf Asian representation in the education community, within the mental health field for the deaf and hard of hearing population, there is a tremendous lack of Deaf Asian clinicians, and mental health professionals in general, who have adequate cultural awareness, knowledge, skills and experience working with deaf API populations,” she shared. “This is particularly problematic given the anti-Asian climate experienced across the country at this time, leaving Deaf API communities further isolated and more vulnerable to greater mental and physical health challenges,” Wu emphasized.

SPREADING AWARENESS AND STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS As a university that attracts students from all different backgrounds and all parts of the country and world, Gallaudet is committed to fostering a welcoming, conscious, and understanding climate, one that honors the many layers which make up each person’s identity and how they move through the world.

Campaigns with information, panels, events, and activities in the spirit of Black History Month, Deaf Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, and Asian Heritage Month were conducted throughout the past year, spreading awareness and creating connections within the community.

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“According to staff who coordinate the program, participation records have been broken. Huge numbers of people signed up [to participate in the book club] in response to the Black Lives Matter movement,” she said.

Gallaudet’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion allows our community to gain a deeper understanding of intersectionality and how people from all walks of life have essential perspectives and contributions to our society and community.

“At the end of the day, we are all human beings,” Dr. Moore said. “The goal [of this work] is to become a more understanding person.”

For nearly two decades, Gallaudet’s Turn-A-Page-Together (TAPT) book club has provided students, faculty, and staff members the opportunity to read and discuss books that expand their education and awareness. Dr. Moore shared that in the past year, TAPT created its first alumni-only book club. Former Gallaudet students were also interested in learning how to become anti-racist, to be part of this larger effort. TAPT participants read books such as White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad; An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz; and The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer.

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GALLAUDET’S COVID-19 COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

NEARING A YEAR IN LEADING GALLAUDET’S COVID-19 COMMUNICATIONS From the moment Elise Nye, ’93, stepped foot on Gallaudet’s campus back in 1989, she knew that she had found her No. 1 school of choice.

“My father was an academic, and we moved around a lot, so I was often the only Deaf student in my school,” said Nye. Elise Nye, ‘93 “Gallaudet opened up my world. I saw ASL as a real language, a real culture … I didn’t fully understand that before attending. I no longer had to work so hard mentally and physically to communicate. I had a wonderful time there.”

Nye received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Gallaudet and her master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.

She pursued a career in healthcare administration, but always dreamed of working for Gallaudet, except that her life and work were firmly established in New Mexico. A move back to the East Coast, to live and work in Washington, D.C., was not an option.

Then came the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Suddenly, working from home became not only a responsible workplace solution to help contain the spread of the virus, but 14

more remote work options were created. In October 2020, Nye’s dream of working for Gallaudet came true: She was hired to lead the university’s external communications around the pandemic. Now she is in charge of ensuring Gallaudet’s reopening efforts are well communicated to many different, but equally important, constituents.

Being a Gallaudet alumna, as well as working remotely, greatly informed Nye’s communications work.

“I really understand the challenges that students and their families face, in deciding where to go to college and what it’s like to be a student here,” she said. “Also, when the pandemic forced so many students to leave campus and return home to learn remotely, I had the same view of Gallaudet–from a distance. I understood their challenges.”

Overseeing every facet of university communications regarding the pandemic, and now its reopening, requires Nye to interact with many different Gallaudet departments,

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GALLAUDET’S COVID-19 COMMUNICATIONS

faculty, students, and staff. She prides herself on remaining a neutral party in all conversations and being able to identify communications gaps.

“I try to not make assumptions, to understand that everyone’s experience can be different,” she said. “I feel that working remotely allows me to take a bird’s eye view of everything, which makes it easier for me to be as objective as possible.”

Being immersed in Deaf culture also allows Nye to do her best work. Technological advances have really helped as well.

“In past jobs, I worked so hard just to communicate,” Nye said. “I would be so mentally exhausted. I did not have the energy to do my best work. Now I can.”

Gallaudet’s COVID response efforts were led by a cross-functional team of leaders, at the core of which is the public health team headed up by Dr. Rosanne Rushing, director of the Public Health Program, Dr. Alicia Wooten, a deaf epidemiologist and an assistant professor in the Biology Department, and Davina Kwong Yu, executive director of Campus Services.

Keeping the campus safe was core to the COVID response team’s effort, Nye said. “These three women felt personally responsible for the safety of the campus; I love working with them … and have so much respect for their expertise and deep caring for Gallaudet.”

“Everything about COVID can be controversial, it shouldn’t be… but our 16 16

PRIORITIZING THE PROTOCOL Every member of the campus community is required to follow safety protocols before returning to campus, and while on campus.

These protocols include getting vaccinated for COVID-19, taking a COVID-19 safety training, testing weekly for COVID-19, conducting daily self-assessment, and adhering to all physical distancing, mask wearing, and hand hygiene rules.

Gallaudet has a mobile COVID-19 testing lab on campus that allows for full-scale testing of our campus community as often as needed. Campus services, from Residence Life to Student Health Services to Custodial Services and beyond, have scaled up to meet the additional health and safety requirements. Each student and faculty and staff member is welcomed back to campus with a kit of clear masks, Bison logo masks, and other safety equipment.

conversations around communications explored all the different angles and perspectives. This public health team tried to decide the best way for the University to operate.”

Much of Nye’s initial work centered on communicating out the explicit health and safety requirements for an individual to physically be on campus. Keeping essential workers safe, getting them testing, and ensuring they had proper personal protective equipment (PPE) were top priorities. Soon communications efforts shifted to long-term planning for Gallaudet’s official reopening.

I sat in countless planning and logistics meetings,” Nye said. “Gallaudet decided to open up for the second summer 2021 session.

We started with holding a small number of classes on campus, and asking ourselves questions such as, ‘What do students need to know? How do we get our faculty ready to go?’

Now we are focused on fully opening back up to students and their families for Fall 2021.”

The Fall 2021 semester serves as the university’s official return to full in-person teaching and learning, as well as the resumption of students living on campus and engaging one another through countless in-person activities and events. Once again, official university communications efforts will shift– to accommodate the sharing of important news and information to new and expanded audiences, such as a significantly larger number of students attending orientation services (new students as well as those who started their Gallaudet experience remotely last year). Much was learned during COVID-mandated social distancing protocols about the best way to deliver fully accessible education which will also be part of Nye’s job to help communicate to the entire Gallaudet community.

Returning to campus requires being vaccinated and university officials acknowledged vaccine hesitancy among certain groups, especially those whose communities have experienced historical and cultural trauma from negative public health and other experiences.

One of Gallaudet’s communications priorities was creating a Vaccine Hesitancy panel discussion series, each of which targeted specific communities, including Black, Hispanic/ Latino/a/x/e, Asian, and Indigenous students.

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MOVING TOWARD AN IN-PERSON CAMPUS Through a unique initiative between Gallaudet University Theatre Arts and Dance Program and The National Theatre of the Deaf (NTD), a cohort of students and professionals were able to quarantine and work on campus from April 25 to May 31. This cohort rehearsed, staged, and filmed a selection of scenes from Deafenstein, an original play penned by Theatre Arts senior Anna Wood-Jacobowitz.

NTD and GU’s CoProduction of Deafenstein gu.live/ntd2021

“It is such an honor to be returning to the stage as a part of the Gallaudet University campus reopening process,” shared Theatre Arts professor Annie Wiegand, E-’99, lighting designer and faculty advisor-in-residence. “The university absolutely embraces the integral role of the theatre arts in the Deaf community in terms of visual storytelling and sign language on stage.”

The reopening continued with the first face-to-face courses on campus in over a year during the second summer session, from June 28 to July 30. Twelve brand-new courses were offered across different disciplines from food journalism to the art of protest; from R programming to African issues.

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THE NEW NORMAL GALLAUDET’S COVID-19 COMMUNICATIONS

Each online conversation in the series addressed specific concerns, problems, and barriers as well as helped identify places where people could find vaccinations before they headed back to campus, Nye said.

“We tapped into data from the CDC, managed expectations, and targeted what people need to know and do to stay safe.”

Faculty, staff, and parents were equally important stakeholder groups. Nye’s challenge was to think about everyone who needed information—as well as all the communications vehicles needed to deliver the information.

Beyond official university communications channels, Nye had to think about where Gallaudet stakeholders spend their time online; what virtual events they might attend; which social media channels they preferred; and how student organizations could be enlisted in the effort of sharing timely news and information.

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“The challenge was thinking about everyone so that we don’t miss anyone,” she said. “For example, I thought a lot about our students who commute back and forth to attend classes.

How did they need to be communicated to/informed? I didn’t want them getting incomplete information. That’s why targeting our communications efforts became so critical.

With not everyone being on campus, it’s hard to know who is reading what.”

Throughout the effort, messaging consistency was and is key, Nye said.

Emails, social media, Gallaudet’s official website, webinars, Facebook Live, town hall events—all were and continue to be used to communicate out information. Live online events proved to be very successful because individuals could ask questions in real time of university experts across Academic Affairs, Human Resources, and Student Life.

Data-based decision-making greatly improved as well as expanded university communications efforts over the past year, Nye said. Strategic, effective communications means meeting audiences where they are.

“The written word is not enough,” Nye stressed. “Information needs to be packaged and presented more visually--not just for Gallaudet University, but in general.”

Moving forward, Nye is focused on breaking down internal communications silos, eliminating fragmentation, and bridging departments so that outward facing communication is consistent and seamless to our students and their families.

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“I’m always interested in the way people function, how they see the world,” she said.

“The study of sociology provided me with a good foundation for how to use data and to be able to see different perspectives. I’ve carried that knowledge with me throughout my entire career. Before coming to Gallaudet to lead this communications effort … it was already how I saw the world.”

The biggest on-the-job challenge, Nye said, has been figuring out the best ways to constantly communicate information, given all the pandemic-related updates and changes, to a wide variety of audiences so that they truly understand the implications for Gallaudet.

She appreciates how her sociology degree greatly informs her work as a communicator.

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NEW STUDENTS, NEW EXPERIENCES A larger than normal number of students are anticipated to attend orientation programs as Gallaudet welcomes not only new students for this fall, but also new students from last fall who have not yet experienced the campus first-hand. The full roster of courses is once again being offered face-to-face for Fall 2021. Over the past year, experience has shown that hybrid options (for example, a class that has some students in the physical classroom, and other students joining online) are not an optimal set-up for Gallaudet’s community due to the complications of accessibility. Fully accessible education for all of our students is of utmost priority, so all courses will be either in person or online, not both. Programs and courses that were online prior to the pandemic will continue to be online.

Something as seemingly “simple” as getting onto the physical campus was anything but.

“You were required to have a negative COVID-19 test before even getting on the campus; then you needed COVID safety training. We discovered gaps in the system.

For a long time, the goal was to keep our campus closed and safe. All of a sudden we are opening up and asking our employees and students to return. That requires a shift in mindset as well as a change to the campus access protocol.”

Diplomacy is a core competency, Nye said.

“Everyone here has helped expand my thinking, and I’m always thinking about different ways to communicate with different people. I love troubleshooting, and I’m here to support, to help connect people, to clarify, simplify, and distill down to what’s most important, what people really need to know.”

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CAMPUS PLANNING

CAMPUS PLANNING

MEMORIALIZING, PRESERVING, and EXPANDING DEAF CULTURE IN A RAPIDLY EVOLVING NEIGHBORHOOD

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Progress is inevitable, but whether that progress is inclusive depends upon who sits around the decision-making table.

In 2004, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority opened the NoMA-Gallaudet U stop on the city’s existing Metro Red Line, attracting bold economic redevelopment plans for the long-neglected neighborhood across the Sixth Street NE side of Gallaudet’s campus. Upwards of 8,000 new residents were predicted to move into the area to live and work. Today, this bustling neighborhood is home to Union Market, a must-see destination for locals and visitors alike. More exciting mixed-use

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development is in the works.

University officials mobilized quickly to ride this wave of booming growth, creating a comprehensive vision for welcoming the proposed neighborhood changes: one that sought to preserve Deaf culture, honor its history, and attract expanded retail, entertainment, internship, training and other opportunities for members of the Gallaudet community.

What’s been deemed the Sixth Street “Front Porch” project will redevelop seven acres both on- and off-campus, incorporating DeafSpace principles (DSP) into all planning, and build a memorial bearing witness to the Black Deaf community’s fight for educational justice in America.

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CAMPUS PLANNING

“This work has been 10-plus years in the making, and is the cumulative effort of so many people, some of whom have already retired, to get us to where we are today,” said Sam Swiller, director of strategic real estate planning in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer.

Liz Brading, executive director of the Office of Campus Design and Facilities, expressed excitement about the “new energy, new future and new bridges” Gallaudet is creating with the city and community.

Everyone at Gallaudet is eager to showcase the university’s innovation and what is unique about our community, said Chris Hoffmann, E-’99, director of Campus Design and Planning in the Office of Campus Design and Facilities, “but we want to carefully welcome outsiders onto campus. The sense of Deaf culture needs to be preserved.”

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Creativity Way is the brainchild of President Cordano, who inherited the Sixth Street project when she came on board, according to Swiller. “President Cordano said, ‘This is a great project, but where is Gallaudet in all of it?’ She felt very strongly that we needed to celebrate Gallaudet and put our stamp on the neighborhood.”

President Cordano’s insistence that Gallaudet help lead and influence the neighborhood redevelopment efforts resulted in a much more defined focus for everyone at the university–both present and future.

Creativity Way is designed to house a makerspace, laboratories, studios, theaters, and lecture halls and to showcase the diversity of artistic expression as well as scientific research and discovery taking place at Gallaudet. It represents “an exciting future for deaf and hard of hearing students across innovation, technology, and research and keeps Gallaudet University as a beacon of light for the entire Deaf community,” Brading said.

The university has enlisted an expert team of real estate brokers, architectural firms and designers, all of whom are knowledgeable and experienced with incorporating DSP into their design. The design approach, throughout the development of the new construction, will authentically address the specific needs of deaf and hard of hearing people and pay homage to Deaf culture.

An integral part of preserving ASL vibrancy is ensuring the right kind of building design, Brading explained. “Everything we do, from the doors we install, to the tables we choose, to the lighting selected, to the width of the sidewalk–everything needs to be a deaffriendly space.”

This means incorporating curved or round tables for everyone to sit in a circle and see each other while using ASL to features such as automatic door openers, allowing conversation to continue uninterrupted, as well as lighting that is not too intrusive or blinding.

Focusing on the visual medium is what good DSP design is all about, Brading said.

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Learn more about the Sixth Street development gu.live/6thstreet

“This is what’s unique about the Sixth Street development,” Hoffmann added. “We are asking the community to respect our culture while removing barriers to our neighborhood experiences.”

In addition to creating a new chapter in Gallaudet’s future relationship with the community, on-campus development seeks to heal and honor the university’s past. The creation of the Kendall Division II Memorial represents Gallaudet’s commitment to confronting its past as well as helping to lead a national reckoning with the destructive legacy of segregation.

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CAMPUS PLANNING

In 1952, Louise B. Miller, the mother of three Black Deaf children, and other parents filed a class action suit against the Washington, D.C. Board of Education of for the right of Black Deaf children including Mrs. Miller’s son, Kenneth, to attend the Kendall School for the Deaf on the campus of Gallaudet College. The resulting victory in Miller et al. v. Board of Education of District of Columbia et al., which pierced the Plessy v.

Ferguson doctrine of “separate but equal,” was a watershed moment in Black Deaf history as well as the American civil rights movement. In ways that are significant yet historically overlooked, Miller v. Board, its mandate to create the Kendall School Division II for the Negroes on campus, and the school’s 23 Black students and four teachers helped lay the foundations of a civil rights movement that resulted in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, and over the next decade, methodically dismantled educational segregation in America.

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Renderings for the Louise B. Miller Pathways and Gardens: A Legacy to Black Deaf Children

Louise B. Miller on the Civil Rights Tour gu.live/loumiller

“This seed from Louise B. Miller and her family paved the way for the education of Black Deaf children and children of color in this country,” shared Evon Black, ‘87, ’G-96, who has served on the memorial committee since its conception.

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This monumental moment in American history is currently memorialized by a small plaque in a discreet location facing the Kellogg Conference Hotel. The new memorial strives to bring greater prominence and awareness to this historical milestone.

Give to the Louise B. Miller Pathways and Gardens: A Legacy to Black Deaf Children gu.live/pathlegacy

“This is a story that is not being told, and through this memorial is how we will show the Miller family paving the way for the Civil Rights Movement in education–Black Deaf gain!” emphasized Black, who accompanied the Miller family when they accepted Louise B. Miller’s honorary degree. “Their family is made up of beautiful souls, very close-knit. They carry their mother’s work and story close to their heart, deserving recognition,” Black said.

Plans for both are underway for designating the land needed for Creativity Way, and the Kendall Division II Memorial design is in the works along with a capital fundraising campaign. “President Cordano saw that all should be connected. She saw the potential to create even more robust overall vibrancy for the campus,” said Brading.

“This is an opportunity to make our place at the table.”

-Swiller

When the District approves Gallaudet’s request for a proposed zoning change, the university and its real estate development partner can move forward. Pending no further delays, the project’s first phase will be completed by 2024.

“We are pretty close to the finish line,” Swiller said, “This is an opportunity to maximize our place at the table.”

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TRAILBLAZING

RESEARCH EMPOWERING OUR COMMUNITY The universe presents unlimited opportunities for discovery and exploration to those bold enough to seek them out. At Gallaudet, we are committed to conducting research benefitting deaf and hard of hearing communities on campus, across the United States, and worldwide.

RESEARCH FOR US, BY US Gallaudet’s overall research as an institution began from a desire to cultivate scientific evidence about the deaf and hard of hearing communities, conducted by deaf and hard of hearing individuals--for us, by us. Gallaudet has many subsets of research activity being conducted across campus, and making waves of change throughout the world.

We have a unique obligation to contribute knowledge and scholarship to society that is likely to benefit deaf and hard of hearing people, especially in education and human services. This includes defining how deafspecific data should be operationalized, gathered, organized, analyzed, and used in reports. Accordingly, the University conducts qualitative and quantitative studies in 28

education, diversity, accessibility, the Deaf experience, and language and cognition.

EDUCATION research focuses on birth through postgraduate education and beyond, as well as contributing factors to one’s education in their environment and upbringing. We seek to understand both the status and the impact of current practices related to education in all forms for deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind individuals through their lives, including the disparities that lie within our overlapping communities. With this, we aim to develop evidence-based best practices and policies for education within our communities and the world.

DIVERSITY has become a high priority to research as our world evolves and perspectives shift towards equity and inclusion. Our research in this area focuses on the variety within and between deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind populations, as well as the racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender minorities within those populations. These are represented through the arts, humanities, and allied fields, demographic studies, and genetics, along with ethical and policy issues surrounding these manifestations of diversity.

ACCESSIBILITY is a human right. Our research in this area focuses on accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing people in the workplace and society. We conduct human-computer interaction and accessibility research studies to advance the society’s knowledge in telecommunications, captioning, robotics, avatars, speech/sign recognition, and ergonomics.

THE DEAF EXPERIENCE is subjective and unique, which is why we believe research on this must be led by individuals in the deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind communities.

This study area is understood through various methodologies used in biology, psychology, economics, sociology, anthropology, linguistics, political science, history, and philosophy, among others.

LANGUAGE AND COGNITION research prioritizes the relationship between linguistic and cognitive phenomena and the underlying physical substrate of the brain in d/Deaf, hard of hearing, and Deafblind individuals as studied through the processing of visual, tactile, and auditory stimuli in multiple contexts, including language development and learning throughout an individual’s lifespan.

These five areas comprise Gallaudet University’s integrated research priorities, formulated by assessing compelling needs and current and potential strengths in fields such as visual language and learning, linguistic and communication access, genetics, and ASL/English bilingualism.

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ELEVATING OUR RESEARCH IMPACT Did you know that our research initiatives are so top-notch, they have led to Gallaudet receiving a higher research classification from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning in 2018? This classification is a immense accomplishment for the University, recognizing our multitude of critical research teams leading in their respective fields. Since its creation in 1970, The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education has been a framework for classifying U.S. colleges and universities, primarily for educational and research purposes, as well as competitive edge for funding.

Gallaudet has been recognized as a research university in Carnegie’s “Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity (R2).” The reclassification is a tremendous recognition signaling the breadth of opportunities for research and development here at Gallaudet and raises our international profile. Going from a college, which was elevated to a university status in 1987, this R2 classification ensures an even higher level of academic excellence for all of our students.

When asked about the importance of this R2 status, Dr. Laura-Ann Petitto, founder and scientific director of the Petitto Brain and Language Center for Neuroimaging, shared that “the research not only impacts science, but elevates the University as a source of knowledge. Additionally, our elevation to R2 status serves as a powerful attractor to recruit the best-of-the-best minds involving new students and new faculty, and to retain them.”

Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar, ‘93, who is the Special Assistant to the Provost for Research and 29

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RESEARCH CENTER NAMES 1.

National Science Foundation 2. Gallaudet University 3. Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2) 4. Ph.D. in Educational Neuroscience (PEN) 5. Numeracy and Educational Neuroscience (NENS) 6. Cognitive Affective Neuroscience (CAN) 7. Cognitive Neuroscience Institute (CNI) 8. Action and Brain Laboratory (ABL) 9. Motion Light Laboratory (ML2) 10. Translation in the Science of Learning (TL2) 11. Early Language & Literacy Laboratory (EL2) 12. Brain and Language Center for Neuroimaging (BL2)

This diagram illustrates the internal organization of one of Gallaudet’s largest and most important research centers, the NSF and Gallaudet Science of Learning Center on Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2)

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2 5 7 3

4

6

8

9

q

w

e

Engagement, pointed out that the University “is committed to supporting not only the science behind many research centers and faculty work but also scientific products that are disseminated widely. This helps attract funding from federal agencies, private foundations, and donors.”

interested in neuroimaging have access to six neuroimaging systems, which enriches the learning environment. Students who attend larger, more well-known institutions are often forced to go to nearby hospitals and use their neuroimaging equipment.

“A closer learning experience is a unique perk of Gallaudet’s research culture”, Dr. Petitto explained. As well as being recognized as the No. 3 “Best Value School” among national universities in the prominent 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges annual ranking, Gallaudet students who are

“In our neuroimaging center, our Gallaudet students stay right here on campus and have full access to the world’s most advanced brain imaging technology. They receive stateof-the-art training (including NIH-approved Certification) in how to master the technology, collect their own data about the human brain,

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and they actively participate in the discovery of what they found. This training increases students’ later career choices and job opportunities,” she added. This creates a truly enriching experience for students eager to study neuroscience, and boosts Gallaudet as an academic force.

MAKING STRIDES IN SOCIETY At Gallaudet, our Faculty pursue a full range of research interests related to their academic disciplines. Significant external grant support includes the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. These grants allowed our Faculty to conduct national health survey research, mobile technology development, training programs in visual language and learning, undergraduate summer research experience programs to support student engagement in human-computer interaction and STEM research, access to communication for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, and healthcare access research. We believe cultivating future generations of researchers is the responsibility of seasoned faculty researchers who serve as mentors to and collaborators with students on research projects.

For Dr. Petitto, the research she is able to lead at the Petitto Brain and Language Center for Neuroimaging “is relevant and has a meaning for society, and it can change the way people see the world.”

“We have evidence exactly when and what happens when a child misses critical stages

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in their development, and how forgiving is the brain when we miss those periods.” she said.

Gallaudet’s research has already made an impact on various disciplines, debunking myriad myths about health equity for deaf people, language acquisition, and more. For example, “We have equipment to measure human emotion in real time that allows us to answer questions for the first time in science about how a child’s emotions impacts their ability to learn and to remember across early child development and schooling,” shared Dr. Petitto.

Dr. Kushalnagar’s work as the director of the Deaf Equity Center primarily focuses on disparities within the Deaf community. While research has been established to differentiate and compare hearing and Deaf populations, there has not been much study into the various sub-groups within the Deaf community. Over the span of four years, Dr. Kushalnagar’s team has published over 40 papers disseminating the various experiences within our own community. The team most recently worked on a study of 1,500 Deaf adults, investigating communication access with their parents. gu.live/research “We are using our scientific evidence to strengthen policy and program implementation,” explained Dr. Kushalnagar.

Dr. Gaurav Mathur, who is the Dean of the Graduate School of Research and Continuing and Online Education, shared that “it has been incredible working with and supporting the research centers in advancing their numerous initiatives, which are well aligned with the 31

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university’s research priorities as well as the Gallaudet Promise. For example, the research centers directly contribute to knowledge creation and discovery, one of the priorities in the Gallaudet Promise, while addressing the imperative of innovation for impact at the same time.”

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS Gaining the insights of younger deaf and hard of hearing people, as well as hearing students studying to become allies and supporters of the community, is essential to many topics that support Gallaudet’s mission. Young minds frequently approach long-standing problems in new ways and lend fresh perspectives that otherwise may be overlooked. Across the University, a growing number of student researchers are working on their studies or assisting other researchers, from those in the physical sciences to social sciences to deafness-related disciplines. Gallaudet student research assistants play vital roles in our research, and their experience proves to be catalytic in their academic growth as well. In 2020, 46 small research grants were awarded to students conducting their research or working with faculty members. For example, Dr. Kushalnagar brings in diversity supplement funding from the National Institute of Health to support training and inclusion of deaf graduate students in health-related research.

Another stellar example of this reciprocity between students and faculty benefitting from research initiatives at Gallaudet would be the Research Experiences for Undergraduates grant from the National 32

Science Foundation (NSF), awarded to faculty Dr. Raja Kushalnagar. This grant from NSF supports undergraduate research experiences for students in universities across the country. Students compete to apply, sending in over 100 applications, and only 10 get selected to participate in a summer long research training program with mentorship from several faculty members. In the end, they produce publications that are competitively selected for presentations at prestigious conferences nationally and internationally.

Gallaudet students who work in research labs and centers not only have the unique opportunity to receive hands-on experience, they also can have their name published alongside their faculty and mentors in the numerous papers that Gallaudet researchers publish every year. These accolades provide a strong springboard toward their postgraduate experiences as emerging scientists and researchers.

Learn more about the accomplishments and recent findings from these emerging researchers in our faculty!

Dr. Deanna Gagne, a professor in the School of Language, Education, and Society, researches ProTacile sign language and focuses on the ways in which children acquire or develop language and the ways that varying language experiences relate to cognitive development. gu.live/gagne

Dr. Brendan Stern, ‘06, assistant professor in the School of Civic Leadership, Business, and Social Change, is also the executive director of the Center for Democracy in Deaf America (CDDA). CDDA is a non-partisan organization at Gallaudet University committed to developing healthy democratic skills and habits of deaf and hard of hearing individuals by fostering disagreement, debate, and civic engagement through American Sign Language and English. gu.live/cddapage Dr. Erin Moriarty Harrelson, E-’99, who studies linguistic anthropology and teaches as a faculty member in the School of Arts and Humanities, has conducted ethnographic research in Cambodia since 2012, and a recent research project focuses on Deaf tourist mobilities and translanguaging in Indonesia. gu.live/deaftravel Dr. Octavian Robinson, ‘02 & G-’04, is a historian and disability studies scholar who specializes in Deaf history, ableist rhetoric, and language attitudes.

His recent work has been published in various books and anthologies. gu.live/robinson Dr. Ilaria Berteletti, in her work at the Numeracy and Educational Neuroscience (NENS) Laboratory and as an assistant professor in the Ph.D. in Educational Neuroscience (PEN) program, focuses on young deaf children’s acquisition of mathematics and numbers (numeracy), as well as their emotional anxiety and social stereotypes

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around learning math. Supported by the National Science Foundation, Dr. Berteletti also mentors Gallaudet students, fostering the next generation of deaf scientists to continue this important work. gu.live/nenslab Dr. Gaurav Arora, a professor in the School of Science, Technology, Accessibility, Mathematics, and Public Health, is currently studying how to improve undergraduate bioinformatics education through the Genome Solver Project. Using bioinformatics tools, Dr. Arora‘s current research looks at the effects of overlapping open reading frames in yeast genomes and the role of microbiome in ecological systems. gu.live/arora SUPPORTING AND BOOSTING RESEARCH The Research Services component of Gallaudet’s newly expanded Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services (OSPRS) supports the University’s conduct of research and disseminating findings on topics of concern to deaf people and those who live, work with, and educate them. To this end, OSPRS, in close collaboration with the Office of Research and Engagement within the Provost’s Office, aspires to stimulate students, faculty, and staff to pursue new knowledge of value to their intellectual growth and their discipline by by providing assistance with grant proposals.

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Petitto Brain and Language Team In 2020, 34 campus researchers, who are either students or faculty members, were awarded grants through OSPRS and the former Research Support and International Affairs (RSIA) administration of the Priority Research Fund and Small Research Grants programs.

In addition, Research Services compiles a database and report of the University’s achievements in research and scholarship, consults on studies within its areas of expertise, and provides access to the archived Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Youth. This department indeed supports our faculty and student researcher’s needs as they continue to break ground on the research we do here at the university.

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Our expansive research initiatives at Gallaudet are exceptional, blazing the trail for deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind people in the United States and internationally. Diverse, fresh perspectives are valued here, and we believe they will lead the way to breakthroughs in studying our community. When you conduct research at Gallaudet, there is no limit to what you can discover. Together, we pave the way towards an empowered future!

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EXCEEDING EXCEPTIONALLY in ACADEMICS When the rapidly worsening COVID-19 pandemic forced Gallaudet students in March 2020 to pack their bags, head home and transition to a fully virtual learning environment, the move was disruptive to students, faculty, and staff, to put it mildly. Yet everyone rose to meet the challenge. They shifted their entire way of being, learning, working, and conducting research. Our community proved that we had the ability to adapt to rapid change and upheaval and prepare for a strong, vibrant future.

“When we learn new things, like riding a bike, for example, it might initially require some focused effort to discover that perfect moment of achieving both balance and momentum that keeps you from falling off. But from that point on, that moment of learning mastery becomes an enduring part of the fabric of who we are,” said Gallaudet President Roberta J. Cordano in her 2021 State of the University address.

This public health crisis presented quite the logistical challenge. Although Gallaudet had

provided online courses in the past, this level of remote learning was unprecedented. Yet, through various innovative strategies, our faculty, staff, and students were able to keep learning ongoing without sacrificing on quality, standards or value.

CONNECTED GALLAUDET Through the help of Connected Gallaudet, a partnership with Apple to create digital solutions for innovative teaching and learning, tablets and accessories were distributed at no charge to all degree-seeking students, faculty and staff who work directly with students, at the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester.

All students, regardless of socioeconomic background, were appropriately connected.

Aside from iPad + its accessories distribution, the university also provided loaner laptops, wifi routers, and webcams.

Announcing Connected Gallaudet gu.live/guconnect

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But Connected Gallaudet has become so much more than just the partnership with Apple. Not only did the university ensure that students were equipped with these technologies, they also distributed Zoom accounts for all, with the top accessibility features, including interpreters and live captioning for students needing transcripts or English translations of sign language.

maintaining the student experience virtually, with support services, and student affairs activities engaging with students remotely.

The university is also partnering with major technology corporations to provide students the opportunity to help design bilingual apps and gain relevant, real-world experience. Gallaudet’s own Technology Access Program, led by Dr. Christian Vogler, has developed a guidelines for optimal accessibility through virtual learning, which is now used as an industry resource when it comes to providing accommodations virtually. The program was the recipient of a $4.6 million grant over a five year period, funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research under the Administration for Community Living in the Department of Health and Human Services, allowing Dr. Vogler and his team to continue to expand its technology research for deaf and hard of hearing communities.

“We have defined what it means to be a virtual ASL-vibrant community,” Cordano said.

Technology Access Program Wins $4.6 Million Grant gu.live/wingrants

Guided by data demonstrating how COVID-19 disproportionately impacted low income and BIPOC communities, the university also invested significant resources toward 36

Technology Access Program Home Page gu.live/taphome

These efforts to keep the learning going online paid off: 98.4 percent of undergraduates and 99.5 percent of graduate students completed the Spring 2020 semester with a strong finish!

With all the shifts that took place across every segment of society and culture in the past year, the unpredictability of the future job market means higher education must adapt and think two, three steps ahead. Gallaudet’s administration worked to ensure that all faculty received advanced training to optimize their online teaching skills and techniques. It was a priority of the administration that faculty were well prepared in advance of the Fall 2020 semester, thus improving the overall teaching and learning experience for each student. Educators also received professional development in trauma-informed, multicultural teaching, and bilingual pedagogy.

RESTRUCTURED ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Developing degree programs that are interdisciplinary, relative, marketable, and innovative is the overarching goal of the new Academic Affairs Implementation Team (AAIT) that was formed to guide the restructuring of Gallaudet’s Academic Affairs down from 16 departments to five schools.

Implementation of the approved plan is underway. The five new schools are aligned with the revised general education curriculum, and the Office of Institutional Research is working with Academic leadership to assess the programs within each school.

THE FIVE NEW SCHOOLS

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This new plan will allow majors and minors to be streamlined and grouped along with similar areas of study. This means students can benefit from stronger programs, supported by each others’ resources, and can expose themselves to interdisciplinary learning.

HONORS PROGRAM SETS THE BAR HIGH In addition to maintaining academic excellence in all 5 schools, the Honors Program continues to exceed expectations, bringing the highest academic standards to our university.

School of Language, Education and Culture

School of Science, Technology, Accessibility, Mathematics, and Public Health (STAMP)

School of Human Services

School of Civic Leadership, Business and Social Change

School of Arts and Humanities

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Our Honors alumni, continue to set the bar higher and higher with their incredible accomplishments. Ph.D. candidate Brienna Herold, ’14, currently studying at Rochester Institute of Technology, and a current Gallaudet adjunct professor, was named a 2021 Google Lime Scholar, based on the strength of her academic background and a demonstrated passion for computer science.

The Columbia Social Work Review published a paper penned by Gallaudet alumni and Columbia University graduates of the Master in Social Work program, D.T. Bruno, ’18, and Yunhe Bai, ’19. The paper, published in the May 6, 2020 issue, was titled “Addressing Communication Barriers Among Deaf Populations Who Use American Sign Language in Hearing-Centric Social Work Settings”.

Read D.T. Bruno and Yunhe Bai’s paper here gu.live/brunobai

Current Honors students have shifted away from congregating and working in the oncampus Honors Lounge, to meeting up twice weekly, on Monday and Thursday evenings, in the Virtual Zoom Honors Lounge. This allowed them to remain connected while still continuing to perfect the skills and tools they need to be competitive for top-tier graduate schools and employers.

They also remain connected through virtual workshops for Honors contracts, capstone proposal development, and graduate school applications. Stress is released through fun activities like watch parties and discussion 38

groups centered on popular, relevant movies and television series such as The Hate U Give.

They also have their own art gatherings, and trivia nights.

FACE-TO-FACE EXCELLENCE Lack of events and the class schedules sometimes prevent students from taking advantage of the summer at Gallaudet and life in DC. Interim Dean of the Faculty Khadijat K. Rashid, ’90, praised educators for working to transform and create “outstanding” educational offerings for the summer of 2021, highlights of which include a special 10-week undergraduate summer session, divided into two 5-week sessions. There will be some faceto-face courses offered during the second five weeks, and students in these courses will be able to live on campus.

The university is looking forward to piloting the next step of reopening campus plans through these face to face summer courses.

These summer course will establish a foundation for the reopening of campus in the fall semester.

The resilience of our community in the face of a pandemic is a testament to the strength of the Bison spirit. Gallaudet continues to rise up, press on, and match any challenge, Cordano said in her 2021 State of the University address and it could not be any truer for our academic community at Gallaudet.

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STOMPING GROUNDS

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STOMPING GROUNDS

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Did you know that Gallaudet has been part of the fabric of D.C. since before it was surrounded by D.C.? Florida Avenue was originally called Boundary Street and was the dividing line between the city of Washington and unincorporated District of Columbia.

It was turned into Florida Avenue during the year of 1890.

Out of the many academic institutions in the city, only three universities were founded before Gallaudet: Georgetown University, George Washington University, and the University of the District of Columbia.

A D.C. Metro station blocks away from campus was renamed in 2011 to “NoMa-Gallaudet U”, and is the go-to spot to travel anywhere in the city and the DC-Maryland-Virginia area!

Apple Maps Guides Check out the newest way to navigate the Gallaudet neighborhood–and the #SigningEcosystem!

SANDRA GOLDSTEIN, ’69

Sandra Goldstein, ’69

BEQUEATHS $1.3 MILLION TO GALLAUDET Sandra “Sandy” Goldstein, ’69, was a teacher for 48 years, working at several schools, mostly in the Chicago area. In July of 2017, Sandra announced her retirement to Gallaudet’s Office of Alumni Relations, saying, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

At the time of her retirement, not many people knew that she had been diagnosed with cancer. She passed away the following March at the age of 72. In 2019, some of Sandra’s former students hosted a memorial service for her in Chicago, with Tom Adamo, ’85, leading the traditional Jewish service.

Three years after her passing, Sandra’s trustee reached out to Gallaudet with some news: she had identified Gallaudet University as

a beneficiary for her trust, bequeathing the University $1.3 million. The trust, intended to protect her assets and to ensure that she was provided for during her retirement, is proof that Sandra had thought carefully and strategically about how to maximize the impact of her savings not only for herself, but for the place she loved—Gallaudet.

“Sandra was a loyal supporter of Gallaudet for many years,” said Nicholas Gould, ’09, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement. “With her gifts, she would sometimes include a handwritten note remembering a cherished memory of her time at Gallaudet, which were a wonderful reminder of what makes Gallaudet so special.”

Goldstein was once known as “Sandy, a real redhead.” During her Gallaudet days, she was also known as a Delta Epsilon sister, an actor in the Gallaudet Theatre production of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” a volleyball player, and treasurer for many student organizations.

In those moments, as Goldstein once said about Gallaudet, she discovered herself. She is also remembered fondly as a strict, but compassionate, math teacher to her students, and for her work as an active member of the Chicago (Illinois) Chapter of the Gallaudet University Alumni Association.

Sandra “Sandy” Goldstein, ’69 Teacher 46

Sandra’s Tower Clock Senior Picture “Sandra’s surprise gift for Gallaudet really shows her selfless alumni spirit and her love for the University,” added President Roberta J. Cordano. “We are tremendously grateful.”

Today, Sandra’s gift stands as the largest bequest from any individual alumni in the university’s history. She joins Gerald “Bummy” Burstein, ’50 & H-’86; Bernard N. Bragg, ’52 & H-’88; and spouses J. Sterling, ’59, and Lucie Moffatt White, ’59, in bequeathing more than $1 million. Her bequest is also Gallaudet’s largest unrestricted gift ever, enabling remarkable flexibility for Gallaudet in spending the funds. Plans to maximize the impact of Sandra’s gift and honor her legacy are currently underway.

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Sandra with a group of students

“With her gifts, she would sometimes include a handwritten note remembering a cherished memory of her time at Gallaudet, which were a wonderful reminder of what makes Gallaudet so special.”

- Nicholas Gould, ’09 Executive Director of Institutional Advancement

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SOURCED FROM THE CLASS OF 1970’S 50TH YEAR REUNION NEWSLETTER

CLASS OF 1970’S LEGACY TRIUMPHS EVEN in CHANGING TIMES In a video dated October of 1995, Celia May “CM” Laramie Baldwin, ’70, got onstage at Peikoff Alumni House (“Ole Jim”), and addressed the Class of 1970 at their Silver Anniversary (25th) reunion. “How would you sign ‘year 2020?’ Would you sign it like ‘two thousand twenty’ or ‘twenty twenty?’ I don’t know,” she said.

Laramie Baldwin continued to share what she learned from the Deaf Expo just days before where she was blown away by predictions on technological advancements in 2000 and beyond. One prediction was that people would be able to communicate using ASL through screens. “I am afraid that perhaps in two thousand twenty--or twenty twenty--we 48

will celebrate our 50th reunion through that medium. I hope not! I am a people person. I like physical touch and hugs!” she said.

Technology has advanced and rapidly changed the world since the grainy footage of Laramie Baldwin’s speech. Video communication, the emergence of social media, and the daily use of phones and computers to stay connected have reshaped the way we connect. In October 2020, the Office of Alumni Relations hosted their first-ever virtual homecoming. In fact, for the Class of 1970 who were now celebrating their Golden Anniversary, using technology wasn’t as scary as being together in person.

As the COVID-19 pandemic changed people’s lives globally, the Class of 1970 agreed to participate in the virtual homecoming for 2020 and plan for another in-person event when it is safe to do so. Nothing, they decided, could stop them from having a meaningful reunion.

A meaningful reunion for 50th Reunion Chairperson Kathryn McIntire Sutton, ’70, meant being connected with her classmates, her alma mater, and creating a legacy at Gallaudet. Creating a legacy together is really about reflecting and learning from the past, living in the present, and building for the future. One way to create this legacy for the Class of 1970 is to set up an endowment for Gallaudet. An endowment requires a collective effort to memorialize the class and to create opportunities for the future of Gallaudet.

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Laramie Baldwin challenged her class then.

“Why not raise $70,000 by 2020 in honor of Class of ‘70?”

Cynthia Neese Bailes, ’70, and Connie Fisher Friedman, ’70, took on the challenge as cocoordinators for the class gift. They worked hard to engage their fellow classmates. They reached out to every classmate through monthly emails with videos of classmate reminisces and appeals. “The connection and the response from classmates was exhilarating!” said Neese Bailes.

By January of 2020, the class had raised $37,000. Not only did the class need to raise another $33,000 in 10 months to reach their target, they also needed to decide what they wanted their endowment to support. Would it be scholarships? A specific program?

Why not do more and create an endowment?” Laramie Baldwin challenged her class then. “Why not raise $70,000 by 2020 in honor of Class of ’70?

Celia May “CM” Laramie Baldwin Class of 1970

The Class of 1970 already decided to set up a gift fund back in 2010. By 2017, only 12 people had donated to the fund, raising $5,560. “Why not do more and create an endowment?”

At this time, Laramie Baldwin joined the fundraising drive herself. She and Neese Bailes found it hard to just pick one thing to support. They asked, “Couldn’t we do TWO endowments instead of one?” No class at Gallaudet has ever done two endowments, but there was no reason why not! They formed a subcommittee of 10 class-gift donors to address this question and make recommendations to the whole class.

49

CLASS OF 1970’S LEGACY TRIUMPHS EVEN IN CHANGING TIMES

Scholarship support for one of the endowments was an easy decision. They recalled facing financial difficulties and those who were not able to continue to graduation. It was important for many in the Class of 1970 to keep tuition affordable for students.

For the second endowment, the subcommittee members remembered something personal and unique. The Office of Alumni Relations was established in 1968 while they were still undergraduate students. Joel Silberstein, ’70, and de facto class historian, reminded everyone that Dr. Jack R. Gannon, ’59, the first executive secretary, imparted upon the Class

of 1970 the sense that Gallaudet would always be “home,” and many of them became proud lifetime members of Gallaudet College Alumni Association (GCAA) before graduating.

Throughout the years, as much as the world has changed, the Office of Alumni Relations remains the bridge between alumni and Gallaudet University. Alumni Relations has also supported the tradition of alumni giving back to students and programs on campus. With this in mind, the Class of 1970 wanted to give back to Alumni Relations, naming their fund “The Class of 1970 Jack R. Gannon, ‘59, Alumni Relations Fund.”

Zoom Call with Jack Lamberton, Cynthia Neese Bailes, Dr. Jack R. Gannon with Rosalyn Gannon, and Celia May “CM” Laramie Baldwin.

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As the virtual reunion approached, the Class of 1970 became even more engaged as many took training on how to use Zoom. Ultimately, 109 members participated in the Emeriti Club--the highlight event of the Golden Anniversary--to receive their medallions.

This was the largest class turnout, and no doubt the virtual homecoming made it easier for more people to join the induction ceremonies. Additionally, 113 out of 170 living, contactable Class of 1970 members donated to the gift funds. By Homecoming they had surpassed the $70,000 goal!

making. The true inspiration, however, is really from how the Class of 1970 chose to celebrate each other in a way that could also support Gallaudet’s future. Although nothing can replace being together in person, they were able to do this successfully online.

The remarkable turnout and the creation of two endowments is definitely a legacy in the

said, “All of us did that.”

Over Zoom, Neese Bailes, Laramie Baldwin, and Class President Jack Lamberton, ’70, shared the news of the endowment with Dr. Gannon and his wife, Rosalyn, ’59.

Dr. Gannon was humbled while reflecting on his accomplishments. With tears in his eyes, he

ENDOWMENTS Class of 1970 Jack R. Gannon ’59 Alumni Relations Fund:

$28,660

2021 Approximate Payout:

$1,146

The Mighty Class of 1970 Student Scholarship Fund:

$45,170

2021 Approximate Payout:

$1,806

Endowments usually have 4% payout from the fund’s principle.

Don’t know if your class has a gift fund or who your class gift coordinator is? Contact Alumni Relations Specialist darrius.doe@gallaudet.edu for more information!

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WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY

WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY

STRENGTHENING our ALUMNI NETWORK Being an alumnus is more than just attending a university; it is belonging to a community and maintaining lifelong relationships.

Most colleges and universities have alumni associations that foster this sense of community. One of the very first to be established, in 1889, was the Gallaudet University Alumni Association (GUAA). GUAA gives Gallaudet alumni an opportunity to engage with the university and the broader Deaf community. People can stay connected with their alma mater, influence issues

affecting the community, and keep in touch with the friends and colleagues they made as a student.

The GUAA has three main objectives that they carry forth in all their work and in the chapters around the country:

•

Preserve and increase the influence and prestige of Gallaudet University as an institution of higher education for deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind students.

•

Address concerns that affect the welfare of deaf people in general, especially those associated with education.

•

Perpetuate the friendships formed during college life and promote social and fraternal relations among alumni of different college generations.

GUAA represents more than 9,000 lifetime members and Alumni Relations works with over 23,000 alumni who live across the United States and around the world.

Sometimes people associate “alumni” with roots in tradition, but in reality, being an alumnus can mean many different things.

Rebecca Rydstrom, ’02

Director of Alumni Relations 52

The ways alumni can become a part of the ongoing relationship with their alma mater has changed over the years. Gallaudet University recognizes this continued evolution and brought on Rebecca Rydstrom, ’02, is the new Director of the Office of Alumni Relations, and serves as Executive Director of GUAA. Her work with GUAA will solidify those new methods of connection and engagement.

Rydstrom, who describes herself as an extrovert, is eager to make strides in her position, which is responsible for fostering connections around the world. She graduated from Gallaudet in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in government. Rydstrom holds fond memories of her time at Gallaudet, saying, “I was always a part of student organizations, volunteering, a part of change on campus.

I always want to push and elevate the community to be more unified.”

After graduation, her first job was as a recruiter with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

She worked there for six years before obtaining her master’s degree in leadership in higher education from Capella University in 2010. She is an avid volunteer, especially in raising funds for the Delta Epsilon (DE) and Phi Kappa Zeta (PKZ) Woman Scholarship to support students who are single mothers with their housing costs.

Taking on the role of director of executive director of GUAA means Rydstrom is tapping into her passion of sharing and keeping alumni stories alive. “Gallaudet is where I grew as a person, and for that, it is close to my heart. I wanted to be a part of GUAA to make sure that our alumni stories are shared,” she said.

“Gallaudet has alumni from all over the world, with different backgrounds and journeys. I feel

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connecting with them is important to ensure that their stories are shared.”

Rydstrom also emphasizes the importance of increasing alumni engagement, and she has many creative ideas and ways in which she wants to implement more connectedness.

“Gallaudet is not a regional college; we have international reach. There are alumni all over the world, and not all of them have the luxury of traveling around the world to come to campus in order to reconnect with their alma mater,” she pointed out.

“We want to reach out to them virtually, and that is one benefit of the current pandemic.

There are many ways to be more connected virtually. I would love to see an ongoing monthly virtual engagement program that could include fun activities, lecture series, book readings, discussions, and more,” she mused, thinking of the countless ways that alumni can tap into our rich network and collective knowledge.

When asked what it means to be a Gallaudet alumni, Rydstrom said, “Try to identify a nugget from your college years. It could be a leadership opportunity, an experience with friends, or a journey or internship. Those lessons and impactful experiences you got out of that exemplify Gallaudet’s success. To be an alumni is to be grateful for those lessons you got and to spread those visions to elevate Deaf people’s role in the world.”

In addition to Rydstrom, there are several new GUAA Board of Directors members this year to continue the association’s work. GUAA is governed by a board whose members are elected to four-year terms by GUAA members in the GUAA national election. The GUAA 53

WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY

Home Office coordinates the entire election process from beginning to end. Only Active Life Members (those who have graduated from Gallaudet) are eligible to be elected to the offices of president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and board member for the Home, East, Middle, and West Regions. The board also includes two members-at-large and the executive director.

Roberta “Robbi” Crockett, G-’99, Member-at-Large Crockett graduated from Gallaudet in 1999 and holds two master’s degrees, an M.S. in administration and an M.A. in community counseling. She is a proud Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), with two Deaf parents. Crockett is a member of the International CODA organization and an affiliate member of the Deaf Parented Interpreters within the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. She was also involved with the Washington State GUAA chapter as its vice president. She currently lives in Austin, Texas.

Usherla DeBerry, ’99, Member-at-Large DeBerry graduated from Gallaudet in 1999, completed her master’s degree in special education at Wilmington University in 2010, and is nearing completion of her Ph.D. degree in organizational leadership from Grand Canyon University.

DeBerry worked at Gallaudet for nearly 20 years in various capacities. She was involved with the Organization for Equity for Deaf Staff of Color and taught in the General Studies program. She is now a regional manager with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services for the Wilson region in the 54

eastern part of the state. DeBerry volunteers with Delta Sigma Theta, Black Deaf Advocates, and her church community.

Le Toudjida Allara, ’11, G-’14, & EdS ’21, President Allara started at the English Language Institute (ELI) at Gallaudet University in January 2004, and graduated in 2011 with bachelor’s degrees in government (with a concentration in international relations) and international studies, along with a double minor in Deaf studies and French. He also completed his master of public administration (MPA) in 2014.

He earned an educational specialist degree, as well as an M.S. in recreation and sports sciences (with a concentration in soccer coaching education) at Ohio University’s Patton College of Education, and is completing a master’s degree in divinity (M.Div.) in global studies at Liberty University. He looks forward to bringing alumni together, and leading GUAA toward continued excellence in alignment with Gallaudet University’s work to serve all alumni and students as well as the Deaf community as a whole.

“The primary reason I want to serve as president of the GUAA board of directors is because I would like to give back for what Gallaudet has done for me, and to represent our beloved alumni in the United States and abroad,” he said.

Eddy Laird, ’75, Vice President Dr. Laird graduated from Gallaudet in 1975, and went on to receive his master’s degree in special education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, a master’s degree in

educational administration and supervision at California State University at Northridge, and a doctor of education degree in Deaf studies/ Deaf education from Lamar University. He served as president of the GUAA Tennessee chapter. Laird shared shared his top priority for GUAA: “It is critical to meaningfully engage and communicate with current and future alumni based on their needs, interests, and life stages. Doing so will help inspire further engagement and action among the alumni.”

He also looks forward to integrating a datadriven approach to engagement efforts in order to engage young alumni early to develop personal, long lasting ties with the Gallaudet community. Dr. Laird emphasizes the importance of the GUAA board to never lose sight of the University’s primary purpose, which he believes to be bilingual education.

Dawn Welters, ’11, Board Member, Home Region Welters came to Gallaudet as a transfer student and graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and went on to earn a master’s degree in K-12 technology integration in 2014 at Nova Southeastern University. Welters was an emerging signer and advocates for the community passionately through her work in organizations such as Deaf Women of Color, National Association of the Deaf, and National Black Deaf Advocates, among others.

Darlene Wadler, ’95 & G-’97, Board Member, West Region Wadler received her B.A. degree magna cum laude, and an M.S.W. degree in social work, and received two departmental awards. She is a member of the Phi Alpha Pi Honor Society. Wadler served

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as president of the GUAA Riverside chapter for many years. This chapter has supported Gallaudet students from the Riverside area through fundraising for scholarships.

Maricar Marquez, ’94 & G-’97, Board Member, East Region Marquez earned her bachelor’s degree in communication arts in 1994, and a master’s degree in administration in 1997. She has Usher’s Syndrome and identifies as deaf-blind. Marquez is the supervisor of the Independent Living Department at Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults in Sands Point, New York.

Rounding out the Board are Robert Weinstock, ’77 & G-’83, who was previously a member-at-large and now serves as secretary; Scott Recht, ’77 & ‘79, who continues for a second term as treasurer; and Jose-Ovidio Velasquez, AAS-’89 & ’04, who was reelected as board member, Middle Region.

Rydstrom is a board member ex-officio, meaning that she attends all meetings, but has no vote.

Alumni Relations and GUAA ensure that alumni continue to give back to the University through time and money, but for the new board members, it is more than that. “For many of us who attended Gallaudet, it is a surrogate home where we built our own surrogate and actual families. In a family, we take care of one another and build each other up.” says Welters, the new board member for the Home Region, “It is where we go to foster community, oneness, Deaf culture, and sign language (ASL and international). We all have 55

WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY

one common goal, and that is to see Gallaudet thrive for centuries to come.”

Alumni participation is essential for the continued growth of the University, as Gallaudet graduates are seen as mentors

and create a network for current and future students. Staying connected to each other and the rest of the Gallaudet community, accountability, advocacy, and cultural diversity were among the top priorities mentioned by all new board members.

Please join the community in welcoming GUAA’s new board members, and sharing our gratitude for the entire GUAA board of directors, who strive to keep Gallaudet University’s legacy alive for generations to come. Alumni from past and future generations alike will continue to nurture their love and support for Gallaudet University, the place that has shaped us all.

Finally, the GUAA board of directors is pleased to announce that long-time board member and president Donna F. Drake, ’69 & G-’71, was unanimously elected as a Board Member Emeritus last fall. Donna served on the GUAA board for a total of 26 years. She was a board member for five terms, from 1979 to 1992, and again from 2016 to 2020.

She served as president for two terms, from 1992 to 1998, and as past president for one term, from 1998 to 2001. She joins the late Gerald “Bummy” Burstein, ’50 & H-’88, and Alyce Slater Reynolds, ’76 & G-’78, as the only GUAA board members so honored.

Congratulations, Donna, and thank you for your exemplary service!

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LEARN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL) FASTER, ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE. With our online interactive learning program, you could soon be communicating with your deaf family members, friends, or co-workers directly, or even be jump-starting your career with ASL.

With ASL Connect, you can learn ASL at your own pace.

CONNECT WITH US

TODAY

• Free vocabulary and self-paced lessons • One-on-one language mentoring • Accredited online and on-campus ASL courses • 2 week summer intensives • Option to learn ASL at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.

https://bit.ly/2PtHsJ7

FB | IG | TW | YT @ASLConnect gallaudet.edu

ASL Connect is the premier resource nationally for learning ASL and Deaf culture, both online and face-to-face. All content is created by Deaf, ASL-fluent scholars.

Visit or contact us for more information: https://bit.ly/2PtHsJ7

aslconnect@gallaudet.edu (202) 888-1554 (videophone) 57 (202) 651-5000 (voice)

CHANGING AND BOOMING CAREERS

CHANGING AND BOOMING CAREERS

STARTING FROM WITHIN

An essential part of the college experience is the journey to one’s career. The Bison mentality has always helped many students follow their dreams and build on what they’ve learned through their studies. The same mentality has seen our students persevere through these trying times and create their own success stories.

As the university adapted and pivoted to the pandemic, this period has revealed itself as the optimal time for various departments and divisions to look within and improve themselves. The Career Center, which has been supporting our students in career preparedness, obtaining internships, and seeking jobs for post-graduation, is now undergoing a transformation. The Center has been renamed to the Office for Career Education & Professional Development and its transformation will change how Gallaudet 58

Joseline Garcia, ’21

provides career services for our student body.

Led by Director of Student Success Dr. Jerri Lyn Dorminy, ’93 & G-’95 and Associate Provost Dr. Thomas Horejes, the Career Center transformation is not one that will happen overnight. “The Career Center has long been a bit of a silo, designed as a resource for students to come to them.

But that is changing. We know now that we must go to the students, and become more connected with faculty, staff, and alumni,” shared Dr. Dorminy about the overall goal of the changes within the center.

Dr. Horejes explained that from 2019 to today, there have been multiple steps taken to evaluate and identify areas of growth.

As a part of this effort, the Career Center conducted an internal 18-month self-study through their task force including community

feedback from 2019 and an audit through the Career Leadership Collective (CLC), a higher education thought-partner consulting firm.

CLC interviewed over 75 stakeholders in the campus community consisting of faculty, staff, students, administrators, and Career Center staff. In addition to National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data highlighting the importance of high-impact practices among our students that has yet to be maximized, the analysis and data from the CLC and the Career Center’s task force allowed the university to gain a better understanding of what the new Office for Career Education and Professional Development needs to provide in a largely digital environment and society.

The Office for Career Education and Professional Development’s evolution is timely as it intentionally aligns its career readiness efforts with the new General Education curriculum as a foundation and springboard to clearer declaration of majors for students through the five schools. “No longer will the Career Center act independently, disconnected from the broader campus experience; rather, it will be integrated into all aspects of the academic journey, making sure our students are exposed to career preparedness and security in their identity,” shared Dr. Horejes.

A fundamental part of our Gallaudet students’ experiences are the very first introductory courses that all enrolled students are required to take when arriving at Gallaudet. Previously, students took first year seminar courses and career preparedness courses separately, but in the new General Education curriculum, Gallaudet is launching VEE 101 and VEE 102.

“Vee,” which is an ASL sign that is an informal,

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casual way to say “analyzing” or “being fascinated,” is the perfect phrase to describe the process that students experience when first beginning their college careers. In the new VEE courses, topics including the college experience, as well as identity exploration and career preparedness, will be covered, allowing students to build a strong foundation of who they are before they graduate and go out into the world.

Collectively, the General Education curriculum includes mastery of career readiness as a part of its eight student learning outcomes with a broader engagement strategy to partner with faculty and employers through the newly established Career Ecosystem that includes three key working groups: 1. Career Success Partners Network 2. Experiential Learning & Internship Success 3. Employer Engagement Council The Employer Engagement Council was formed to forge stronger relationships with employers, maintaining a better understanding of the rapidly changing workforce and what they are looking for in their new employees and interns. “It’s a cultural shift for faculty and students, where closer, stronger connections are made, with not only faculty but also employers and alumni, which create opportunities for mentorships and growth,” Dr. Dorminy pointed out.

Altogether, the Career Ecosystem will strengthen academic and career pathways with the full integration of career readiness into our curriculum, best practices for internships across campus surrounding experiential learning, and multifaceted value propositions and strategic engagement with key external partners such as our employers 59

CHANGING AND BOOMING CAREERS

and alumni. These changes will not only advance our students’ academic and critical thinking skills, but also grow their awareness and expertise across mental and physical health, digital readiness, ethics, and global consciousness.

This has been an unusual internship thus far with him getting to know, and work with, his co-workers remotely,” his supervisor shared.

“However, Robersy has done a good job in joining up with his teammates and learning from them in the process.”

As a university that strives for the success of each and every student, the Office for Career Education and Professional Development will equip our students with an even stronger foundation and support system to follow their dreams and achieve their career aspirations.

Delgado’s dedication, courage, and positive attitude are proof of what can happen for students who innovate, support each other, and stick to their goals.

SUCCESS AGAINST ALL ODDS Students have continued to demonstrate their commitment to success by sticking to their goals, despite a rapidly changing economy and workforce. Many students have shown their resilience during the pandemic and continue to thrive and make progress in their careers.

Robersy Delgado, ‘20, a Cuban-born immigrant, and his family moved to Miami, Florida, when he was just 11 years old. His parents wanted him and his younger brother to receive a good education in the United States, and Delgado was the first in his family to enroll in college. Delgado graduated in August 2020, after he completed his firstever virtual internship at the prestigious Procter and Gamble corporation. He was offered a full-time position immediately after his internship in the IT division.

His supervisor spoke highly of Delgado’s performance and shared their praise, “Robersy is focused and dedicated. He is making strong progress on his project and I expect he will deliver it with high quality.”

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Nicholas Hohrman, a junior from Minnesota who is majoring in Biology, is currently doing an in-person internship at the Loggerhead MarineLife Center (LMC) in Juno Beach, Florida, working with the sea turtle population.

He is working on a project that is utilizing cutting-edge technology to get an in-depth look into marine conservation, including how to identify tracks according to species, locate sea turtle egg chambers, mark nests, and conduct nest excavations. gu.live/marinelife Due to the pandemic, he decided to seize the opportunity to simultaneously intern and take online courses from Gallaudet for six months. LMC is an important conservation group that monitors a globally significant nesting beach for three endangered sea turtle

species: leatherback, loggerhead, and green.

His internship at LMC is teaching him how to quickly and accurately collect data in the field using the latest technology. He assists with data entry and verification and is completing a research project alongside their team.

During the internship, he is assisting staff biologists and field technicians with daily beach surveys on all-terrain vehicles (ATV) starting at sunrise. The boss he reports to, the Research Operations Manager with the Research Laboratory at LMC, is also deaf and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in related fields. Hohrman is the first-ever deaf intern that LMC has hosted.

While this remote work trend may be different, it can have its perks! Hohrman is going to school while riding ATVs on the beach in Florida, after all.

Joseline Garcia, ‘21, is a Latina single mother with two children (ages 12 and 6). She graduated in May of 2021 and accepted a fulltime IT position as a Technology Development Analyst at PNC headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Garcia received this opportunity because of the outstanding effort she put into attending programs and being a leader to her peers. She attended PNC’s first-ever virtual Summer Intern Program in 2020 and was also one of our Disability:IN NextGen Leaders last year (2019-2020). gu.live/nextgen Initially her major was in Early Childhood Education, but after going through several sessions with her career consultant and a very helpful internship, she came to realize the IT

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field was a perfect fit for her.

Jacob Adams, ‘20, joined Ernst and Young as a full-time Accounting hire in Vienna, VA. Adams was recruited after his participation in the 2nd Annual IT Summit event at Gallaudet University. gu.live/itsummit He is the second Gallaudet graduate to work for the company. Patricia “Brynn” Schmidt did accounting graduate school for one year at UT Austin following graduation from Gallaudet, and joined Ernst and Young in Philadelphia, PA. Hartford Insurance Company also conducted a virtual internship last summer. This was the first time they had ever worked with Gallaudet and also the first virtual internship that the university had attempted. The company ended up being thrilled with our interns--so much so that they have committed to hiring a new group of interns for the upcoming summer.

Gallaudet students Dylan Sicoli, Stone Leiker, Esau Zornoza, ‘20, personified the Bison spirit to this company and gained a new career opportunity in the process.

The Bison spirit continues to carry on and adapt. With students demonstrating their ability to work together and take advantage of the virtual tools that are available to them, such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and our e-courses offered from Lynda, it is no surprise to continue to see so many students thrive and get closer to their dream careers.

The Bison team is always behind our students every step of the way--anything that our students set their mind to is possible!

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EXPLORE YOUR CHILD’S DEAF IDENTITY WITH GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY. Gallaudet University offers a number of exciting, empowering programs and competitions for deaf and hard of hearing youth up to age 18. There is no better way to give your child the opportunity to find themselves.

Our camps and competitions are open to all students from any school or program.

• Five enriching summer camp programs • Five competitions to compete in, online or on-site, regionally and nationally • Create lifelong connections with deaf and hard of hearing youth across the country The Gallaudet University Youth Programs office inspires deaf and hard of hearing youth to learn about themselves as deaf individuals. Through participation in summer camps and competitions during the school year, participants develop skills and challenge themselves while forming relationships with their peers.

FB | IG | TW | YT @GallaudetU www.gallaudet.edu

Visit or contact us for more information: https://bit.ly/2wKALf4

KICK-START YOUR

DEAF CHILD’S

FUTURE https://bit.ly/2wKALf4

youthprograms@gallaudet.edu (202) 250-2474 (videophone) (202) 651-5050 (voice)

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ACADEMIC BOWL WINNERS

The Gallaudet University Academic Bowl was established with the goal of fostering the pursuit of academic excellence, promoting a spirit of competition and sportsmanship, and providing social opportunities. For the 2020-2021 school year, Youth Programs held virtual competitions for the entire Academic Bowl season.

EAST REGIONAL Champions Marie Philip School (MA) Second place Winston Churchill High School (MD) Third place Maryland School for the Deaf Fourth place American School for the Deaf Most Outstanding Player Tyler Furzland, Marie Philip School

CENTRAL REGIONAL

WEST REGIONAL

Champions Model Secondary School for the Deaf

Champions California School for the Deaf, Fremont

Second place Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf

Second place California School for the Deaf, Riverside

Third place Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind

Third place Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind

Fourth place Pinellas County District

Fourth place New Mexico School for the Deaf

Most Outstanding Player Jordan Iseri, Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf

Most Outstanding Playe Donovan Holmes, California School for the Deaf, Fremont

NATIONAL ACADEMIC BOWL: 1st place | California School for the Deaf, Fremont 2nd place | California School for the Deaf, Riverside 3rd place | Marie Philip School (MA) 4th place | Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Most Outstanding Player | Donovan Holmes, CSD Fremont 63

YOUTH PROGRAMS

NATIONAL LITERACY COMPETITION

GRAND PRIZE WINNERS

The purpose of the National Literary Competition is to give deaf and hard of hearing students the opportunity to showcase their abilities, as well as instill pride and ownership in their work.

The National Literary Competition is open to ALL deaf and hard of hearing students in the 2nd through 12th grades from all schools and programs.

Hope Murapa Grand Prize Winner for Writing

JalenaMurapa Hope Dingel Grand Prize Winner for ASL Writing

Read the essay: gu.live/hopem

Watch the video: gu.live/jalena

How did you feel/what did you think when you found out that you won this year’s Grand Prize?

I was amazed and shocked! My family watched the video of the NLC awards ceremony together and they were thrilled for me! We all cheered and jumped with joy!

Jalena

I was really surprised once I found out because originally I had seen that I had won the first prize for Middle School, and I was super excited. Then after I saw that, I went to cheer practice and when I came back, all the girls at the dorm were screaming and told me I won the Grand Prize, so I was just very shocked!

Hope 64

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HOPE AND JALENA’S HOBBIES

Sports

Reading

Minecraft

Photography

YouTube

Performing

What are your future goals?

I feel like I have some time since I’m still in middle school, but if I had to pick, it would be a librarian or maybe a writer.

Hope

Really, my advice would be for them to try their best and draw inspiration from something that happened or a situation that happened to them.

What advice would you give to other students who want to participate in NLC next year?

Jalena

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YOUTH PROGRAMS

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS20

The overarching purpose of the Battle of the Books is to promote literacy amongst Deaf and Hard of Hearing middle school students; promote a spirit of academic competition and good sportsmanship; and to encourage critical thinking skills amongst middle school students.

BUFF DIVISION CHAMPIONS California School for the Deaf, Fremont

BLUE MOST OUTSTANDING READER Cindy Rodriguez, Venado Middle School

BUFF DIVISION 2ND PLACE Nebraska Regional Programs

GREEN DIVISION CHAMPIONS Heathlands School for Deaf Children (UK)

BUFF MOST OUTSTANDING READER Gabriella Bibb, CSD Fremont

GREEN DIVISON 2ND PLACE Venado Middle School

BLUE DIVISION CHAMPIONS TOPS K-8 (WA)

GREEN MOST OUTSTANDING READER Orion Rowley, Heathlands School for Deaf Children

BLUE DIVISION 2ND PLACE Venado Middle School (CA)

TRIVIA CUP 2020 Gallaudet Youth Programs’ newest program is the Trivia Cup, an exciting competition for elementary, middle, and high school individual students who love answering trivia questions about various topics. No matter what school or program, because this is an individual competition as opposed to a team competition, every student has an opportunity to shine!

OVERALL INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION 1st place | Donovan Holmes 2nd place | Clark Barrett 3rd place | Chang May Tan 4th place | Frederick Scott

Trivia Cup Home Page gu.live/trivia

TRIVIA CUP WINNERS Entertainment Donovan Holmes Geography Clark Barrett Science and Technology Donovan Holmes Mathematics Frederick Scott Language and Literature Donovan Holmes U.S. Government and 2020 Election Chang May Tan Sports Kyle Florio

PLANNED GIVING

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Email jonathan.cetrano@gallaudet.edu or visit our website plannedgiving.gallaudet.edu for more information.

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LEADING TOGETHER TO IMPACT THE FUTURE OF DEAF EDUCATION

Marianne Belsky Chief Academic Officer

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Nicole Sutliffe Chief Administrative Officer

MARIANNE BELSKY and NICOLE SUTLIFFE LEADING TOGETHER TO IMPACT THE FUTURE OF DEAF EDUCATION In June 2018, Gallaudet President Roberta Cordano officially appointed co-leaders of the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center. Marianne Belsky, ’87 & EdS ’10, has since served as its Chief Academic Officer, while Nicole Sutliffe, G-’10, has been the Chief Administrative Officer. They had previously filled similar roles, but as interim leaders. Together they have many plans for the future of the center and how it can support deaf education nationwide. Brandi Rarus, Chief Marketing and Undergraduate Admissions Officer, sat down with them and learned about their goals and shared leadership.

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President Cordano made a bold move when she asked the two of you to share the leadership of the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, also known as the Clerc Center.. I want to know what that has been like for you.

When we started, we thought the process of discussing our decisions with each other would slow down the work. But the reality has been the opposite. Agreeing on what to do gives us more confidence in our decisions and we are then able to move the work along more quickly through our respective teams.

Sutliffe

Rarus When we were first placed together, it was new for both of us. We are both introverts by nature, and it took us a lot of time to get to know each other. We both knew what we wanted for the program, but we had to coordinate so the community saw one voice. It was a complex process.

It was complicated. But we meshed easily. We had a lot of similarities in how we wanted to move forward. We wanted to share information the same way, involve the community the same way.

So that made it easier.

Sutliffe

What are your goals for the Clerc Center?

We met individually with each of the employees at the Clerc Center — almost 200 people — and asked them, “What do you wish the Clerc Center could accomplish? What do you want us to keep in mind as we move forward?” Five themes came up that fit neatly into the acronym, CLERC: collaboration, leadership, equity, re-imagination and community, with the overarching goal of excellence in national deaf education. We used their feedback to create a proposal Belsky

Belsky

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Rarus

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There are many great things happening all over the Gallaudet campus for kids ages 0 to 5, such as research on language acquisition, and ASL classes for families. We are considering how to ensure that anyone contacting the university for these resources is receiving the same information.

We also have a partnership with the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind to work in nine states in the Southeastern region. This partnership (Regional Early Acquisition of Language — REAL) focuses on early language acquisition for babies ages 0-3 and looks at how to work with parents, families, service providers. If these adults understand the impact of early language acquisition then they can support children having access to language early enough to help them succeed in life.

Sutliffe

to advance our work in these five areas and shared that proposal with the community. We found that these themes resonated with people and we gathered input from the community to refine them. They are now foundational to and have guided our work throughout our tenure.

What’s nice about these themes is that they translate well to national deaf education, too. Many schools for deaf students are dealing with similar themes of needing to build collaboration and develop leadership, equity, and community.

Sutliffe

Rarus 5 years old.

Tell me about your initiatives for deaf children from birth to

Our goal is to be the place that everyone comes to for information on nurturing the growth of deaf children from birth to age 5.

Belsky

So, you have a school for deaf students, and you also support deaf education across the nation. How does that work?

Rarus

The purpose of having a local school is so we can figure out and pilot what works — innovative practices and materials that lead to success. We also learn from methods at other programs in the country, and we disseminate that information to identify the best practices for deaf education as a whole. Many programs are doing great work, and our goal is to create a central information clearinghouse for educators and families all over the U.S. We are now building a national platform with the intention to launch it this fall. It will house trainings, webinars, resources, discussion forums, and leadership cohorts from across the to help us meet that goal, and we will be sharing our progress on that on our social media and other networks.

Sutliffe

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LEADING TOGETHER TO IMPACT THE FUTURE OF DEAF EDUCATION

What are your thoughts about other deaf schools in the country? Are they still shrinking in size? Has that stabilized?

Rarus

The big schools seem to be thriving, but some smaller schools have reached out for support. We are working with one state where the school was shrinking, and they want to bring more students into the school and continue to grow, continuously improve services for students, and be a resource for the state for how to work with deaf children. The Clerc Center is supporting them through the development of a leadership program, making recommendations for school-wide and targeted professional development, and working with the school and state level leadership on the larger change effort. A strong network of schools for the deaf creates more opportunities for early language access and bilingual instruction. If we can create a clearinghouse of information and a program that designs tailored professional development, then we will have more avenues for schools for the deaf to support each other, and to support mainstream programs.

Belsky

Do you foresee enrollment increasing at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) here? I hear you have a waiting list.

Rarus

Our goal is to maintain our current {pre-pandemic} enrollment.

We want to support deaf students staying near their families and attending schools in their state. We want to have enough students at MSSD to model instructional and socio-emotional learning practices and we feel we can do that with our current enrollment numbers.

For the Kendall Demonstration Elementary Sutliffe

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School (KDES), we would like to see more students at an early age, 0 to 5 [years]. The important thing is to give kids early exposure to strong language models and strong Deaf role models.

President Cordano is a strong proponent of the bilingual approach at both the university and at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center.

How is that going? For example, are parents of children with cochlear implants open to that idea?

Rarus

Our mission is to support students having the linguistic competence to maximize their potential. Key factors for success are early language access and the use of both ASL and English, in ways that are tailored to each student’s needs, to grow skills in both languages. Parents know our mission. They know their kids will be bilingual [in English and American Sign Language] when they complete our program. Some students arrive with no ASL skills. We have an emerging signers program, where we pair a student with an interpreter in class, along with other supports for language and cultural development. Then, over time, the interpreter gradually phases out. Students quickly become fluent in ASL. Also, all the students have iPads which allows them to do their homework and respond to the teacher’s questions in their preference of English or ASL. Then in class, the teacher helps them learn to translate to the other language.

Belsky

To come back to how our school and the national program are related, we have some [resources] showing how to do what [Belsky] just described. How do you do this when you have one deaf child Sutliffe

in a classroom? What does it look like in different environments? We’re trying to translate what works at a school for the deaf in a fully bilingual environment, to what can work in a mainstream environment with one deaf child, and every option in between.

When the pandemic hit, the transformation to an all-virtual school was challenging. We were fortunate that our transition to virtual spaces was facilitated by the fact that all our students and their teachers had already been using and were comfortable with various online learning Belsky

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platforms and technologies. Teachers were using flipped classrooms — providing learning content by video for homework and using class time for discussion and active learning. This practice has continued through the pandemic and is something we will continue even once face to face learning has resumed.

There are many new techniques and technologies to discover and develop in our effort to deliver quality bilingual education for deaf and hard of hearing students both within our schools and beyond.

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WE THE STUDENTS

WE THE STUDENTS:

A FRONT ROW SEAT to AMERICA’S SOCIAL and POLITICAL ENGINE LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. How many college students can boast being able to see one of the world’s most easily recognized symbols of democracy, the U.S. Capitol building, just by looking out their dorm room window?

A huge perk of attending Gallaudet University is its proximity to the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the United States government. This provides students with numerous internship and job opportunities as well as a rich overall collegiate experience in the heart of the Nation’s Capital.

IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS Students with a passion for advocacy and/or public service take advantage of Gallaudet’s close proximity to the federal government and all the nonprofit and industry and trade groups that are headquartered in the Nation’s Capital and lobbying for change. A myriad of careerbuilding opportunities are available–from Senate office internships to White House job placements, and much more.

The Gallaudet-U.S. government relationship is mutually advantageous, explained Meredith Peruzzi, ’11, director of the National Deaf Life 74

Museum. Many members of Congress may not have had much experience in working with members of the Deaf community. Gallaudet students themselves have helped facilitate workshops for members of Congress and their staff to better educate them to the needs of deaf and hard of hearing people, she added.

Gallaudet is committed to providing access to internships for its students, but Dr. Brendan Stern, ’06, an assistant professor in the Department of Government and the head coach of Gallaudet’s newly formed debate team, said he is committed to “a more expansive definition of access.”

“I want our students to have more access to worthwhile conversations, to more dialogue and networks with people different than themselves,” he said. “The value of an internship for me is not simply the work experience. It’s about developing relationships outside your bubble, and about the incidental learning opportunities that result from informal interactions.”

Getting students “comfortable with differences” and to better understand America’s overall system of governance drives Dr. Stern’s teaching. “In the past few

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WE THE STUDENTS

years it’s become clear that we need to make space for difficult conversations–healthy debates and arguments–to happen. Effective communication is fundamental to social and political progress.”

Dr. Stern shared an eye-opening moment earlier this year as Gallaudet’s debate team was gathering–virtually, of course–and one student of color said that the virtual environment offered him a safe space to wrestle with difficult topics, something he never had before, not with his friends nor with his family.

“That gave me goosebumps,” Dr. Stern said.

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READY, SET, DEBATE! For the past year, Gallaudet students and faculty have been hard at work developing the University’s inaugural debate team. The eightmember team is a diverse group of upperclass as well as first-year students, all of whom hail from different parts of the country, and who are studying a range of majors.

Debate team head coach Dr. Brendan Stern is also the executive director of the Center for Democracy in Deaf America (CDDA), a non-partisan organization that is committed to developing healthy democratic skills and habits of Deaf individuals by fostering disagreement, debate, and civic engagement through ASL and English.

He expressed excitement for students to have formal debate opportunities. Dr. Stern

co-coaches the team with Adam Bartley, a Gallaudet Interpreting Services staff interpreter.

D.C. was the topic of this debate, which the team had been preparing for throughout Spring 2021 gu.live/debate

Students create their own debate topics, canvassing a range of sociopolitical issues.

During the fall 2020 semester, debate team members argued whether or not the Electoral College should be abolished; the pros and cons of impeachment; and whether voting is a moral duty.

Also in April, the CDDA worked with Gallaudet’s Youth Programs to host the first-ever Youth Debate Bowl. Middle school students debated whether homework should be abolished, and high school students addressed whether the voting age should be lowered to 16.

The debate team accomplished a major milestone with Gallaudet’s first-ever bilingual intercollegiate debate on April 21, 2021, with students from nearby George Washington University, in which Gallaudet took home the victory. Granting statehood for Washington,

“Competitive debate has been called by President Obama’s Secretary of Education as ‘one of the great equalizers’ for minority achievement and educational opportunity,” Stern said in an interview with Inside Higher Education. “It fosters tolerance for differences, cultivates critical thinking by making participants consider multiple 77

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perspectives, and polishes public speaking skills.” gu.live/speeches

GALLAUDET IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THROUGHOUT HISTORY “When students come to Gallaudet, they are in the political heart of America,” said Dr. Stern. That closeness has brought Gallaudet students, faculty, and employees face-toface with some of the nation’s most defining historical moments.

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Peruzzi, in her position at the National Deaf Life Museum, promotes and interprets the rich and complex Deaf experience through exhibits and programming on campus and online. She discussed how Gallaudet responded to three separate, but equally defining moments in U.S. history, and how students helped lead the way forward.

A SHAKEN NATION The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 4, 1968, and the four-day period of civil unrest and rioting that followed, brought military police and National Guard troops to Gallaudet, Peruzzi said. Troops were stationed on the campus, using the Hughes

Memorial Gymnasium for sleeping quarters, and pitching tents on the campus grounds to hold meetings.

The April 11, 1968, issue of The Bluff and the Blue, Gallaudet’s student newspaper, contained black-and-white photos documenting some of the destruction to D.C. neighborhoods and businesses, such as smoldering fires visible at night off in the distance from campus; the charred remains of cars that had been set afire along city streets; military police on duty at the campus entrance; and vacant city streets due to mandated curfews.

A student-penned editorial acknowledged the “shock, bewilderment, panic” and pondered what the future would hold for the nonviolent Civil Rights movement and further attempts to bridge the nation’s deeply rooted racial divisions. gu.live/buffblue

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DEAF PRESIDENT NOW Gallaudet has a “history of protest,” Peruzzi said. The innate desire to dissent and stand our ground is rooted in democracy, and it only makes sense that this trickles down from the huge political influence in the city. Throughout history, Gallaudet students have been fearless and outspoken on issues regarding graduation speakers, or the necessary qualifications for incoming university presidents.

Dr. Stern explains that “[Students] get to see American politics at work: grassroots protests and rallies, the U.S. Congress in session, the Supreme Court oral arguments, and it’s all taking place within walking distance of the campus,” which creates tremendous influence on Gallaudet students. A historic example of this courage sparked on March 6, 1988, when the University’s Board of Trustees announced that a hearing person had been selected as Gallaudet’s seventh president. Students responded with immediate protests and a campus shutdown.

Gallaudet students, backed by a large number of alumni, staff, and faculty, demanded the resignation of both the incoming president and board chairperson; that a Deaf person be appointed president; that Deaf people constitute a 51 percent majority on the board; and that no university student or employee face reprisals for their involvement in the protests. gu.live/dpn1988 By the end of the week-long protest, which garnered international acclaim and included a march to the U.S. Capitol, all of the student demands had been met. Dr. I. King Jordan 79

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was named Gallaudet’s eighth–and first-deaf– president. Iconic photos of Gallaudet students standing on the Capitol lawn, waving their “I Still Have a Dream” sign, serves as an inspiration for all deaf youth learning about this monumental movement in deaf history. gu.live/article FOREIGN THREATS TO DEMOCRACY When America was the target of terrorism on September 11, 2001, everyone who lived, worked, or attended schools in the greater D.C. metropolitan area, was “nervous and stressed out,” Peruzzi said, with the news traveling like fire, spreading shockwaves globally. But at the time, Peruzzi added, 2000 and early 2001, Gallaudet students had already been through a tragic experience, with the murder of two students occuring on campus.

Students were already “traumatized and under pressure,” which prompted university officials to create discussion groups for students, allowing them to express and process what they were experiencing from the murders, Peruzzi said. Students, understandably, felt threatened by an unknown, but very real, danger. Closure was reached when a student confessed to committing these crimes.

The discussion group model proved helpful again later that year when students grappled with the details of the September 11 attack.

“Gallaudet was able to respond more quickly to the mental health needs of students,” she said. “We already knew what we needed to do. This helped the students a lot.”

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DOMESTIC THREATS TO DEMOCRACY When protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Janaury 6, 2021, in an attempt to overturn the November 2020 presidential election results, the majority of students were at their homes attending Gallaudet virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once again, the university created opportunities for those interested to participate in group discussions, but this was managed at a much smaller level and was mostly available to staff and teachers who were on campus at the time, Peruzzi said.

“My department, for example, created an open meeting on Zoom and invited employees to talk and discuss what had happened,” she said.

Gallaudet’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offered individual counseling sessions as well as group therapy. Its ability to offer bilingual counseling is wonderful, Peruzzi said, but it is something that’s not as widely available nationwide.

“I’m in the D.C. area myself, so everything on January 6 felt really close, right there,” Peruzzi said. “But I wondered how a student who was living back home was feeling. Were they disconnected because they were back home in Texas, for example?”

Peruzzi credited campus administrators for creating a safe, supportive atmosphere.

“We were all told, ‘If you cannot focus, don’t worry. This is a very traumatizing event going on. Go home, relax, don’t get stressed, take care of yourselves. We understand; we’re all in a very tough situation.’”

Gallaudet, Peruzzi said, is “just like any institution of higher learning that experiences and deals with all kinds of trauma and problems, such as sexual harassment and racism. When trauma from a big event impacts us, we have to take care of each other.”

IMPLEMENTING CHANGE Many Gallaudet students, just like many Americans, assume that political change is only possible at the national level via a new federal law, for example. It is important to understand how change also happens at the local and state levels, Dr. Stern explained, so he encourages his students to work with local organizations and interest groups in Washington, D.C.

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“It’s important to build networks with our neighbors around Gallaudet. We don’t have to wait on elected national leaders to make a positive difference in our communities and in the country.”

Even something as simple as a conversation with someone different than you can be transformative, Dr. Stern said. “When you interact and connect with people who do not look, think, or talk like you, you encounter new perspectives, develop empathy, experience personal growth, and open the door for the change you wish to see in the world.”

From the waves made in 1988 during the Deaf President Now movement, to the waves our students and alumni are making globally, Gallaudet will always be an engine driving change, and our community members serve as changemakers as they spread the Bison spirit and diplomacy around the world.

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