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From Feb. 2-5, the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University Department of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education took part in a four-day annual conference in San Antonio held by the Association of College Educators – Deaf and Hard of Hearing. After multiple days of workshops and presentations, five members of the department were elected to serve on the organization’s board for 2023-2024.

The is the professional organization for higher education faculty in the preparation of teachers in Deaf Education. The purpose of the organization is to provide professional development and opportunities for collaborative interaction among professionals in deaf education. The organization holds an annual conference in a different location each year.

The newly elected faculty members are Drs. Ashley Greene (president-elect); Heidi MacGlaughlin (assistant membership and registration); department alumni Drs. Frances Courson (assistant secretary) and David Meek (assistant treasurer); and student Pauline Ballentine (treasurer).

Greene, who will serve a three-year term, emphasized the importance of the organization.

“As the only organization and conference of its kind in the United States, ACE-DHH provides a space for education professionals to disseminate research, to engage in collaborative dialogues and networking opportunities, and to share resources and current ideas related to the education of deaf and hard of hearing individuals.”

Members of the department faculty presented multiple lectures over the course of the conference. Conversations ranging from incorporating ASL literature into education to the types of microaggressions that deaf professionals experience in the workplace took place and opened the door for ideas to be shared and progress to be made.

“The best part of the conference was the networking and collaboration among like-minded peers,” said MacGlaughlin. “The ability to discuss research projects, topics in the field of deaf education and academia in general.”

Both Greene and MacGlaughlin applauded the conference and its evolution to becoming a place of spontaneous conversation with no barriers, with Greene saying it is something that many take for granted.

“I truly enjoyed the barrier-free intellectual conversations with other professors and researchers,” MacGlaughlin said.

Greene, MacGlaughlin and the new members of the board will soon start planning for next years conference in Las Vegas.

For more information about the Department of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, visit lamar.edu/deafstudies