People

Dr. Lorna Quandt is the director of Action and Brain Lab at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. She serves as Co-Director of the VL2 Research Center alongside Melissa Malzkuhn. Dr. Quandt is an Associate Professor in the Ph.D. in Educational Neuroscience (PEN) program and is also the Science Director of the Motion Light Lab. Dr. Quandt founded the Action & Brain lab in early 2016. Before that, Dr. Quandt obtained her BA in Psychology from Haverford College and a PhD in Psychology, specializing in Brain & Cognitive Sciences, from Temple University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, working with Dr. Anjan Chatterjee. Her research examines how knowledge of sign language changes perception, particularly visuospatial processing. Dr. Quandt is also pursuing the development of research-based educational technology to create new ways to learn signed languages in virtual reality.

You can view her CV here, and access a list of her publications on PubMed or Google Scholar.

She can be contacted at lorna.quandt at gallaudet.edu.

Dr. Md Shahinur Alam is a postdoctoral associate in the Action and Brain Lab under the Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2) Center at Gallaudet University, where he also collaborates with the Motion Light Lab. He is primarily engaged in the NSF-funded project Signing Avatars & Immersive Learning (SAIL 2.0), focused on developing an innovative virtual reality game called ASL Champ! This game features an animated signing avatar and a deep learning-based feedback system, designed to create a fun, interactive way to learn American Sign Language (ASL).

Dr. Alam earned his Ph.D. in Information and Communication Engineering from Chungbuk National University, South Korea, in 2021. His doctoral research included developing a pen-and-paperless air-writing and gesture-based writing system in a virtual environment. Additionally, he worked on enhancing image super-resolution technology, which improved the viewing capacity of microscopes by eight times beyond their physical limits. Before his Ph.D., he completed his B.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering from Jashore University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, in 2014.

Dr. Alam has published over 40 journal and conference papers in deep learning, human-computer interaction, and immersive technologies. He has served as a reviewer for more than 30 academic journals, reviewing over 150 research articles. His work has been recognized with several best paper and demo awards at prestigious conferences. Outside of his academic pursuits, Dr. Alam enjoys playing guitar, traveling, and writing. Please visit his personal website, Linked In,  Researchgate, Google Scholar, and WebofScience profile for more information.

Melody Schwenk is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Educational Neuroscience at Gallaudet University. Her research explores spatial cognition and psycholinguistics, with a focus on how American Sign Language (ASL) acquisition impacts spatial perspective-taking and neural plasticity. With a strong background in psychology and Deaf education, she holds degrees from Stony Brook University, Columbia University, and Hunter College. A recipient of the NIH F31 NRSA award, Melody is dedicated to studying the cognitive and neural mechanisms that support language development in both hearing and deaf populations. Outside of her academic pursuits, Melody enjoys spending time with her four dogs and engaging in creative activities like crochet, puzzles, and origami.

Joseph Palagano is a third-year student in the Ph.D. in Educational Neuroscience program and a second-year graduate research assistant in the Action and Brain Lab. Stemming from Villa Rica, Georgia, Joseph attended Gallaudet University for his undergraduate education, studying History and Deaf Education. His research agenda primarily centers on the neuroscientific and educational impacts of language brokering in the deaf community.

Deanna Dunlop is a first-year Ph.D. student in Hearing, Speech, and Language Sciences at Gallaudet University. Her research pertains to the similarities and differences between signers and speakers using EEG. Currently, she is working on how American Sign Language Phonology is represented in the brain and the processing speed of different phonetic features.  Outside of school, she likes to crochet, make clothes, and learn new crafting skills.