Autumn Wonders: Fall Semester Updates
Deaf Health Care and Biomedical Science Hub
A higher education hub to promote representation of DHH individuals in health care and biomedical science careers.
Wrapping up the Fall 24’ Semester
Newsletter #6: Catch up on our activities and achievements from the past three months.?
Welcome! The Deaf Hub has been busy this semester with exciting events, recognitions, and accomplishments. We are pleased to share updates and celebrate our success. Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to:
Lastly, we have some program opportunities for students. If you are a student, we encourage you to apply or share this information? with your classmates and friends. If you are faculty or staff, please pass this along to your students.
Student Highlights
Rhiannon Wagner , BS, EMT-B, hosted a professional development workshop titled “Ow! What now? Navigating Healthcare: From 911 to Hospitals and Beyond,” which focused on how to navigate healthcare options and make informed health-related decisions during an emergency. Following the workshop, Rhiannon graduated in Fall 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences. She was hired as a patient care technician in the NICU at one of Pittsburgh’s hospitals and will begin physician assistant training this summer.
Menna Nicola , a research assistant at Deaf Hub with two healthcare projects*, has accepted a job offer as a full-time associate information technology analyst at Dow, Inc. She is expected to graduate this spring.
Emma Kane , Deaf Hub's chief research assistant, has been featured in this story, "Student spotlight: Researching health care for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people."
Morgan Singleton , a U-RISE trainee, has been featured on an RIT advertising mural in Penn Station, New York City.
Grace Phelan ‘24 was featured on Spectrum News 1 for her remarkable achievement with the U.S. Deaf National Indoor Volleyball team, earning a silver medal at the 2024 World Deaf Volleyball championships in Japan. Prior to her recent acceptance into the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Grace participated in various programs and labs, including the Mentor Supported Shadowing Program (MSSP), Summer Healthcare Academic Research Program (SHARP), and Deaf Health Laboratory (DHL) at Deaf Hub. Her recent volleyball victory adds to her impressive list of accomplishments, all of which have paved the way for her continuing journey to dental school.
Catherine Goodman , a MSSP** trainee, passed the Sonography Principles & Instrumentation (SPI) examination in December 2024, while currently on clinical rotations. The SPI exam assesses knowledge of ultrasound physics and its applications through instrumentation that produce high quality diagnostic images. This exam is the first step in earning future American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography? credentials.
*AED project, run by Wendy Dannels at the Mixed Reality Accessibility Solutions Laboratory (XR-ASL) and RxASL project, run by Mariam Paracha, PharmD, at the Deaf Health Laboratory (DHL)
**Mentor Supported Shadowing Program (MSSP)
Conference Activities
APHA 2024
Emma Kane , third year student in public policy and Deaf Hub’s chief research assistant, presented her poster, “Potential applications of gaming in sex education for DHH individuals,” to identify the gaps in deaf and hard-of-hearing young adults’ experience while receiving sex education in high school during the 2024 American Public Health Association (APHA) conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
During the same conference, Jenna Stewardson , Deaf Hub’s research program coordinator, presented their roundtable session, “Perspectives of deaf and hard of hearing people with uterus seeking abortion care: A thematic analysis of their experiences with getting an abortion.” Their roundtable session encouraged attendees to share their insights as they explored abortion care focused on this underserved population.
ABRCMS 2024
Several Deaf Hub members attended the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minioritized Scientists (ABRCMS) conference, a leading event for underrepresented groups in biomedical science. The conference provided a valuable platform for networking, sharing research, and learning from peers and mentors.?
Here is the list of our participants along with their presentation titles.
*In memory of Oluwaseyi “Seyi” Onifade, a Bridges trainee, Fall 2024
The panel “Deaf Hub: Advocating for Researchers in Academia” was moderated by Dylan Levenson , Deaf Hub’s biomedical science training grant administrator, and included:
The event was a great opportunity for these individuals to present their research and further their academic and professional growth in the biomedical field.
Events
Deaf Hub Exploring Perspectives: Biomedical Sciences
The “Deaf Hub Exploring Perspectives” (DHEP) series featured Victoria Popov , MS, a PhD candidate in neuroscience and RIT alumna. In her presentation, “The Journey to Becoming a Deaf Neuroscientist: Studying How Exercise Shapes the Brain in Schizophrenia,” she shared insights from her research on the impact of exercise on brain function in schizophrenia.
Also featured in the series was Jessica Contreras , MS, a PhD student in educational leadership, research, and policy. Her presentation, “Deaf Latine in Academia: NTID, Research, & You,” explored her experiences as a Deaf Latine student in academia and offered advice for those navigating similar paths.
Deaf Culture Day: Rochester Museum Science Center
The Deaf Hub participated in Deaf Culture Day at the Rochester Museum & Science Center on Saturday, Nov. 2, showcasing ultrasound technology. MSSP trainees and ultrasound students Tyler Cardoso and Catherine Goodman operated two machines while guiding visitors through hands-on scanning experiences, with mentorship from Elizabeth Ayers . Attendees explored how this medical tool works while learning about Deaf sonographers and their contributions to healthcare.?
领英推荐
Publication Spotlights
LeeAnne Valentine , MS, MFT
“Representation Matters for BIPOC in Mental Health”
The ADARA Update, 2025 Issue #1
This article discusses why it is important for a BIPOC to have therapist professionals who are culturally sensitive or are the same culturally for those who are seeking mental health help.
If you are interested in reading this article, please note that it is available exclusively to members who have subscribed to American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association ( ADARA: Excellence in Service Delivery to Individuals Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing ) ?
Kat Womack , MS, NIC, Nikki Cherry, M.Ed., NIC , Anna K. , BS, Victoria Popov , MSc, Sara Blick-Nitko Ph.D. , and Kameron Kinast , MS
A Survey of American Sign Language/English Interpreting Settings
This team of former and current U-RISE and Bridges staff and trainees wrote a book chapter about? the essentials for working with deaf professionals to reduce Deaf Tax in STEM settings. Targeted to interpreting students, this chapter discusses important qualifications, tips on how to prepare, and considerations to keep in mind for interpreting with deaf professionals in STEM. It is free to access.
Roshan M. , MS, and Wendy Dannels
Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility
Sign language interpreters who facilitate communication between Deaf sign language users and spoken language users through live video platforms, such as video remote interpreting (VRI) or video relay service (VRS), often face challenges during group sessions. These challenges arise from limited access to the Deaf clients’ environment, especially when multiple participants and visual aids are involved, due to the restricted field of view (FOV) of their cameras. This study explores whether using wider FOV cameras can enhance interpreters’ access to the environment and improve the overall effectiveness of interpreting in group settings.
Hayden Orr (Hayden Hernandez-Orr), Michael Peechatt , Cecilia Ovesdotter Alm
Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility
This study addresses the resource gap in affective computing datasets for American Sign Language (ASL). It presents preliminary findings from an ongoing multimodal ASL corpus collection, analyzing human-generated modalities like eye tracking, facial expressions, and head movements. The focus is on identifying frustration and confusion among deaf and hard-of-hearing participants, which can enhance AI-human collaboration and user experience in human-computer interaction. Expanding on previous methodologies used with English speakers, this exploratory study aims to characterize affective states in signed interactions. Initial results highlight distinct features of self-annotated frustration and confusion, revealing notable differences between these emotions.
Training Program Opportunities
Summer Healthcare Academic Research Program (SHARP)
SHARP Novice Interpreting Program is also open for the recent interpreting graduates to give them an opportunity to gain more interpreting experience in the research setting. This program will start on May 14 and end August 7, 2025. If you need more information, please email Kat Womack at [email protected]. The application deadline is tomorrow, Friday, February 14.?
For the recent interpreting graduates, please visit the document for additional information regarding the application process.
Mentor Supported Shadowing Program (MSSP)
Did you miss the MSSP application? Do you want to stay up-to-date to the MSSP announcements? Please subscribe and select the “Healthcare updates” to receive different content about healthcare professionals, trainees, events, and announcements!
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Elizabeth Ayers and Tiffany Panko at [email protected]. For more information, please visit our MSSP webpage and fill out your interest.
Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (U-RISE)
U-RISE is accepting undergraduate applications on a rolling basis. We are looking for motivated undergraduates who need more financial support, research experience, and mentoring that will help them build their application toward a master’s program in biomedical or biobehavioral fields.
For more information, please visit our U-RISE webpage or email us at [email protected].??
Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate (Bridges)
The application for Bridges is open on a rolling basis. We welcome graduate students who have been accepted into master’s programs at RIT. We provide financial support, laboratory experience, and mentoring that can prepare them for a doctoral program in biomedical or biobehavioral fields.
More information can be found on our Bridges webpage or email us at [email protected].?
Staff Updates
LeeAnne Valentine , MS, MFT, joined us as the director of representation in health care and biomedical sciences and founded a new program, “Building Representation and Integrity in Health Care and Biomedical Sciences: Increasing Depth and Empowerment in Academia” (BRIGHT IDEA).
BRIGHT IDEA elevates representation in health care and biomedical sciences and supports marginalized and underrepresented students through various resources on campus. We look forward to the program's success!
Emily Natrigo , BS, is excited to join our team in coordinating and providing access services! Let’s give her a warm welcome!
Roshan M. , MS, is a recent master’s graduate who joins our team to support Wendy Dannels with engineering backends as engineering research assistant. It’s exciting to watch him grow as a professional after working with us as a student graduate research assistant.
Any questions or feedback?
Have feedback about this newsletter? Please reach out to Krystina Ho at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you! Your feedback can include suggestions for adding new information to this newsletter, or anything else you would like to share.
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