- Hwan Shim, assistant professor of electrical, computer, and telecommunication engineering technology, College of Engineering Technology, received the 2026–2027 Ronald D. Dodge Memorial Faculty Grant through the NTID Office of the President for the project, “Directional Speech Visualization and Transcription System for DHH Students.” The project focuses on developing an assistive technology prototype that provides real-time speech-to-text with directional cues to support deaf and hard-of-hearing students in multi-speaker classroom environments. We applaud these efforts to enhance teaching effectiveness at RIT.
- The Center for Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution recognized three staff members for their dedication and service as advocates in the Conduct Advocate Program. NTID’s Elizabeth Jackson Machmer, audiologist II in Communication Studies and Services; Chelsea Ammerman, assistant director of Outdoor Education; and Gijsbert “Julio” Talledo, associate director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, were recognized for their voluntary commitment to supporting students through the conduct process, work that extends beyond their primary professional responsibilities.
- The following NTID-affiliated faculty and staff completed the Cultural Humility certification from RIT’s Division of Access, Engagement and Success:
- Sonya Chavis, associate interpreter
- Amy Rios-Richardson, associate interpreter
- Jeni Rodrigues, assistant professor, ASL and Interpreting Education
- J Sarchet, visiting lecturer, Deaf Education
- Danielle Uhlig, associate interpreter
- Many thanks to Don Feigel, Josh Bloodworth, Blake Nitko, Kashif Bin Arif, Matthew Sluka, and Jorge Samper, and their student assistants for all the projects and events coverage in April—it was a remarkably busy month!
- Congratulations to the Office of External Affairs and Communications, Marketing, and Multimedia Services on a successful Lyon Lecture with NTID alum Christine Sun Kim!
- Viet Le was nominated for the Distinguished Advisor of the Year and recognized as part of the Annual Student Organization Awards. This nomination recognizes his outstanding contributions and impact within the RIT student organization community, particularly his faculty advisor role in the Asian Deaf Club!
- Gary Blatto-Vallee successfully defended his dissertation, “Language Access, Cognitive Development, and Mathematics Achievement in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Learners,” at the University at Buffalo.
- Quinny Campbell successfully defended her dissertation in chemical engineering, “Advancing AI for Science with Considerations for AI Safety,” at the University of Rochester.
- Pamela R. Conley, associate professor in the Department of Liberal Studies, successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, “Leadership and Change: Humanities and Culture,” from the Antioch University, Graduate School of Leadership and Change.
- Sarah Sarchet received the Humanitarian Award from the NTID Student Congress at their 55th Awards Banquet.
- Kiersten Muroski’s article “InterpNET: A curated repository of sign language and interpreting resources,” is published in the Journal of Open Humanities Data, 12, 54, 1–6.
- Three Business Studies students received the Frank B. Sullivan Memorial Foundation Scholarship Awards. The award recognizes deserving students majoring in business who excelled academically. Awardees are:
- AS Level: Daniel Fonseca
- BS Level: Jane Lin
- MBA Level: Estefany Sanchez
- The Business Studies Department recognized students, Masuwa Sikana and Sarah Walton, with the Dawan L. Albritton Memorial Award recognizing their commitment to education, meeting the challenges of the student experience with tenacity, and sharing life unselfishly with kindness and a warm smile.
- Assistant Professor Lisa Prinzi participated in a roundtable discussion at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Co‑authored with Dr. Kim Kurz, the presentation focused on the Certificate in Educational Interpreting, examining how targeted professional development in performance analysis and collaborative feedback practices shapes interpreters’ positioning and supports Deaf students’ access in mainstream educational settings. Prinzi engaged with scholars from across the country in interdisciplinary conversations centered on literacy and Deaf protagonism.
