Alphabetically ordered by the speakers' last names

Serena Alagappan is a PhD student in English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. She holds masters degrees in social anthropology and literature from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar, an MFA in Poetry from NYU, and an AB in Comparative Literature from Princeton. Her critical and creative writing has been published in Oxford Research in English, the James Joyce Quarterly, the New York Times, and POETRY. Her first book, Love over Language: The Search for Partial Universals, will be published by Duke University Press in 2027. She works as a senior editor at Poets & Writers.

Stefanie Amiruzzaman, Ph.D., is the ASL/Deaf Studies Coordinator and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Languages and Cultures at West Chester University in eastern Pennsylvania. Dr. Amiruzzaman teaches American Sign Language courses. She holds a Ph.D. in Evaluation and Measurement, an M.Ed. in Deaf Education, and a B.A. in American Sign Language, all from Kent State University in Ohio.

Benjamin Bahan has made significant contributions to Deaf Studies, ASL linguistics, and Deaf storytelling over several decades. Through his scholarship, leadership, and creative work, he has helped expand understanding of Deaf language, culture, and experience.

Early in his career, he worked alongside William C. Stokoe and Ursula Bellugi, experiences that shaped his academic direction. He later co-founded DawnSignPress and served as coordinator of the Deaf Studies Program at Boston University under Robert Hoffmeister. At Gallaudet University, he chaired the Deaf Studies Department, supporting the continued growth of the field.

Dr. Bahan co-authored Journey into the Deaf World and contributed linguistic research through The Syntax of American Sign Language: Functional Categories and Hierarchical Structure. He also co-wrote and co-directed Audism Unveiled and co-authored the recent release:  The American Sign Language Dictionary: Monolingual Edition.

In addition to his academic work, he is widely respected as a storyteller whose work has influenced generations within the Deaf community. His iconic work Bird of a Different Feather continues to resonate for its depth, ideological power, and unforgettable embodiment of a more-than-human character that reflects deeply human experiences of difference and normalization. His later creative works, including stories centered on the beloved character Bleeva, further demonstrate his unmatched ability to weave wisdom, humor, and cultural truth into story.

H-Dirksen L. Bauman holds a position in Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University, where he has served as the department's only hearing member since 1999.  During this time, he has served as the co-editor/producer of the book/DVD project, Signing the Body Poetic: Essays in American Sign Language Literature (U of California P, 2006); editor of Open Your Eyes: Deaf Studies Talking (U of Minnesota P, 2008); co-editor of Deaf-Gain: Raising the Stakes for Human Diversity (U of Minnesota P, 2014); co-author of Transformative Conversations: Mentoring Communities among Colleagues in Higher Education (Jossey Bass, 2013); co-director of the documentary film, Audism Unveiled (2008) and co-founding editor of the Deaf Studies Digital Journal, the world’s first peer-reviewed scholarly and creative arts journal in signed and written languages.

Kailee Bates is an American Sign Language interpreter from North Carolina, currently based in Washington, DC. She graduated from Gallaudet University in May 2025 with honors, majoring in interpretation with a minor in linguistics. Through the honors program, she explored ASL translation of literature for young adults in her capstone project. She is currently continuing this research into the process of translation and its application to older deaf students. Alongside this research, she is working on a job as a designated interpreter for a Deaf teacher, providing further insight into the resource gap.

Fred Michael Beam is an experienced performer with many acting/dancing credits. He is not a stranger in the field of ASL  In many parts of theater and ASL community he was Director of ASL for Kennedy Center, Arena Stage and  Open Circle Theater. He has taught ASL for First Baptist Church of Glenarden for numerous years and many community centers in the DC area. He also was ASL Consultant for many theater and stage projects. 

A dancer, director and choreographer, Beam has worked with the Gallaudet Dance Company, the National Deaf Dance Theatre, the DuPont Dance Company, the Penn Vision Dance Company and the Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts. He has performed around the globe, including in Africa, Australia, Egypt, England, France, Jamaica, Japan, Sweden, South America and the Virgin Islands. He also was choreographer for the production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Open Circle Theater in Washington, D.C.

He was executive director of Invisible Hands, Inc., which promotes deaf awareness through performing arts and was a founding member of The Wild Zappers, an all deaf male dance company. He also established Theater Arts Leadership Training for Deaf People of Color at Gallaudet University. Beam established the Black Deaf Expo and has hosted it since 2003, providing the Deaf Black Community the opportunity to stand proud, displaying their culture.

Beam also was a board member of Quest for Arts, Inc., the Governor's Advisory Committee on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities in Maryland and a former president of District of Columbia Black Deaf Advocates. For his outstanding work with the deaf community, Beam was chosen one of “Essence Magazine’s” Real Men of the Year, and has been “DEAF LIFE” magazine’s Deaf Person of the Month .

He was NTID Sunshine 2.0 Outreach Coordinator for nine years. He just performed the National Anthem and Lift Every Voice and Sing at Superbowl LX last February. Currently , he is working at Pennsylvania School for the Deaf as Transition Coordinator.

James Caverly (he/him) is best known for his captivating performance as Theo Dimas in the Emmy-winning TV series Only Murders in the Building. His credits include guest-starring roles on popular TV shows like Law & Order, Rescue HI: Surf, and Chicago Med. Broadway: Children of a Lesser God. Regional: The Music Man (Olney Theatre Center–Winner of the Helen Hayes Award), The Laramie Project (Deaf Austin Theatre), Rent (Lincoln Center), I Was Most Alive with You (Huntington Theatre Company), Tribes (Berkeley Rep, Studio Theatre). He is actively involved with the Deaf theater community, working with Deaf Broadway, National Theatre of the Deaf, New York Deaf Theatre, and Deaf Austin Theatre. He is the co-founder of Go Ahead, which is an incubator of new works by Deaf Playwrights. He frequently collaborates with Andrew Morrill, and together they have presented new works in Off-Off and Off-Broadway companies: Trash at JACK NY & IRT, Thank You Ryan for a Clean Microwave at Ars Nova, and If Dogs Talk at New York Theatre Workshop. His solo writing credits: Milan 1880, See/Hear/Speak No Beast, Civil Engagement, and A Better Place. @joeycaverly

Frances Conlin is Senior Preceptor and Director of the American Sign Language Program at Harvard University. She oversees curriculum development and teaches ASL at multiple levels. With a background in applied linguistics, Conlin is dedicated to advancing thoughtful and engaging ASL instruction.

The work of Peter Cook and Kenny Lerner is a beautiful and fascinating combination of American Sign Language (ASL), movement, visual theater, and above all, extraordinary poetry.  Deaf American Sign Language poet Peter Cook presents three dimensional imagery while collaborator Kenny Lerner’s spoken words allow the hearing portion of the audience to literally see the ASL image and become lost in the movement. Together they create a moving tapestry uniquely accessible to both deaf and hearing audiences. Two of the pioneers of ASL poetry, they have been at the center of this radical cultural movement since it’s modern inception in the early 1980s. Performing all over the world for over 40 years, they have helped to establish not only an artistic form (Deaf poetry in ASL) but also have contributed a new vision of poetry itself.

This collaboration commenced in 1984 when Cook and Lerner began performing poetry together. They soon established the only deaf poetry series in the U.S. at that time which culminated in the First National ASL Literature Conference in 1992. In performance, Flying Words was asked to close out the 36th Poetry international Festival in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. They have also been featured at the Poetry Days Festival (Dzejas Dienas,) in Latvia, Kent State University, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Harvard University, Theatre de Lucernaire in Paris, the Annikki Poetry Festival, Tampere, Finland, and many places in between. In addition, in 2019, Flying Words was proud to present the keynote address at the American Literary Translators Association Conference in Rochester, NY. Flying Words has been the recipient of grants from the New York State Council of the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Puffin Foundation and are the authors of four dvd anthologies.  

In addition to his poetry, Peter Cook is an internationally reputed Deaf storyteller who teaches in the American Sign Language Department at Princeton University. Kenny Lerner has also done work outside of Flying Words including his collaborations with Deaf Swedish poet, Debbie Rennie, with whom he is the co-author of several pieces including "Missing Children”. Lerner is a retired professor of history at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, NY.

Andrew Fisher is a Lector in the American Sign Language Program in the Linguistics Department at Yale University. He teaches ASL across multiple levels and brings a strong commitment to Deaf-centered language education. In addition to his academic work, Fisher is a writer and performer whose creative projects explore Deaf culture and storytelling.

Anita Harding is a faculty member in the Department of Interpretation and Translation at Gallaudet University. Her work advances sign language interpreter education through curriculum development, research, and global consultation. She centers intersectionality, social justice, and educational equity to promote accessible academic spaces and systemic transformation in higher education.

Ben Jarashow, MA is a Senior Lecturer at the Deaf Cultural Studies program in the department of Liberal Arts at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf/Rochester Institute of Technology.  His master’s thesis focused on developing criteria for a better quality of ABC storytelling.  He has also traveled all over the country giving ASL performances and workshops covering a wide range of topics in the ASL and Deaf Studies field.

Dr. Bridget Klein grew up in rural Wisconsin on her family’s dairy farm, an experience that shaped her deep appreciation for community, history, and storytelling. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Keuka College in 2003, concentrating in American Sign Language She went on to Gallaudet University, where she completed two master’s degrees–one in teaching sign language (2006) and another in Deaf Cultural Studies (2007)-along with a certificate in Deaf History. In 2022, she earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from American University. Dr. Klein has served for more than a decade as a faculty member in the ASL / English Interpreting program at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg campus. Her work is rooted in creativity, storytelling, and historical preservation.  She is especially passionate about collecting and digitizing photographs and archival materials to ensure Deaf histories remain visible and accessible for future generations. Her current research centers on LGBTQIA2S+ Deaf adults over the age of 60, exploring their lived experiences, community histories, and the preservation of their narratives.

Andrew Morrill (he/him) is an Obie-winning theatermaker and actor. He recently directed the artistic sign language in Levi Holloway’s Grey House on Broadway, and the critically acclaimed Dark Disabled Stories (The Public Theater) by Ryan J. Haddad and directed by Jordan Fein, which earned him the Obie’s Michael Feingold Award. He has worked as DASL on Titus Andronicus (The Apothetae & The Public), Hamlet (Deaf West & Fiasco Theater), Oedipus (Deaf West & Getty Villa), and This Moment (Prospect Theater Company).

His selected acting credits include Trash (Out of the Box Theatrics), Oedipus (Deaf West & Getty Villa), Company (Deaf Broadway at The Lincoln Center), The Christians (Phamaly Theatre), and the Vanderburgs’ Dancing Girl (SheNYCArts). He received a Helen Hayes nomination for Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical for portraying Mayor Shinn in The Music Man (Olney Theatre Center). He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. www.amorrill.com

He is a co-founder of a new company, Go Ahead, which elevates and fosters new works by Deaf artists in the American theatre. He frequently collaborates with James Caverly, and together they have presented new works in Off-Off and Off-Broadway companies—Trash at JACK NY & IRT, Thank You Ryan for a Clean Microwave at Ars Nova, and If Dogs Talk.

Nora Owen is a Preceptor in American Sign Language at Harvard University and a Lecturer at Boston University. She teaches ASL across multiple proficiency levels. She is committed to inclusive language education and has been recognized for her service to the ASL teaching community, including her contributions to the Dr. Barbara Kannapell Project: LGBTQIA+ in ASL Education, honored at the American Sign Language Teachers Association Conference in 2023.

Russell S. Rosen, Ph.D., is currently the Coordinator of the Program in American Sign Language and Program in Disability Studies at the City University of New York College of Staten Island. He received his BA degree in Anthropology from the University of Chicago and Ph.D. in Education from Columbia University. Publications and research interests are in the anthropology and history of deaf people and their communities and cultures, applied linguistics of American Sign Language, including second-language acquisition, instruction, curriculum, and assessment, and disability studies. Rosen has published three books. They are Learning American Sign Language in high school: Motivation, strategies, and achievement (2015, Gallaudet University Press). He also edited Teaching and learning signed languages: International perspectives and practices (2014, with David and Rachel McKee, Palgrave Macmillan), and The Routledge handbook of sign language pedagogy (2019, Taylor and Francis). He has published works and refereed submissions in journals such as The Modern Language Journal, Language Learning, Language Teaching Research, Disability and Society, Sign Language Studies, Senses and Society, Disability Studies Quarterly, Sign Language and Linguistics, Applied Psycholinguistics, Second Language Research, and American Annals of the Deaf. He has presented at conferences such as the American Anthropological Association, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, the American Association of Geographers, the Deaf Studies Conference, the International Conference on Sign Language Acquisition, the American Sign Language Teachers Association Conference, and many others. Dr. Rosen also served on editorial boards of the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, the American Annals of the Deaf, and the Society of American Sign Language Journal.

Lynnette Taylor, Stephanie Feyne, and Candace Broecker Penn, co-authors of Sign Language Interpreting for Theatre: A Collaborative Approach, are veteran theatre interpreters for On-and Off-Broadway, ground their work in a teamed collaborative approach. Curriculum developers and core instructors for the annual national “Interpreting for the Theatre” Seminar sponsored by the Theatre Development Fund and the Juilliard School in New York City, they continue their work providing training and interpreting in a variety of settings, including theatre, film, and TV, both in front of the audience and behind the scenes.

Nozomi Tomita is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Linguistics and Preceptor in the American Sign Language Program at Harvard University. Her research focuses on signed language structure, discourse, and iconicity, with work published in Language and Cognition and Sign Language Studies. She teaches ASL across proficiency levels and is interested in how linguistic theory can inform effective ASL pedagogy and literature instruction.