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On the Green—A publication for Gallaudet faculty, teachers, and staffGallaudet University • 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695

ON THE GREENN O V E M B E R 2 , 2 0 0 7 • V O L . 3 7 . N O . 2 2

IN THIS ISSUE

Dr. Regina Nuzzo, assistant professor in the Department ofMathematics and Computer Science, presents “FunctionalData Analysis and Its Applications.” Also pictured is GISinterpreter Jeffrey Hardison. In this October 19 lecture, shediscussed research in a new field of statistics calledFunctional Data Analysis (FDA), which can analyze datamade up of continuous curves instead of single points.Through examples, Nuzzo showed how FDA could answerquestions about how weather patterns change over timeand find hidden trends in a psychology experiment that fol-lowed people’s reactions to the auditory and visual aspectsof a musical performance. The lecture, part of theMathematics and Computer Science Colloquium, wasattended by faculty from the departments of Mathematicsand Psychology, as well as Gallaudet alumni and a visitingscience writer.

Gallaudet community examines the rolesof ASL and English on Kendall Green

I nclusive bilingualism was the theme of the day as students, faculty, and staff came together to learn and discuss

American Sign Language and English atGallaudet.

Regardless of where their normal rou-tines take them at 9 a.m. on a Tuesday, stu-dents, faculty, and staff were doing some-thing different on October 16. That waswhen the community gathered forEnrichment Day, ready to explore ways thatGallaudet can become a more inclusivebilingual environment.

Enrichment Day gives the Gallaudetcommunity a chance to come together andfocus on one vital topic. Activities on thisyear’s theme of inclusive bilingualismincluded keynote addresses by linguisticexperts, a student forum on identity politicsand language, and a panel discussion onputting bilingual theory into practice. Thepremier of nine student films made during

the 90-hourWhyGallaudet?video contestclosed the day.

ProvostStephen Weineropened with anoverview of theUniversity’s five-point strategicplan, whichincludes makingGallaudet anexemplary institu-tion of highereducation whereboth AmericanSign Language(ASL) and

English are valued for their cognitive andcultural benefits. In order to do this, cam-pus-wide discussions are crucial. “We needto be open to dialogue. It leads to under-standing of what it means to be a bilingualplace in the world,” Weiner said during themorning session.

Next, Dr. Richard Clément, director ofthe Official Languages and BilingualismInstitute at the University of Ottawa, gavehis presentation “Bilingualism: Contextsand Consequences.” According to his expe-rience and research, said Clément, bilingual-ism is much more than simply using twolanguages. “Bilingualism is imbedded in asocial context and in community practice,”he explained.

Clément said that bilingualism, in addi-tion to being a helpful practice at a universi-ty, actually improves the well-being of thosewho practice it. Studies show that people

continued on page 2

Dr. Leslie Rach (center), of the Department of English, makes a point during the Enrichment Daypanel, “From Mission to Practice: Putting Bilingualism into Action.” Dr. Laurene Simms (right),also from Education, and Dr. MJ Bienvenu of the Department of ASL and Deaf Studies, look on.

On the Greengoing electronic

The “green” in On the Green will takeon new meaning this month when thepublication goes electronic. After almostthree decades of printing on the familiarledger-sized paper the campus has cometo know, the Office of Public Relationswill transition to a more environmentallyfriendly and cost-efficient way of dis-pensing news for faculty, staff, and teach-ers.

Beginning with the November 16issue, On the Green will be available intwo paperless formats: PDF and HTML,both viewable on your computer orInternet-enabled pager. For anyone wish-ing to take a hard copy home, the PDFwill be ready to print and go. Look foran email with links to these two versions.

Homecoming 2007Jane Nowalski,Class of 1982,celebrates recordattendance attheir alumnibreakfast.

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Kendall GreenGallaudet University800 Florida Avenue, NEWashington, DC 20002-3695

Published bi-weekly for the staff, teachers, and facultyof Gallaudet University by the Office of PublicRelations.

Acting Director & Publications ManagerRoz Prickett

Editor & Photo EditorTodd Byrd

WriterRhea Yablon Kennedy

Design/ProductionGraphic Design & Production

Gallaudet University is an equal opportunityemployer/educational institution and does notdiscriminate on the basis of race, color, sex,

national origin, religion, age, hearing status, disability,covered veteran status, marital status, personalappearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities,matriculation, political affiliation, source of income,place of business or residence, pregnancy, childbirth,or any other unlawful basis.

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Enrichment Daycontinued from page 1

who acquire a second language have morepositive views of the group that uses theother language, higher self esteem, and lessstress.

A list of recommendations rounded outClément’s address. Like the University ofOttawa, Clément believes that Gallaudetshould have the goal of becoming a stan-dard-setting bilingual institution.

The second keynote speaker was Dr.Benjamin Bahan, a professor in theDepartment of ASL and Deaf Studies. Hisaddress was entitled “Context for AmericanSign Language/English Bilingualism:Sensory Orientation, Gesture, and SignedLanguages.”

Dr. Bahan’s presentation illustrated whatis most unique about ASL/English bilin-gualism—the differences in the sensorymodalities in which the two languages areprocessed. While classes at the University ofOttawa may be in either French or English,classes at Gallaudet must include both ASLand English. Bahan pointed out that signedlanguages emerge out of the visual/tactileorientation of deaf individuals.Understanding the implications of this ori-entation are critical to understanding thisunique brand of bilingualism.

Following the keynotes, volunteers fromseveral offices on campus distributed boxlunches to the participants and a lunchtimeforum began. Provost Weiner invited stu-

dents to take the platform in the MarketPlace and give their thoughts on identityand using ASL and English at Gallaudet.During the lively discussion, students andothers expressed a variety of views on thetopic, and many agreed that they would liketo continue that kind of dialogue.

The next activity focused on action fromeducational and linguistic perspectives. Thepanel discussion, “Mission to Practice:Putting Bilingualism into Action,” wasmoderated by Dr. Cynthia Bailes, chair of the Department ofEducation. Panelists were:• Dr. Laurene Simms, professor in the

Department of Education • Dr. Robert E. Johnson, professor in the

Department of Linguistics • Dr. Leslie Rach, associate professor in

the Department of English • Dr. MJ Bienvenu, professor and chair of

the Department of American SignLanguage and Deaf Studies

Enrichment Day culminated in theresults of the WhyGallaudet? video confer-ence. ASL and Deaf Studies Professor JanisCole introduced the nine teams’ three-minute videos, inviting each set of filmmak-ers to the stage for brief comments follow-ing their film. Several videos included clipsof students from varied backgrounds andlanguage styles. The message was thatthough these students had vastly differentlife experiences, all of them chose Gallaudet.

Cole then announced the choices ofjudges Jon Goodman, an Emmy award win-ning documentary filmmaker and instructorat New York University film school, MarinaDzougoutov, a Presidential Fellow whoteaches visual media production, and Dr.Thomas Baldridge, a professor in theDepartment of Business who received hisMFA in film production from theUniversity of Southern California.

First place went to Megan Matovich andKrystina Adkins, second place went toMichelle Lapides and Jay Kowalczyk, andthird went Andrew Jones and MelissaMalzkuhn. These top places received$1,000, $750, and $500 respectively, and allof the filmmakers won free movie passes.

Student Body Government Vice

President Sara Collins said that she receivedpositive reports from students, especiallyabout the keynote speakers. Students thor-oughly enjoyed Bahan’s presentation, shesaid, and were surprised to see bilingualismunderstood and applied by a hearingCanadian administrator. She hopes to seemore. “There is a continued need for dia-logue on this subject, as more students aregetting a better understanding of the con-cept of bilingualism in application,” shesaid.

Enrichment Day coordinator DirksenBauman, professor of ASL and DeafStudies, indicated that the evaluations fromthe day are highly positive, and reflect thefeedback that Collins received. “Many peo-ple said that they are hungry for more ofthese lectures and discussions,” he said.

Fortunately, the Inclusive Bilingualisminitiative from the Office of the Provost willoffer just that with panel discussions andlectures throughout the year. “This is anexciting time at Gallaudet, and these eventsare giving us plenty to chew on.” Baumansaid.

Student Delia Lozano-Martinez expresses her opinion dur-ing a forum on identity politics and bilingualism, whichwas part of Enrichment Day.

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The mighty Bison take the field for the Homecoming football game. Cheerleaders pump up the crowd.

Homecoming 2007The 2007 Homecoming weekend took place October 19-21. A large, vibrant crowd of alumni and friends came toGallaudet to meet old friends, see changes to the campus, and watch the games. The photos below offer a fewglimpses of the weekend. For sports results, go to GallaudetAthletics.com.

Class of 1997 members show their pride at their 10th anniversary reunion. Amanda Primel relaxes with her dog Athunder, an Akita and SaintBernard mix.

Iris Gomes smiles for the camera at the Alumni of ColorReunion.

Ronald Hirano, a member of the 50th anniversary class andnew alumnus emeritus inductee, shows his pride afterreceiving his medallion.

Jane Nowalski (center) cheers along with fellow membersof the Class of 1982 at their reunion breakfast. The“’82ers” made an impressive showing for their 25threunion, setting a record of 100 attendees at this AlumniRelations-sponsored event.

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Director of Alumni Relations Samuel Sonnenstrahl, Alumniof Color Reunion Co-chair Franklin Torres, keynote speakerKaori Takeuchi, Alumni of Color Reunion Co-chair ThuanNguyen, and GUAA President Andrew Lange pose at theAlumni of Color Reunion. The event was sponsored by theOffice of Alumni Relations, the Office of the President, andthe Center for Academic Programs and Student Services.

At the Peikoff Alumni House Grand Re-opening (from left),GUAA President Andrew Lange, Alumni Relations DirectorSamuel Sonnenstrahl, Student Body Government PresidentRobert McConnell, and President Davila perform the cere-monial ribbon cutting.

Esperanza Latimer is offered a hug from Dr. Davila afterreceiving her alumni emerita medallion.

More photos from Homecoming 2007

Institutional Research completes Campus Climate SurveyBy Thomas N. Kluwin

B oth in response to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education’s

interestin having specific data on the climate

at Gallaudet, as well as to follow-up on thework in 2003 of several faculty and staffgroups looking at the climate on campus,the Office of Institutional Research, incooperation with the workgroups on diver-sity and on healing, developed a 43-itemsurvey.

The survey was to become a permanentannual survey which would consist of gen-eral statements and specific items reflectinga focus for a particular year or the results ofan intervention from the previous year. Athird component of the permanent surveywas to be a small number of open-endedquestions determined by circumstances atthe time of the annual survey. For example,an issue of concern at the time of the origi-

nal survey development was the campus-wide understanding of culture, diversity,and cultural identity.

Five areas of concern, reflecting the workof the 2003 climate working groups, wereidentified: Respect, trust, and fairness; insti-tutional communication and informationsharing; management style; language—specifically access to both ASL and English;and academic culture.

After pilot testing an online version ofthe survey, the full survey was distributedthrough the Blackboard system to roughly1,100 faculty and staff from August 30 toSeptember 7. A total of 210 individualsattempted to access the survey out of 1,100possible participants. Of these, 191 com-pleted a part or all of the survey, and fromthis number, 184 completed and submittedresponses to more than 10 of the items.These respondents broke down to 84 facul-ty members, 70 who identified themselvesas professional staff, and 30 non-profession-

al staff.For the five original areas of concern, the

most frequent response was that the respon-dents neither agreed nor disagreed with thestatement (about 48 percent). The nextmost frequent response was a simple agreeor disagree with the statement (about 22percent each). The least frequent responseswere the strongly agree or disagree respons-es, which accounted for the remaining 8percent of respondents. Essentially, most ofthe respondents were neutral about condi-tions on campus with equal numbers satis-fied or dissatisfied.

Responses to the open-ended questionsreflected the trends seen in the responses tothe specific statements, in that a small num-ber of respondents were very positive orvery negative since fewer than two-thirds ofthe respondents gave written answers.

The most negative finding was for aseries of statements related to “free expres-

continued on page 5

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Campus Climate Surveycontinued from page 4

sion,” or the idea that faculty and staff felt comfortable aboutexpressing views that differed from those of the overall communityor the administration. One-sixth of the respondents agreed thatthere was some form of free expression, one-third neither agreednor disagreed, one-third disagreed with the notion that there wasfree expression at Gallaudet, and one-sixth strongly disagreed.

This survey was a preliminary look at institutional climate atGallaudet, primarily with the goal to make data collection quickerand more responsive. The survey was not successful in reaching alarge percentage of the staff, so in the future an effort has to bemade to deliver it to a larger percentage of them. However, thesurvey instrument has been shown to be reliable and informative,and thus could form the basis for permanent and regular data col-lection. Future development work on the survey instrument needsto focus on access through languages other than English.

A copy of the report is available through the InstitutionalResearch Blackboard site, which can be accessed through my.gallaudet.edu.

(Note: Dr. Kluwin is director of Institutional Research.)

GOYA en la Quinta delSordo

(in the house of the deaf man)Directed by Willy Conley

The Theatre Arts Department will present GOYA en la Quintadel Sordo (in the house of the deaf man), an experimental move-ment and nonverbal theater piece that explores aspects of Franciscode Goya’s life and art.

Written by Theatre Arts professor Willy Conley and renownedRussian deaf actor, mime, and clown Iosif Schneiderman, anddirected by Conley, this visually-oriented drama incorporates ges-ture, masks, mime, dance, and movement to delve into Goya’ssatirical humor, his mockery of the social mores and superstitionsof his time, his caustic views on the ills and follies of humanity,and the effect of his deafness on his art and relationships with peo-ple.

Performances are November 8 to 11 and 15 to 18 in theGilbert Eastman Studio Theatre, Elstad Annex. Seating is reserved.

This production is recommended for mature audiences. For ticket information, go to theatrearts.gallaudet.edu/x4855.xml

Provost Stephen Weiner presents service awards to Eileen Matthews, AssessmentOffice executive director and special assistant to the provost (25 years) and Dr.Carol Erting, interim dean of the Graduate School and Professional Programs (30years).

Among OurselvesDr. Thomas Jones, a professor in the Department of Education,was one of four fellows elected by The American Society ofGenealogists at its annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, onOctober 13. The organization elects no more than 50 fellows forlife based on the quality and quantity of their published genealogi-cal work. Jones is one of only two double winners of the NationalGenealogical Society Quarterly Award of Excellence for best articleof the year. Subsequently, in 2003, he became co-editor of thepublication.

Dr. Donna Mertens, a professor in the Department of EducationalFoundations and Research, will be a panelist at the third researchsymposium of VSA Arts (formerly Very Special Arts), which willbe held on November 7 at the France-Merrick Performing ArtsCenter in Baltimore, Md. VSA Arts is an international non-profitorganization celebrating the positive influence the arts have had inthe lives of individuals with disabilities. The theme of the sympo-sium is “The Contours of Inclusion: Arts Learning Outcomes andEvaluation Strategies.” Mertens will serve on the panel with artsand education consultant Stephen Yaffe. VSA Arts invited Mertensto share her expertise at the symposium after becoming familiarwith her through her work with the American EvaluationAssociation and two of her books on evaluation in education.

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CampusCalendarFor more details and events, go tocalendar.gallaudet.eduFor the Academic Calendar, go towww.gallaudet.edu/x4511.xmlFor Athletics events, go to www.gal-laudetathletics.com

November

2—Undergraduate Open House, allday

2-3—Students of Color LeadershipConference, 3 p.m., JSAC MPR

5—PFLAG Monthly Meeting, 7:30-9p.m., HMB S135

7—GRI First Wednesday ResearchSeminar: “Expected and UnexpectedResults: Establishment of a NewCommunity Participatory ResearchCenter,” noon-1 p.m., JSAC 1011

9—Graduate SchoolThesis/Dissertation Workshop; 10a.m.-noon, JSAC 1011; American RedCross blood drive, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,Kendall gym; Presentation: “WhatHave We Learned from ContemporaryResearch on Lip Reading?” 2:30-4p.m., JSAC 1011

16—Immigrant Rights and How ThatMovement is Having A Daily Impacton Everything We Do, noon-1 p.m.,Foster Auditorium

21-25—Thanksgiving holiday

Phot

o by

Sus

an F

lann

igan

MSSD students Kelsey Wessman (left) and Lateefah Patterson (right) and teacher/researcher Mary Ellsworth discuss thecondition of the leaves of a silver maple tree they studied as part of their award-winning research. The students will pres-ent their findings at the GLOBE Learning Expedition in South Africa this June.

By Susan M. Flanigan

T wo MSSD students are following in the footsteps of Nobel Prize winner Al Gore in helping bring about recog-

nition of global climate change. Lateefah Patterson and Kelsey Wessman

have been selected by NASA’s GLOBE(Global Learning and Observations toBenefit the Environment) program as oneof five winning U.S. teams to present theirresearch during the 2008 GLOBE LearningExpedition (GLE) in Cape Town, SouthAfrica, June 22 to 27.

The teams will have the opportunity tomingle and share information with morethan 300 students and 200 scientists andeducators from GLOBE’s 109 partner coun-tries.

The theme for the upcoming GLE is“GLOBE Research for Sustainable

Communities.” GLOBE students will pres-ent their research on topics such as environ-mental impacts on the quality of life andregional impacts of climate change. Alongwith student presentations and discussions,students will have an opportunity to workside-by-side with international scientistsconducting field studies, see student art dis-plays, and attend cultural events.

Introduced in April 1994 by U.S. VicePresident Gore, GLOBE is a worldwide net-work of K-12 students working under theguidance of teachers trained to conductresearch-based, hands-on study and researchof the Earth’s environment.

Students at MSSD have been on the cut-ting edge of GLOBE environmentalresearch. “We were one of the original stu-dent groups to conduct research using theGLOBE protocols,” said teacher/researcherMary Ellsworth, who will accompany the

Clerc Center HappeningsMSSD students to present environmentalresearch at GLOBE Learning Expedition inSouth Africa

students to Cape Town. “Our studentresearch started in the classroom in 1995,and in that same year we began offeringGLOBE teacher training courses during thesummer.” The MSSD students will bejoined by their collaborative research part-ners from the Indiana School for the Deaf.Together, they will present their winningentry, “A Comparison of Green Up in TwoLocations at Similar Latitudes: Indiana andWashington, D.C.”

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Recently honored for reaching employment milestones at the University wereDeborah Krichbaum (25 years), an associate professor in the Department of Familyand Child Studies, and Dr. John Christiansen (30 years), a professor in the Departmentof Sociology. Also pictured are (from left): Samuel Weber, instructor, and Julia Bertak,chair, Family and Child Studies, Dr. Sharon Barnartt, chair, and Jilly Kowalsky, instruc-tor, Department of Sociology.

Ask Cousin SallyDear Cousin Sally,

Many people like to walk their dogs on campus. That’s finewith me. But many of those dogs leave behind… well, thingsthat shouldn’t be left behind on our lawns and sports fields. It’sreally gross. How can we get them to stop?

Knee Deep

Dear Knee Deep,First of all, I think you need to come out and say it—the prob-

lem is doo. Where I come from, down on the farm, we love thestuff. There’s no better fertilizer money can buy! But grazing fieldsand soccer fields are very different, and the doo has no place in thelatter. So what can you do? I say there are two things: one, as mymother always told me to do, is model good behavior. Pick upafter your own pooch. And two, tell those dog walkers what’swhat. Explain that this is the New Gallaudet, so they’d better pitchin and take care of their own doo.

Send your questions to cousin.sally@gallaudet.edu

Service Awards for September

Five years:Bernarda Blanco, custodian, CustodialServices; Leslie Brewer, dispatcher/customerservice representative, Public Safety; AndrianaCanning, inventory/office assistant, E-Learning;Jason Duerstock, senior security administrator;Tracey Kempton, program coordinator, Dean,College of Professional Studies and Outreach;Jon Mitchiner, director, Information TechnologyServices; Doris Parent, associate director, cor-porate and foundation relations, Development;Tissa Peiris, ASL and culture trainer, EnglishLanguage Institute; and Manuel Vazquez, staffresidential assistant, Residence Life

Ten years:Anna Hall, athletics operations assistant,Intramurals Program

Fifteen years:James Tabron, painter’s helper, MaintenanceServices

Twenty years:Todd Byrd, senior writer/editor/photographer,Public Relations; and Peter Fitzgibbons,research scientist II, Hearing, Speech, andLanguage Sciences

Twenty-five years:Linda Delk, director, knowledge integration andevaluation, Office of the Director, NationalOutreach, Research, and Evaluation Network,Clerc Center; and Frank Turk, recreation special-ist, MSSD Residence Education

Thirty years:Roger Beach, professor/chair, Counseling;James Hynes, student enhancement educator,MSSD Residence Education; Gertrude Lewis,employment specialist, Human ResourcesServices; and Russell Perkins, disseminationspecialist, Gallaudet Research Institute

Employees hired in September

John Barber, head men’s basketball coach/pro-gram coordinator, Athletics; Samuel Franklin,admissions counselor, Admissions; MihaelaGavril, assistant professor, Chemistry; GeorgiaWeaver, educational planner, MSSD; andShaitaisha Winston, instructional design spe-cialist, Training and Technical Assistance, ClercCenter.

September promotions, reclassifications, and transfers

Mark Amissah, Leadership Fellow for DiversityInitiatives, President’s Office; Wendy

Personnel NotesArmstrong, assistant supervisor, communitypolicing, Public Safety; Justen Burns, coordina-tor, student development (Interim), Clerc Center;Jessica Duhon, educational planner, MSSD;Ralph Fernandez, webmaster II, Office of theDirector, Information Systems and ComputerSupport, Clerc Center; Richard Goodrow, aca-demic web programmer, E-Learning; Anna Hall,athletics operations assistant, IntramuralsProgram; Stephen Kalmus, chief engineer,Utilities Services; Joseph Kolcun, intramuralscoordinator/game management assistant,Intramurals Program; Melissa Lawton, coordina-tor, student programs, MSSD ResidenceEducation, Clerc Center; Asiah Mason, director,regional, national, and international outreach,College of Professional Studies and Outreach;Dustina Pacheco, head teacher, ChildDevelopment Center; Luis Torres, program spe-cialist, Campus Activities; and CatherineValcourt-Pearce, coordinator, publications anddevelopment, Publications and InformationDissemination, Clerc Center.

September retirements

Debra Brenner, math teacher/researcher,MSSD; Bernard Brown, assistant professor,Business; Amy Quaynor, teacher aide, KDESPrincipal’s Office; and Vivian Stevens, schedul-ing Specialist, President’s Office.