NTID names Pollard associate dean for research

Pollard will head expansion of college's research enterprise and serve on president's leadership team

Robert Pollard has been named associate dean for research for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Pollard will work with NTID President and RIT Vice President and Dean Gerry Buckley and others to further NTID’s position as the preeminent national and international center regarding evidence-based research in the field of deafness on teaching and learning; communication/language and literacy; communication technology/access and support services; and employment and adaptability to social change in the global workplace. In addition to providing leadership for research at NTID and playing a key role in shaping and expanding NTID’s emerging research agenda, Pollard actively will participate in obtaining and managing grants and serve as a member of NTID’s leadership team.

“I am honored to be embarking on this next step in my career at NTID, an institution where I’ve had many affiliations, and enjoyed the company of many colleagues, since I interned there in 1983 and 1984,” said Pollard. “As associate dean for research, I will devote all of the talents and resources at my disposal to facilitate continued growth and excellence of the broad research enterprise at NTID.”

Pollard comes to NTID from University of Rochester’s School of Medicine where he is a professor of psychiatry and serves as founder and director of the Department of Psychiatry’s Deaf Wellness Center. His work has been recognized with many national and international awards and honors, and he has been principal investigator on more than 50 federal, foundation, regional and local grants, totaling more than $6 million. He has published more than 90 articles and book chapters and has produced 15 films in American Sign Language.

Pollard’s research interests include psychopathology, psychological testing, sign language interpreting, forensic evaluation, intimate partner violence, and public health issues affecting the deaf population. He is active in several national organizations, including the American Psychological Association where he founded a special interest section on deafness.

“Bob is a highly respected researcher who has performed truly impactful work with Rochester’s deaf community and beyond,” said Buckley. “We are looking forward to his collaboration with RIT/NTID researchers and students who continue to do remarkable work in their fields.”