Inaugural Address

Gratitude

Good afternoon, everyone—

To the NTID community - students, faculty, staff, trustees, board members, university leadership, alumni and friends - your presence here today is not just a celebration of leadership transition—it's a bold affirmation of our shared commitment to something greater than any one of us.

To RIT Board of Trustees Vice Chair Susan Holliday, Trustees Andrew Jacobsen, Andrew Brenneman, David Burns, and the entire Board of Trustees, thank you for your support as I begin this journey.

To President Sanders, Provost David, colleague Larry Buckley, and student Emma Kane, thank you for your kind words.

To our friends on the Alumni and Foundation Board and National Advisory Group, thank you for being here for this pivotal moment in NTID history. 

To my wonderful role models and fellow women leaders, Pat Glibert and Carol Padden, I am profoundly grateful for your gracious words and enduring support.

To colleagues from Gallaudet University and my fellow ELATES learning community, you have influenced me in countless ways, equipping me to step into the role of president at NTID. 

To my family - my husband, Barry, my children, Eli and Hannah, and the rest of my family for your unwavering love, support and laughter.  My parents Jeff and Virginia Miller and brother, Jeff, through our many conversations, fostered the love for learning, curiosity and adventure that shaped me into who I am today.

Lastly, I want to extend deep gratitude to those who came before me—former NTID presidents Robert Davila, Alan Hurwitz, Gerry Buckley and the family of James DeCaro, who are all here today — as well as all the faculty, staff, and students who built the foundation upon which NTID now stands. It is a legacy I honor, and a charge I do not take lightly.  

Standing before you today as a scientist and the first Deaf woman to serve as president of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf is not only humbling—it is historic. It’s a reminder that leadership does not have one voice or one story.

As a scientist, I’ve spent my life asking bold questions, challenging assumptions, and pushing boundaries—not just in the lab and the field, but in the world. And as a Deaf woman, I have learned to navigate and transform systems that were not built with me in mind. I carry both of those identities proudly, because they’ve shaped how I lead—with curiosity, with resilience, and with an unwavering belief in what’s possible.

This moment is not just about my journey—it’s about what this community stands for. It’s about every student who wonders if they can lead in spaces where they have never seen themselves reflected. Let me say this clearly: you belong. Your voice—whether it’s signed, spoken, written, or felt—matters deeply. Your perspective is needed. And your future is limitless.

Science teaches us that progress requires disruption, persistence, and imagination. So does justice. So does leadership. And together, we are here to lead—not by following what has always been done, but by building what has never been built before.

The World Today

We are living through a time that calls for deep questioning about what higher education means to us, our community, and our country.

The world around us is changing faster than our institutions have ever had to adapt. Climate change is happening every day.  Artificial intelligence is redefining how we learn, teach and work. Truth is under siege. Inequities persist. And yet, despite all of this—or perhaps because of it—this moment creates opportunities.

This is not a time for us to retreat into tradition - doing things as we have always done them. It is time for us to rethink how we can support our students to thrive, lead and drive innovation across every sector of society.

The Role of NTID Today

NTID must be more than a place where knowledge is transferred. It must be a space where students grow as a whole person and learn to embrace civil discourse.

We are not here simply to prepare students for the workforce—we are here to prepare them for a world that needs their voices, their leadership, their moral compasses, their ability to be agile and adapt and innovate.

Our role as educators is not only to reflect the world but to reshape it—to ask the hard questions, to disrupt the status quo, and to model the society we hope to create.

We must be a catalyst: for change, equity, and innovation. 

We must push the boundaries of how we do things to make lasting change. We must build experimental learning classrooms that are engaging and accessible. And we must hold ourselves accountable to our communities, our planet, and our students' futures.

What We Will Build Together

In the years ahead, we will invest in transformative teaching, student-centered learning, and impactful research —where creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking thrive.

We will deepen our partnerships beyond the walls of this campus—because our impact must extend into our communities - both here and around the world.  Our partnerships will be with other universities, non-profit organizations, industrial partners, and other workplaces.

We will seek opportunities to expand access to those historically left out of higher education and the workplace —because everyone deserves to contribute to society in meaningful ways.

And we will lead—on changes we make to education, access, sustainability, equity, and innovation—because leadership is not about waiting to be asked.

Why I Believe in This Work

Some of you may be wondering why I took this role. The answer is simple: I believe in the extraordinary, unfinished project of education much like many academic leaders in this room today. 

I believe that every student who walks on our campus brings not only a dream, but a question: “Is there a place for me in the future?”

And I believe our answer must be: Yes, there is a place for you. This is a place for you. And you will help shape the future.

We must not forget the power we have to shape students’ lives. Just as Pat Glibert helped shape mine when I was an undergraduate and she gave me a summer research internship opportunity. It was a time when I kept getting rejected from summer internship opportunities at other universities. It was Pat’s “yes” that set me on the path that led me to stand here before you today.

The Call to Action – Everyone is a Change Agent

So let us not shrink from the challenges ahead. Let us move toward them with boldness.

Let us teach, learn, research, write, build, and serve—not only for today’s rewards, but for tomorrow’s world.

And let us remember that change is not the responsibility of a president alone. Change lives in every advisor’s care, every faculty member’s mentorship, every staff member’s service, every student’s courage to speak up and question the world as it is.

We are all change agents here.

Together, we can build a college that does not fear the future—but defines it.

Vision of Hope

So, let this be the era where we refuse to be limited by convention–when we choose hope over fear.

Let this be the time we dared to imagine higher education not as it has always been, but as it must become.

Let this be the NTID that rose to meet its moment.

Thank you—and let’s get to work.