From the NTID President's Office

As you know, Scott Hooker retired in June, and Rick Postl currently is serving as interim director of NTID Admissions. We appreciate the work Rick and his team are doing.

I’m pleased to share that the 21-Day Report showed that fall 21 DHH/ASLIE enrollment totaled 1,166 students. We welcomed a total of 343 new students this fall. This is a year-over-year increase of 65 students, and 115 higher than was projected last spring. We applaud the efforts of all departments and individuals involved in supporting student recruitment and retention.

Our admissions counselors have shifted gears to focus on recruiting students for fall 2022. They have been conducting virtual and in-person recruitment visits and reviewing November Early Decision I applications.

It remains of utmost importance for all of us at NTID to be “all-in” when it comes to student recruitment and retention as we continue to deal with the effects of the pandemic on enrollment.

To date, NTID has secured five major gifts of $100,000 each or more, and 10 gifts of $5,000 and above. Gifts have been received from a variety of constituents, including foundations, corporate donors, alumni, parents, and friends of the institute. I applaud our Development Office and everyone involved in our fundraising efforts. I also want to thank all of our faculty and staff who have made gifts this year in support of NTID.

I am pleased to announce that Ann Hager, associate professor in NTID’s Business Studies Department, has accepted the newly created role of Interim Assistant Dean for Cross-Registered Academic Services. Ann has been a faculty member at NTID since 1987 and is well known to her colleagues in the Saunders College of Business, having provided academic support to deaf and hard-of-hearing students in that college for many years. Her experience in providing tutoring and advising to cross-registered students as well as acting as liaison with the Saunders faculty and staff supported her effectiveness as her department’s first program coordinator. She is a veteran instructor, teaching accounting and marketing courses at the associate and bachelor’s levels, as well as tutoring more than 30 different courses in the Saunders College of Business. Her commitment to the institute has been recognized through the NTID Outstanding Service Award and the Provost’s Excellence in Mentoring Award. One product of her years of experience is the website she developed to support all faculty teaching in mainstream RIT classrooms.

Ann is well-versed in the intricacies and challenges involved with ensuring that deaf and hard-of-hearing students are able to succeed at the baccalaureate and graduate level at RIT, and as interim assistant dean, she will provide oversight and collaborate with key service providers and RIT deans/associate/assistant deans to coordinate resources for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the other colleges of RIT. Focusing on learning, tutoring and teaching of cross-registered students, Ann will provide faculty/staff support orientation and mentoring, guidance on effective tutoring/teaching skills, facilitation of sign language/spoken communication and access services as well as support of the academic culture of NTID. She will work with NTID academic department chairpersons, counseling/academic advising, access services, and the academic units in the other colleges of RIT directly involved with cross-registered deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Ann will be reaching out to many of you very soon, and I encourage you to contact her at amhnbt@rit.edu.

NTID Associate Dean for Research Robert Pollard has announced his retirement effective Jan. 15, 2022. A search for an interim associate dean has commenced and will be announced as soon as someone has been selected. Please join me in wishing Bob well in this new chapter of his life, and thanking him for all of his many contributions to RIT/NTID.

Richard “Rico” Peterson, assistant dean and director of Access Services, will be on sabbatical for the spring 2022 semester. An interim director will be named shortly.

Welcome the following new hires to RIT/NTID:

• Kemoy Campbell, non-tenure track faculty, Information and Computing Studies Department
• Brian Cornwell, IT project coordinator,
• Christopher J. Ertel, captionist I, Real-time Caption & Notetaking
• Maribeth Jensen, program coordinator, Office of Enrollment Management
• Christy L. Kuhn, senior financial analyst, Finance and Budget
• Allison K. Lougheed, financial coordinator, Office of the NTID President
• Aaron Pagan, marketing communications specialist, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
• Maya V. Penn, Academic Support Center coordinator, Summer Transition Education Program
• Dawn M. Sullivan, senior staff assistant, Academic Affairs
• Amanda M. Tillapaugh, captionist I, Real-time Caption & Notetaking

What is the best part of your job?

The constantly changing nature and flexibility of my schedule. The relationships I’ve built with my colleagues and students over the years whether it was through teaching, community activities, or committee work. I enjoy learning from others who are experts in their fields, and even more so, I love watching students grow and flourish through their journey. First, and foremost, I love that I work in a University setting that allows me to continuously learn new things everyday through the networking and information available.

What would surprise people to learn about you?

That although I come off as (so I’ve been told) a very serious and focused person, I am actually easygoing, love to have fun, and goof around. I play in sports leagues (basketball and flag football) with those much younger (early 20’s) than myself – it keeps me young at heart. I take my time with certain things, for example I have been with my wife, who I met at NTID/RIT, for 20 years but we have only been married for two years. I love to climb trees, jump cliffs, and do other crazy and extreme outdoor activities. 

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

First and foremost, being off the computer, and spending time with my crazy family. Landscaping in the yard, gardening, and cooking. Playing backyard games like bocce, and cornhole. Working out and playing sports, especially flag football, basketball, and sand volleyball. Watching the NFL and participating in fantasy football – Go Cowboys! Traveling and visiting my family in New Jersey, and my wife’s family in Rhode Island. Going on our annual beach and lake vacations with family and friends. Oh, and the last thing is also unfortunately what I do the very least, sleep. 

What is the best part of your major?

The best part of my major is micro-teaching in MSSE. It is very enjoyable to teach deaf students and I used to be a teacher, so I am gaining valuable experience and skills that will be useful in the future.

What would surprise people to learn about you?

One thing that would surprise people to learn about me is that I already have been to 25 states in the U.S.!

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

During my time off, I enjoy working on a small project called “Tay Noi Mat Nghe,” which is based in Vietnam. I enjoy the process of brainstorming and recording video content for Deaf Vietnamese children. I am also involved in teaching Zoom classes within this project.