RIT/NTID, Fulbright Commission establish grant for international study in Italy
Open to deaf and hearing Italian citizens who wish to focus on studying and researching topics in Deaf and DeafBlind education, the grant will be awarded to one student for one academic year
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Caption: Gary Behm, NTID dean; Thomastine Sarchet-Maher, assistant dean for international educational outreach at RIT/NTID; Stefania Fadda, director of CABSS; Gerard Buckley, former NTID President and RIT vice president; and Paola Sartorio, executive director US-Italy Fulbright Commission.
The US-Italy Fulbright Commission, Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and the Assistance Center for Deaf and Deafblind Children (CABSS), signed an international agreement establishing the Fulbright-Roberto Wirth Grant in Deaf Education Studies at National Technical Institute for the Deaf/RIT.
Open to deaf and hearing Italian citizens who wish to focus on studying and researching topics in Deaf and DeafBlind education, the grant will be awarded to one student for one academic year. The program, which will begin in 2026, will run for three years.
Fulbright grantees must complete a study project that will benefit children in Italy who are deaf or DeafBlind. These scholars will engage in full-time independent research on their approved project, while also participating in NTID coursework.
“We are pleased to work with the Fulbright Commission and our friends at CABSS, especially President Veruschka Wirth, to establish this opportunity to advance Deaf cultural understanding and benefit deaf and DeafBlind children in Italy,” said Gerard Buckley, former NTID president and RIT vice president. “This is a wonderful tribute to our friend Roberto Wirth, who did so much to advance education and support for the Italian Deaf and Deafblind communities.”
The grant is named after Wirth, former owner and managing director of the Hotel Hassler in Rome, and founder of CABSS, who passed away in 2022. Born profoundly deaf, Wirth attended NTID and Gallaudet University and graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in hotel management. He served on NTID’s National Advisory Group.
“I am very excited about this opportunity for Italians to study Deaf education made possible by the Wirth family, CABSS, and the Fulbright Commission,” said Caroline Solomon, NTID president and RIT vice president. “As a former Fulbright scholar, I truly understand how transformative the fellowship can be for individuals as they embark on this journey as exchange students. I am honored that RIT/NTID will be the host for generations of Italians who will bring back their knowledge to support deaf education in Italy.”
