NTID President
Together we will ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive, lead, and drive innovation across every sector of society.”
Caroline Solomon
NTID President/RIT Vice President
caroline.solomon@rit.edu
@NTIDPres
@NTIDPres
@NTIDPres
Biography
A renowned scientist and researcher, Dr. Caroline M. Solomon is the first woman to lead NTID since the college’s establishment in 1965.
As president, she provides leadership in developing and executing the college’s vision and strategic plan, and is responsible for NTID’s financial operations and budget, academic programs, enrollment management, external and federal relations, and fundraising.
Throughout her career, Solomon has devoted herself to encouraging and nurturing deaf and hard-of-hearing students in STEM fields. She joined the faculty of Gallaudet University as a biology instructor in 2000 and rose to the rank of professor in 2011. She received Gallaudet’s Distinguished Faculty Award in 2013 and was recognized by the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography with their Ramon Margalef Award for Excellence in Education in 2017. She was appointed the dean of faculty at Gallaudet in 2024.
Solomon earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and public policy, magna cum laude, from Harvard University and a master’s degree in biological oceanography from University of Washington’s School of Oceanography. She earned a Ph.D. in marine, environmental and estuarine sciences from University of Maryland and has presented her research at national and international conferences. She is the co-creator of a database of science- and technology-related terms in American Sign Language to identify marine life and enhance accessibility for individuals who are deaf studying or working in the sciences.
A past participant in the Deaflympics as a swimmer, Solomon was inducted into the Deaflympics Hall of Fame in 2020. She and her husband, Barry, an attorney, have two children.
Speeches and Communications
- October 10, 2025
Inaugural Address - August 21, 2025
Welcome Address
In the News
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June 8, 2026
Flavia S. Fleischer named NTID dean
Following a national search, NTID President Caroline Solomon and RIT Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Prabu David have announced the appointment of Flavia S. Fleischer as the college’s new dean. She assumes the role on Aug. 1.
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February 26, 2026
Profile: Dr. Caroline M. Solomon
The Mind Hears profiles NTID President Caroline Solomon.
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February 5, 2026
AI tool developed by NTID assists deaf students with English grammar
RIT's National Technical Institute for the Deaf, with support from Google.org, has developed “Grammar Laboratory,” a learning tool that uses artificial intelligence to assist deaf students with English grammar.
National Advisory Group (NAG)
In accordance with the Education of the Deaf Act, the National Advisory Group is appointed to advise the President of NTID "...in formulating and carrying out the basic policies governing [NTID’s] establishment and operation, which group shall include individuals who are professionally concerned with education and technical training at the postsecondary school level, persons who are professionally concerned with activities relating to education and training of individuals who are deaf, and members of the public familiar with the need for services provided by NTID."
