2020 Graduate Awards
College of Arts and Sciences Department Awards
Interdisciplinary Program Awards
Graduate School Awards
School of Business, Education, and Human Services Department Awards
Department of ASL and Deaf Studies
Dr. Nathie L. Marbury Award
Jessica Darvishi & Malinda Tran
for two graduate students who influence significant systemic change in the field of sign language education
Presented by: Dr. MJ Bienvenu
Presenter (of first three awards): Dr. MJ Bienvenu. A white woman with pepper colored hair,
glasses, wearing a black collar sleeve shirt with white buttons. Background is a soft grayish-
blue.
Greetings, everyone, most particularly the Masters in Sign Language Education (MASLED)
2018 cohort! I’m thrilled and honored to award three awards in total. Admittedly, I truly wish we
all could wear our graduation regalia, mingle in person, unfortunately it is not possible this time.
Thank you for remaining optimistic.
The first award is called the Dr. Nathie L. Marbury award. This award goes to graduate
students who influence significant systemic change in the field of sign language education. The
two students truly showed their hard work, ability to think critically, and challenge each other.
The awardees are: Jessica Darvishi and Malinda Tran. Congratulations! I’m really proud of
you two. Congratulations again!
Masters in Sign Language Education Academic Achievement Award
Jennifer Willey & Monica Keller
for two graduate students who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance in the field of sign language education
Presented by: Dr. MJ Bienvenu
Presenter (of first three awards): Dr. MJ Bienvenu. A white woman with pepper colored hair,
glasses, wearing a black collar sleeve shirt with white buttons. Background is a soft grayish-
blue.
This award is called the Masters in Sign Language Education (MASLED) Academic
Achievement award. goes to graduate students who have demonstrated outstanding academic
performance in the field of sign language education. This award goes to Jennifer Willey and
Monica Keller. Congratulations! Again, I’m really proud of you both. Congratulations!
Masters in Sign Language Education Award
Matthew Andersen & Johnny Hill
for two graduate students who exhibit pedagogical innovation and aptitude in the field of sign language education
Presented by: Dr. MJ Bienvenu
Presenter (of first three awards): Dr. MJ Bienvenu. A white woman with pepper colored hair,
glasses, wearing a black collar sleeve shirt with white buttons. Background is a soft grayish-
blue.
This award is called the Masters in Sign Language (MASLED) Education award. This award
goes to graduate students who exhibit pedagogical innovation and aptitude in the field of sign
language education. The two awardees are Matthew Andersen and Johnny Hill.
Congratulations goes to both of you too! I’m proud of you two. Congratulations!
George Veditz Deaf Studies Award
Kailyn Aaron-Lozano, Andrew Biskupiak, Nichelle Steffen
for three graduate students who have made and will continue to make an impact on the field of Deaf Studies
Presented by: Dr. Dirksen Bauman
The Deaf Studies MA George Veditz award is given to exemplary students who have
demonstrated excellence in their academic work, and who have demonstrated great potential in
their contributions to the field of Deaf Studies and deaf communities after graduation.
This year, the program had a challenging time to decide among students. Ultimately, three have
been chosen:
These students are:
● Kailyn Aaron-Lozano, whose excellent thesis explored ASL music videos. her
infectious, engaging curiosity and creativity have enlivened the cohort and each class
she has been.
● Andrew Biskupiak, whose thesis will contribute to the field of Deaf Studies and the
LGBTQIA community relating to identity development. He shows great potential to
contribute to Deaf Studies in the future.
● Nichelle Steffen, managed to complete two degrees at the same time while researching
on the Deaf Blind community. She has demonstrated an impressive work ethic and
engaging discourse in the classroom.
The Deaf Studies MA program is fortunate to have had these students. Please join me in
congratulating these students and acknowledging their potential impact on the field of Deaf
Studies.
Thank you.
Department of Linguistics
Robert E. Johnson Award
Kaj Kraus
for an outstanding linguistics student
Presented by: Dr. Paul Dudis
(Paul) Hello, my name is Paul Dudis. I’m the chair of the Linguistics department. We have an award called the Robert E Johnson Outstanding Graduate Student Award. Robert E Johnson, whom we call Bob, established our department over 30 years ago. He was a pioneer in the field of sign language linguistics, specializing in phonology. We have decided this year to present this award to Kaj Kraus. Congratulations!
(various LIN faculty) Hooray! Yay! Congratulations!
(Julie) Every since we’ve known you in this department, we’ve enjoyed your participation, your thinking, your contributions to our field, our research and our work.
(Deanna) It’s been really wonderful to watch you develop over the last two years. Your hard work and commitment, your goal of giving back to the community have all been wonderful to see.
(Julie) We look forward to working with you in the future!
(various LIN faculty) Yay! Congratulations! Congratulations! Yay!
Department of Psychology
Larry G. Steward Award
Paul Silvasi
for an outstanding student in clinical psychology
Presented by: Dr. Lawrence Pick
The Larry G. Stewart award is awarded to a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. The recipient of the award demonstrates outstanding professionalism, integrity and commitment to research and clinical practice with the deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind communities. This year our award is presented to Paul Silvasi. Congratulations!
Elizabeth Peet Award
Katherine Daley
for an outstanding student in school psychology
Presented by: Tania Thomas-Pressword, Director of the School of Psychology Program
Hi I am Tania Thomas-Presswood Director of the School Psychology Program. Every year the faculty selects a student for the Elizabeth Peet Award. This year the faculty selected Katherine Daley. Congratulations!
Additional text blurb for the website:
Katherine is an outstanding student who always produces excellent work. Katherine is highly respected by her peers and gained the trust of practicum supervisors due to superb work with children and teachers. The faculty selected Katherine unanimously for this honor based on:
- A consistently high level of performance in coursework and professional dispositions
- Exemplary scholarship in comprehensive examinations
- Commitment to the highest standards of professional practice at practicum sites
Department of Counseling
Francine White Outstanding Counseling Student Award
Dominique Jimenez
for a graduate student who demonstrate high aptitude for and commitment to counseling
Presented by: Dr. Jeff Lewis
Dr. Francine White served for 23 years (1981- 2004) as a faculty member of the Department of Counseling. Fran was a wonderful teacher, advisor and school counseling program director. Fran had a deep interest in providing training on alcohol and drug prevention. She also developed elective courses on Gay and Lesbian Issues. What made Fran special was her keen interest in and love for foster children, their rights and welfare.
After Dr. Fran White, passed away in 2004, The Department of Counseling established the Fran White Outstanding Student Award to recognize a student who has demonstrated: 1. Dedication and commitment to the field of counseling and the Deaf 2. Engagement with the Department, University, and/or community 3. Ability to relate with peers; professionals; and deaf consumers 4. Potential to be an outstanding professional counselor |
The Department of Counseling’s graduating students and faculty have selected Dominique Jimenez to be the 2020 recipient of the Fran White award. Congratulations, Dominique!
Department of Education
Daniel T. Cloud Award
Margaret Lambertson & Roxanna Rocha
for two outstanding graduating students in memory of Daniel T. Cloud
Presented by: Dr. Bobbie Jo Kite
This is an annual award to two outstanding students (one hearing, one deaf) studying deaf education.
Margaret Lambertson
Maggie is very dedicated to her students, and goes above and beyond in providing support for them and their families. Throughout her time in the program, Maggie has shown herself to be passionate, a team player, and dedicated to her craft.
Roxanna Rocha
Roxanna is an outstanding student in all of her classes, and has shown tremendous professionalism in dealing with a challenging internship situation. Roxanna has exhibited exceptional ability as a teacher of deaf children, to the point where her students and the school administrators at her internship did not want her to leave!
Helen Fay Award
Joshua Hanna
for the student most likely to make a significant contribution to the field of teaching deaf children and who is expected to remain in the field for some time
Presented by: Dr. Bobbie Jo Kite
This award is given to a student who is most likely to make an outstanding contribution to the field of teaching deaf or hard of hearing children.
Joshua Hanna
Josh is patient, caring, and kind. He works hard in all of his classes, and has grown tremendously in his learning. He has a love of teaching, passion for the work, and a commitment to Deaf students’ success. This was recognized by the other teachers and administrators at his internship. We know he will go on to continue making a difference in the lives of deaf children.
Majorie Stull Memorial Scholarship Award
Dara Hoffman & Neha Balachandran
for a first-year student who has demonstrated scholastic ability and aptitude for teaching deaf children
Presented by: Dr. Bobbie Jo Kite
This award is given to a student who has shown exceptional ability and aptitude in teaching students who are deaf on the basis of first-year graduate student performance.
Dara Hofmann
Dara is an excellent student who excels in all of her classes, and in practicum where her current cooperating teachers gave rave reviews on her performance. Dara is an inquisitive student who asks thoughtful questions, is a team player, and comes prepared for every class. In practicum, Dara reaches out to challenging students and is able to create a classroom environment that is based on mutual respect so that students can concentrate on their schoolwork.
Neha Balachandran
Neha makes us laugh and brings a lot of fun and energy to her classes and to her work as the department graduate assistant. She has been a ray of positivity with her Friday emails and ideas for building a community within the department. Neha brings a lot of creativity to her work – both in and out of the classroom – and applies what she learns in her field experiences. Neha brings this creativity to her classes as well, where she excels in her work.
Department of Government and Public Affairs
Master of Public Administration Award
Kendell Bisson-Davis & Gregory Bland
for an outstanding public administration student
Presented by: Dr. Geoffrey Whitebread
This year, two students share the MASTER
OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AWARD.
Both individuals have had consistently high
academic performance from starting in the
program until finishing the program. In
addition, both students have become
advocates for their peers during the
COVID-19 crisis in their roles as senior
peer advisor and president of the graduate
student association. Congratulations to both
Kendell Bisson-Davis and Gregory Bland.
Department of Hearing, Speech, and Language Science
R. Steven Ackley Memorial Scholarship
Bryn Griswold & Talah Wafa
for a student in the Department of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences who exemplifies the legacy of Dr. Steve Ackley, who was a beloved colleague, mentor and friend to many; this memorial award is made in celebration of his warmth, humor and devotion to his students and his commitment to audiology and deaf education
Presented by: Dr. James McCann
Jane Handelsman & David Pryor Hendrix Memorial
Kyle Langfitt & Emily Thompson
for the professional training of outstanding students in the Department of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences in order to facilitate the provision of service to deaf and hard of hearing individuals and established by Dr. and Mrs. Jacob Handelsman and Mr. and Mrs. William Hendrix in memory of their children, Jane Handelsman, a graduate of our audiology program, and her husband David Pryor Hendrix
Presented by: Dr. James McCann
Adrienne L. Kaplan Memorial Endowment Fund
Madeline Kedrowicz
for the professional training of outstanding students in order to facilitate the provision of service to deaf and hard of hearing individuals and established by Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Kaplan in memory of their daughter who, although not deaf, had a physical disability that impacted her ability to communicate
Presented by: Dr. James McCann
The Adrienne L. Kaplan Memorial Endowment Fund was established by Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Kaplan in
memory of their daughter who, although not deaf, suffered from a physical disability which interfered with
her communication. The award is designed to support the professional training of outstanding students in
the Department. The award is presented to a student in Audiology or Speech-Language Pathology.
Selection is made by the Department based upon academic excellence and clinical performance. This
year the department chose a first year speech language pathology student, Madeline Kedrowicz.
Seltzer League Award
Ellyn Palmer
for a student who has demonstrated excellence in both the academic and clinical areas of the Speech-Language Pathology Program, a student who is expected to broaden the understanding of hearing and hearing loss
Presented by: Dr. James McCann
The Seltzer League Award recognizes a first year speech-language pathology student who has
demonstrated excellence in both academic and clinical endeavors. This year the SLP program selected
Ellyn Palmer.
Award for Excellence in Speech-Language Pathology
Lauren Kelley
for a speech-language pathology student who has demonstrated excellence in clinical and academic endeavors and is expected to make significant contributions to the profession and to deafness
Presented by: Dr. James McCann
The Excellence in Speech-Language Pathology Award recognizes a second year student who
demonstrates excellent in clinical and academic endeavors and is expected to make significant
contributions to the field. This year the SLP program recognizes Lauren Kelley. Since her two years at
Gallaudet, she has demonstrated strong clinic and academic success. In addition, her thesis project
combined research and clinical practice in supporting D/HH children who struggle with language
acquisition.
Award for Excellence in Audiology
Dominique Calandrillo
for a first-year audiology student who has demonstrated excellence in clinical and academic endeavors and is expected to make significant contributions to the profession and to deafness
Presented by: Dr. James McCann
The Excellence in Audiology Award recognizes a first year student who demonstrates excellent in clinical
and academic endeavors and is expected to make significant contributions to the field. This year the
audiology program selected Dominique Calandrillo. Not only does she have a background and interest in
research, she has transitioned knowledge into strong clinical practice. She has an easy interactive style
that helps develop rapport with clients.
Award for Excellence in Ph.D. in HSLS
Ashley Zaleski-King & Melissa Kokx-Ryan
for a PhD student in HSLS who has demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, and/or collaborative endeavors
Presented by: Dr. James McCann
The Excellence in PhD in HSLS Award recognizes a PhD student who has demonstrated excellence in
teaching, research, and/or collaborative endeavors. The department is thrilled to announce two recipients:
Dr. Ashley Zaleski-King and Dr. Mel Kokx-Ryan. Their dissertation projects have contributed significant
new knowledge to the field.
Department of Interpretation and Translation
Ron Coffey Award
Catherine Ledden
for an outstanding interpretation student
Presented by: Dr. Paul Harrelson, Dr. Steven Collins, Dr. Pamela Collins, Dr. Paul Dudis, Ms. Anita Harding, Dr. Dani Hunt
Paul Harrelson, PhD: Every year the faculty of the MA in interpretation program gives two awards, the Ron Coffey Award and the Barbara Babbini Brasel Research Award.
Steven Collins, PhD: The Ron Coffey Award is presented by the Interpretation faculty to an outstanding student interpreter graduating with a Master of Arts in Interpretation who demonstrates commitment to the profession.
Pamela Collins, PhD: Ron Coffey was a truly noteworthy interpreter whose work served as an inspiring model to our students.
Paul Dudis, PhD: The Ron Coffey Award goes to … Austin Rutland.
APPLAUSE!
Anita Harding: The Barbara Babbini Brasel Research Award is presented by the Interpretation faculty and recognizes an exemplary interpretation research paper completed by a student during their graduate studies in the Master of Arts in Interpretation program.
Dani Hunt, PhD: The Barbara Babbini Brasel Research Award goes to … Catherine Ledden.
Paul Harrelson, PhD: Congratulations to these two outstanding students … and all of the wonderful students graduating this year! Congratulations to the class of 2020.
APPLAUSE!
Barbara Babbini Brasel Research Award
Austin Rutland
for a graduate student who has completed an exemplary interpretation research paper while enrolled in the Master of Arts in Interpretation Program
Presented by: Dr. Paul Harrelson, Dr. Steven Collins, Dr. Pamela Collins, Dr. Paul Dudis, Ms. Anita Harding, Dr. Dani Hunt
Paul Harrelson, PhD: Every year the faculty of the MA in interpretation program gives two awards, the Ron Coffey Award and the Barbara Babbini Brasel Research Award.
Steven Collins, PhD: The Ron Coffey Award is presented by the Interpretation faculty to an outstanding student interpreter graduating with a Master of Arts in Interpretation who demonstrates commitment to the profession.
Pamela Collins, PhD: Ron Coffey was a truly noteworthy interpreter whose work served as an inspiring model to our students.
Paul Dudis, PhD: The Ron Coffey Award goes to … Austin Rutland.
APPLAUSE!
Anita Harding: The Barbara Babbini Brasel Research Award is presented by the Interpretation faculty and recognizes an exemplary interpretation research paper completed by a student during their graduate studies in the Master of Arts in Interpretation program.
Dani Hunt, PhD: The Barbara Babbini Brasel Research Award goes to … Catherine Ledden.
Paul Harrelson, PhD: Congratulations to these two outstanding students … and all of the wonderful students graduating this year! Congratulations to the class of 2020.
APPLAUSE!
Catherine H. Moses Award
Richard Watkins
for a graduate student who has demonstrated leadership and outstanding potential for contributing to social work practice with deaf and hard of hearing people
Presented by: Dr. Elizabeth Moore, Chair of Department of Social Work
Hello, my name is Dr. Elizabeth Moore. I am Chair of the Department of Social Work. I am here to present the Catherine H. Moses Award. In 1996 the faculty of the Department of Social Work established the Catherine H. Moses Award in honor of the first director of the MSW Program. Mrs. Moses was a distinguished member of the faculty of the Department for 20 years until her retirement in 1996. The award recognizes the graduating MSW student who best demonstrates leadership and outstanding potential for contribution to Social Work practice with Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. This award goes to Richard Watkins. Congratulations!!!
G. Arlene Gavin Award
Maryln Calderon
for a graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding professionalism and commitment to social justice
Presented by: Dr. Elizabeth Moore, Chair of Department of Social Work
On behalf of the Department of Social Work, I am here to present the second award. The G. Arlene Gavin Award was established in 1992 by the faculty of the Department of Social Work to honor the contributions of Mrs. G. Arlene Gavin to the development of graduate studies in social work accessible to deaf and hard of hearing persons, and to recognize the graduating social work student who demonstrates outstanding professionalism and commitment to social justice which Arlene Gavin so ably demonstrated during her career. This award goes to Marlyn Calderon. Congratulations!!!
Dorothy Polakoff Scholarship Award
Hannah Helms, Alana Solomon, Tigist Wodajo
for deserving social work graduate students
Presented by: Dr. Elizabeth Moore, Chair of Department of Social Work
Now, I am presenting the third award. The Dorothy Polakoff Award was established in honor of Dorothy Polakoff, the founder of the Department of Social Work. The award is given annually to a deserving student or students. This year three students have been selected to receive this award for their outstanding academic work, leadership, and potential for successful social work careers. This award goes to: Hannah Helms,
Alana Solomon, & Tigist Wodajo. Congratulations!!!
PhD in Education Neuroscience
PhD in Educational Neuroscience Outstanding Research Award
Bradley White
for a student who has consistently demonstrated outstanding research and scientific scholarship, originality and creativity in his or her science, and scholarly achievements in research commensurate with the highest standards of cognitive neuroscience and educational neuroscience
Presented by: Dr. Laura-Ann Petitto
The recipient of the 2020 PhD in Educational Neuroscience Outstanding
Research Award recently completed a cognitive neuroscience dissertation in which he
discovered that early-life experiences with augmentative auditory devices, such as hearing aids
and cochlear implants, can have surprising deleterious impacts on adults’ knowledge and
processing of language and reading, as well as their perceptions of the ease or effort that they
experience when learning. These first-time scientific discoveries have challenged age-old
assumptions that sustained auditory augmentation in early life provides unqualified benefits, and
they represent scientific advance that can have profound positive implications for educational
and medical practice in the lives of young deaf and hearing children. Starting in the LENS Lab of
Dr. Clifton Langdon, this student also enjoyed the mentorship of Dr. Lorna Quandt (PEN’s ABL
Lab) and Dr. Ilaria Berteletti (PEN’s NENs Lab). Congratulations, BRADLEY WHITE.
PhD in Educational Neuroscience Research Based Translation Award
Athena Willis
for a student who has made a significant contribution to the translation of basic scientific discoveries in cognitive neuroscience and educational neuroscience through the advancement of an original creation or contribution that has the potential to transform society, policies, and individual lives spanning the nation and world
Presented by: Dr. Lorna Quandt
The recipient of the 2020 PhD in Educational Neuroscience Research-Based Translation Award
is a student who has been a key team member on an NSF-funded project, Signing Avatars &
Immersive Learning (SAIL), which uses principles of educational neuroscience to develop and
test a novel way to learn ASL within a virtual 3D environment—a project that has significant
potential for broad positive impact on ASL learning. This student’s contribution to research-
based translation is further demonstrated through her dissemination and translation achievements
as reflected in her role as a co-author on three submitted papers related to the SAIL project and
her involvement on an award-winning video in the “NSF STEM for All Showcase,” which has
been viewed by more than 2,900 people across the world. This student’s Advisor is Dr. Lorna
Quandt, Scientific Director of the Motion Light Lab and the PEN ABL Lab. Congratulations,
ATHENA WILLIS
MA in International Development
Euphrasia Mbewe Award for Excellence in Social Advocacy Work
Olufemi Ige & Alexander Mentkowski
for a student who has demonstrated excellence in social advocacy work while enrolled in the International Development Program
Presented by: Dr. Gaurav Mathur
Euphrasia Mbewe Award for Excellence in Social Advocacy Work
In his graduate coursework and internships, Olufemi Ige demonstrated great determination to
analyze, understand, and advocate for changes in social policy and organizational structures
that historically marginalized deaf people and people with disabilities. Conducting internships at
the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, DC and at CBM International in Abuja,
Nigeria, Olufemi’s steadfast approach to disability inclusive development introduced non-deaf
International Development professionals to social and human rights models of inclusion, and
promoted innovation in organizational policy and programming to advance implementation of
rights-based approaches with local stakeholders. Olufemi’s social advocacy work also
encouraged the organizations he worked with to expand their outreach and recruitment to deaf
professionals and professionals with disabilities. Congratulations to Olufemi Ige!
Euphrasia Mbewe Award for Excellence in Social Advocacy Work
Alexander “Alex” Mentkowski began his graduate career eager to contribute to the advancement
of Deaf leadership in local and national development spaces, and to also strengthen Deaf
political organizing and international collaboration. Alex cultivated internship experiences
allowing him to learn from senior Deaf professionals in Gallaudet’s Office of Research Support
& International Affairs–for whom he developed a global database on Deaf organizational and
signed language resources. Alex was then selected for Save the Children organization’s
Disability Inclusion Guyer Fellow position–a highly competitive fellowship position at their
Washington, DC-based headquarters. In that role, Alex contributed to the development of
disability inclusive policy and programming initiatives for STC’s worldwide projects, as
well as contributing to the development of disability inclusive employee recruitment and
retention. In addition, Alex conducted an additional internship with Deaf Legal Advocacy
Worldwide in Indonesia to identify Deaf community interest in pursuing the study and
practice of legal advocacy. Congratulations to Alexander Mentkowski!
IDMA Program Award for Excellence in Policy Development and Research
Nichelle Steffan
for a student who has demonstrated excellence in policy development and research while enrolled in the International Development Program
Presented by: Dr. Gaurav Mathur
Graduate School Awards
Weiner Family Research Award
Aileen Aldalur
For a graduate student whose outstanding research that adds to an understanding of diagnostic techniques and treatments aimed at improving mental health outcomes of individuals who are deaf
Presented by: Dr. Gaurav Mathur
Weiner Family Research Award: Aileen Aldalur
recognizes and supports outstanding student research that adds to an understanding of diagnostic techniques and treatments aimed at improving mental health outcomes of individuals who are deaf
The recipient adapted a measure of acculturative stress for use with deaf individuals (SAFE-D). In addition to giving national presentations on the topic, her manuscript on the scale’s development was accepted for publication in the American Psychological Association’s journal Rehabilitation Psychology. Her dissertation research focuses on adapting another scale that captures the bicultural aspects of acculturative stress. In a two-part study, she conducted focus groups to identify unique acculturative stress issues faced by deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind individuals and developed a scale that includes other measures of psychological well-being or pathology, received feedback from content experts, and collected data from a national sample of respondents. Congratulations, Aileen Aldalur!
Graduate Student Scholarly Achievement Award
Alesia Allen
for a graduate student who completed an outstanding scholarly project during their academic program
Presented by: Dr. Gaurav Mathur
Graduate Student Scholarly Achievement Award: Alesia Allen
recognizes an outstanding scholarly project completed by a graduate student during his or her Gallaudet graduate program. This project, whether published or not, should be an exceptional piece of (written or signed) work that contributes to the scientific or professional understanding of some topic relevant to the subject matter of Gallaudet graduate programs.
The recipient was selected in recognition of her recent dissertation project that examined the psychological well-being of hard of hearing individuals, an infrequently researched topic, in part, given the various beliefs and theoretical perspectives regarding how hard of hearing people identify and navigate both hearing and deaf worlds. The results of the study add to the extant literature and will likely help to inform those mental health professionals who work with hard of hearing individuals. The recipient is also the first Black Deaf woman to earn a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Gallaudet University. Congratulations, Alesia Allen!
Graduate Student Outstanding Achievement Award
Jesús O. Barreto Abrams & Vyron Kinson
for a graduate student who made significant contributions to their field during their academic program
Presented by: Dr. Gaurav Mathur
Graduate Student Outstanding Achievement Award:
recognizes an outstanding graduate student who has demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in the graduate student role. This may include such considerations as high scholastic achievement, exceptional performance during practicum/internship assignments; outstanding service to Gallaudet or to the community at large, as well as related achievements in scholarship, research, or public service
Two recipients: Jesús Barreto Abrams and Vyron Kinson
The first recipient is a self-identified trilingual (ASL, English, Spanish) Latino, who entered the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program committed to learning about and working with deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind individuals, seeing the need for psychological services in his home of Puerto Rico. In addition to exceptional performance in his required courses and clinical practica, he has committed himself to become a lifespan psychologist in order to provide needed services to young people and their families, completing the Graduate Certificate in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants, Toddlers, and Families: Collaboration and Leadership Program as well as a special topics course in pediatric neuropsychology. He also created an open-source social media project to share basic information about neuroscience and neuropsychology in ASL, spending months investigating how to merge ASL and visual graphics to clearly present this information. He has been able to translate and share much of his learning through numerous presentations and scholarly materials. He has also taught several undergraduate psychology courses. After he completes his clinical internship and dissertation project this summer, he will enter a highly coveted unique postdoctoral fellowship in multicultural neuropsychology in California. Congratulations, Jesús Barreto Abrams!
Graduate Student Outstanding Achievement Award
The second recipient has worked in the mental health field for over 10 years and was the first person to receive the PDIC (Provisional Deaf Interpreter Credential) from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. He is a business owner and teaches community ASL classes at the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf and serves as the National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA) southern region representative. An active member of the Georgia Association of the Deaf (GAD), the Georgia Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (GaRID), and the Atlanta chapter of the National Alliance of Black Interpreters (NAOBI-Atlanta), he is a voice for the Black Deaf community. Congratulations, Vyron Kinson!
Outstanding Graduate Faculty Member Award
Dr. Brenda Nicodemus
for an individual who has made exemplary contributions to Gallaudet University’s graduate programs over the years
Presented by: Dr. Gaurav Mathur
Outstanding Graduate Faculty Member Award: Dr. Brenda Nicodemus
recognizes an individual who has made exemplary contributions to Gallaudet University’s graduate programs over the years. These might include service through student advisement, teaching, supervision, consultation, committee service, research or other related activities that have been of exceptional benefit to graduate education at Gallaudet University
During her time in the Department of Interpretation and Translation, the recipient has advised numerous masters and doctoral students not only during their time in their respective programs, but as they have launched into their academic careers. Students repeatedly name her as a favorite teacher of various courses ranging from interpreting skills courses to advanced courses on cognitive processing and research. She has supervised several doctoral research interns who have contributed to her own research projects – often bringing them on as additional authors on publications. She regularly consults with students and faculty on their own research endeavors as part of her work as the director of the Center for the Advancement of Interpretation Research (CAITR). Her scholarship has remained constant, regularly publishing her work on a number of research projects on her own and with co-researchers and giving presentations nationally and internationally. In addition, she gives back to the Deaf Community directly by maintaining her role as a private practice interpreter working in the local community as well as at conferences around the globe. Congratulations, Dr. Brenda Nicodemus!
Department of Social Work