Continuing our celebration of Gallaudet鈥檚 Deaf Studies 30th Anniversary, we spotlight several alumni of the Bachelor鈥檚 and Master鈥檚 degree programs. Read below to be inspired and amazed by the accomplishments of these thinkers and changemakers. From Japan to Germany, and New York to right here on campus, these DST alumni demonstrate how their academic background has helped them positively impact their communities.聽

Drew Budai

Bachelor鈥檚 in Deaf Studies in 2000

British Sign Language instructor

After taking Introduction to Deaf Studies with Dr. Arlene B. Kelly, 鈥�77 & G-鈥�92, Budai was hooked. 鈥淚 told her that I wanted to take more courses,鈥� says Budai, who threw himself into learning as much about Deaf history as possible. 鈥淗er encouragement and support gave me confidence and pride in Deaf Culture and my own abilities.鈥� It also taught him to place Deaf culture and the rights of Deaf people at the center of everything he does.

In his senior year, Budai worked at the 黑料老司机 Archives, which led to a position as a digital collections technician there for three years. He and his partner then moved to Liverpool, England, where he learned British Sign Language (BSL). Drawing on his DST training, he was determined to support the Deaf community and provide services to Deaf people. So he began to teach BSL and served as a support worker for vulnerable Deaf people in Liverpool. 鈥淚t was a great opportunity to learn about the UK Deaf Culture and the unique history of the Liverpool Deaf Community,鈥� he says.

In May of 2021, Budai moved to Scotland, where he now teaches BSL as well as a Deaf Awareness Course for medical, legal, and other professionals.

Living abroad has emphasized to Budai that every country has its own deaf community. 鈥淭hey are all unique even as they share many common challenges,鈥� says Budai, who wants to see Deaf Studies take a closer look at LGBTQIA issues, Deaf Indigenous people, and other international Deaf communities.

Ardavan Guity

Bachelor鈥檚 in Deaf Studies in 2016

Director of Deaf Studies Department, Ohlone College

At the age of 9, Guity 鈥� a native of Tehran, Iran 鈥� saw a photograph of Chapel Hall. He was fascinated with the idea of an all-signing place so far away. 鈥業 realized I wanted to specialize in Deaf things,鈥� says Guity, who dedicated himself to advocacy, deaf youth camps, and conferences in Iran. 鈥淏ut I had a sense that something was out there that I was missing.鈥� In 2011, he went to the World Federation of the Deaf Congress in Durban, South Africa, where he was drawn to the familiar image of Chapel Hall  at the Gallaudet booth. In January 2013, he finally saw it in person on his way to registration as an English Language Institute student. 

When he was deciding his major, he saw that Deaf Studies was an option, but he did not know what that meant until he had a meeting with program chair Kelly. 鈥淪he explained everything and I was so excited. ASL, linguistics, culture, etc. 鈥� that curriculum was exactly what I wanted,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e need to know about ourselves, and study ourselves, before we can educate others. I always had so many questions and then that program helped me answer them.鈥�

Courses with Kelly, Bahan, Dr. Carolyn McCaskill, 鈥�77, G-鈥�79, & PhD 鈥�05, and others gave Guity a Deaf framework that allowed him to appreciate his culture and language in new ways. 鈥淲hen I started in DST, there was so much rich info I wanted to share with others in Iran,鈥� he says. He established a social media platform in 2014 to educate Deaf Iranians, which met with some initial resistance. 鈥淧eople didn鈥檛 want to even believe that Esharani (Sign Language of Iran) was indeed a language,鈥� he notes. However, this resistance has abated over time.

After obtaining his BA, Guity continued his studies at Gallaudet and became the first Deaf Iranian with a doctorate in linguistics. In the meantime, he had various jobs on campus, including as an adjunct instructor and the Gesture Lab manager. He also penned The Deaf Book with Sara Siyavoshi that touched upon Deaf culture, linguistics, and sign language.  Published in Farsi in 2020, the book is now in its fifth reprinting.

Today, Guity is the director of the Deaf Studies Department at Ohlone College in Fremont, California.  Additionally, he continues to teach online on weekends for the Fereshtegaan International Branch of the Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran, where his Deaf sister is the first Deaf faculty member to be hired.

Guity’s dream is to establish a network of DST programs 鈥� in Iran and around the world 鈥� where community members can recognize that although they can learn from the U.S., they should not ignore their distinct identity. 鈥淢y fear is that countries don鈥檛 value their language and culture,鈥� he says. 鈥淒eaf studies is the heartbeat that makes everything else function well.鈥� 

Megumi Kawakami

Bachelor鈥檚 in Deaf Studies in 2011

Sign Language interpreter

Growing up in Okinawa, Japan, her parents and other deaf leaders in the community were Kawakami鈥檚 role models. But when she arrived at Gallaudet, her role models expanded to include esteemed deaf faculty and academics. 鈥淚鈥檇 observe and admire one person鈥檚 teaching approach, another鈥檚 signing style, another鈥檚 skill set. Then in the future, those role models formed my own identity and what I brought to the world as I engaged with it,鈥� says Kawakami, who went on to earn a master鈥檚 in interpretation, and is now a sought-after deaf interpreter working across American Sign Language, International Sign, and Japanese Sign Language in high-level international settings. She also does community-based interpreting, DeafBlind Interpreting, and presents and teaches different topics in the interpretation field.

鈥淭he more I look back on my experience there, the more I honor and appreciate it,鈥� Kawakami says. During her training at Gallaudet, she developed tools that give her the confidence to approach any professional situation and interact with different kinds of people. 鈥淲hen you have an academic foundation, you are more able to respect others. It鈥檚 so easy to stereotype people based on hearing status or skin color rather than thinking about them as an individual. By seeing people more abstractly, we consider identity with more respect,鈥� she says. Taking a class with instructor Lindsay M. Dunn, 鈥�85, was especially meaningful for Kawakami, who appreciated his advocacy for more representation of diversity in Deaf spheres. 

Through her Deaf Studies coursework, Kawakami gained an in-depth understanding of theories of oppression. This in turn improved her collaborative efforts with her hearing colleagues, ultimately enhancing her interpretation work. Deaf Studies also helped Kawakami explore her own multiple identities as well as the intersection of deaf culture with Japanese and Okinawan cultures.

In her work, she recognizes herself in people struggling with very powerful emotions that can hinder their life鈥檚 journeys 鈥� Kawakami says she was the same way until she was able to unpack a lot of this through the analytical and academic lenses she learned from DST. 鈥淎nywhere I go on a daily basis, I meet hearing people. This is the world we live in. It鈥檚 important to keep yourself rooted in a strong deaf identity and culture,鈥� she says.

And it鈥檚 important to keep Deaf Studies growing at Gallaudet. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much rich history, many amazing leaders worldwide, and people who did great work,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e need to keep that knowledge and pass it on to children in the future to keep those traditions, knowledge, and information alive.鈥�

Ryan Commerson

Master鈥檚 in Deaf Studies in 2008

Film Producer & Strategist

Both Deaf Gain and DeafSpace were born while Commerson was here at Gallaudet, giving him a front row seat to the incredible development of the Deaf Studies field. 鈥淭he transformative growth that happened during those two years with DST was what gave me the wings to get to where I am today,鈥� says Commerson, who served on architect Hansel Bauman鈥檚 team, which incorporated deaf experience into design.

The vision, guidance, and curiosity of his professors and classmates encouraged him to look at the world differently. 鈥淸They] opened my mind to the possibilities beyond my previous disability framework-induced victim mentality and commanded that I molt into a new being,鈥� he says. 鈥淯pon graduation, I saw the world differently and moved with a purpose.鈥� 

After graduation, Commerson founded a non-profit, Facundo Element, which actively worked to reframe and reposition Deaf communities. After leading film production for Communication Services for the Deaf, Commerson developed his relationship with Sorenson Communications, where he has climbed the ranks as Director of Marketing, Vice President of Brand Marketing, and now as Competitive Intelligence and Product Strategist. He is behind several iconic short films, including on the contributions and potential of Gallaudet students.

Commerson has many fond memories from his time at Gallaudet, studying the nature of language, considering the theories of philosophers Michel Foucault and Louis Althusser, and spending late nights at Cafe Berlin with classmates discussing 鈥渢he simplicity of transforming the world.鈥� But there鈥檚 one moment that stands out: 鈥淚 was in the library working through microfiches looking for something for my MA Thesis and stumbled upon Stuart Hall’s lecture on 鈥楻epresentation and the Media鈥� by Sanjay Talreja. This film connected all the dots for me and helped me complete my thesis film: “Media, Power, & Ideology: Re-presenting D-E-A-F.鈥�

Deaf Studies has matured with discoveries, and now Commerson wants to see the next stage in its evolution. 鈥淔or a long time, DST was purely theoretical. It is now ready for the real game: tangible application to life,鈥� he says. It is time to use the Deaf Studies lens to rewrite Deaf education policies and overall pedagogy, address phonocentrism in workplaces, and enlighten hearing people. He says the Deaf Studies program 鈥渙ffers gold nuggets for the entire hearingkind on the ways its innovative future cannot exist effectively without the discoveries made within the space of deaf-way-of-being.鈥�

Larry Gray, Ed.D.

Bachelor鈥檚 in Deaf Studies in 2001, Master鈥檚 in Deaf Studies in 2006

Professor

鈥淲hen I took Deaf History with Dr. Susan Burch, she reminded us to ask who is missing when reading about Deaf history and Deaf culture,鈥� Gray remembers. 鈥淭oo often, marginalized Deaf people are not included in research and dialogues.鈥� It is a question that has stuck with Gray, a Deaf gay Latino man, who appreciates that Deaf Studies gave him the opportunity to explore these identities.

It is also something he thinks about in the classroom today. The undergraduate and graduate programs in Deaf Studies served as a foundation for his doctoral studies, and currently, Gray is a tenured professor at Anne Arundel Community College in the World Languages department. 

鈥淭he DST program taught me relevant knowledge and skills needed for my career,鈥� he says. In addition to academic training, it gave him the chance to meet people, try new things, and develop more confidence.

Gray continues to draw on his Deaf Studies background as he observes changes in how people are communicating. He says that with the rise of social media and increased access to information and technology, Deaf people and Deaf culture are evolving. 鈥淭herefore, I remind myself that not everyone will fit into specific boxes and to be open to new identities, backgrounds, and stories,鈥� he says.  

At the DST 30th Anniversary Symposium, Gray was pleased to see that the Program has expanded to include the Center for Black Deaf Studies and Casa Nuestra, and has developed a global focus. 鈥淚 would like to see more international Deaf people study DST to arm themselves with tools and skills necessary for their countries and elevate the Deaf communities globally,鈥� he says.

Monica Keller-Kn枚rzer

Bachelor鈥檚 in Deaf Studies in 2012

PhD Student

Berlin, Germany is where you can currently find Keller-Kn枚rzer, who is pursuing doctoral studies remotely with the University of Arizona in linguistics with a focus area incorporating language planning and policy. She maintains her cultural connection between the United States and Europe with dual citizenship.

Her globetrotting career began with the DST program at Gallaudet, which set her up with an internship in the Marshall Islands. This immersive experience laid the groundwork for her commitment to elevating education for Deaf people worldwide, especially in remote areas. Back on campus, DST events with international lecturers and teachers inspired her to keep exploring and building bridges across communities. 鈥淭oday, my career spans the global stage, including a four-year term with the World Federation of the Deaf鈥檚 Expert Group under the Sign Language Education branch,鈥� she says.

In her various roles as a linguist, consultant, and teacher, she finds herself engaging with her Deaf Studies background. 鈥淚t is a lens into the cultural intricacies of the Deaf experience, one that has propelled my work and advocacy worldwide,鈥� Keller-Kn枚rzer says. 鈥淭he DST program taught me to view language not merely as a tool for communication but as a formidable means of advocacy and empowerment. This perspective has been invaluable in navigating cross-cultural interactions and ensuring that language accessibility remains at the core  of my work.鈥�

DST鈥檚 vibrant leaders and changemakers have also had a profound impact on her life and perspectives. One course that left a lasting impression on Keller-Kn枚rzer was Deaf Women鈥檚 Studies with Kelly. 鈥淗er dedication to preserving and celebrating the contributions of Deaf women helped me appreciate the resilience and impact of this community in shaping Gallaudet鈥檚 history,鈥� she says. 

Looking to the future, Keller-Kn枚rzer would like to see Deaf Studies emphasize a more global approach. 鈥淥ffering courses on various sign languages at Gallaudet could be a powerful step toward fostering respect and understanding for the rich tapestry of Deaf cultures worldwide,鈥� she says.

Melissa Malzkuhn

Master鈥檚 in Deaf Studies in 2008

Leader, digital strategist, and storyteller

A familiar face on the Gallaudet campus, Melissa Malzkuhn 鈥�04, G-鈥�08, is the founder and director of Motion Light Lab (ML2), a lab using technology and storytelling tools to create sign language learning and literacy materials for deaf children. Embodying the interdisciplinary nature of the Deaf Studies field, Malzkuhn blends her experience and knowledge in community activism and mobilization, creating new ASL learning experiences, utilizing the power of storytelling, and understanding language acquisition. Oh, and she鈥檚 also an , , part of the cohort, and winner of the Elevate Prize.

鈥淚 got to where I am now by believing in the greatness of Deaf centric stories and by exploring possibilities with emerging technologies, from a signer perspective,鈥� she says. 

The Deaf Studies program gave her a foundational understanding of Deaf history, culture, philosophy, ideology, and narratives, and Deaf peoples鈥� roles in them, which she continues to build upon as a Deaf person today. 鈥淏y seeing how our lives and especially our history were shaped in the past, it gave me a sense of certainty in how we should design equitable futures for all, and protect the human rights of deaf children,鈥� she explains.

Malzkuhn had her first experience at a film festival through the DST program, where she won the Judges Choice Award and Audience鈥檚 Vote awards for Tara鈥檚 Story, a short documentary on the 2006 Gallaudet protest. After graduating from the program, she became the first managing editor of the Deaf Studies Digital Journal, and her MA thesis led to the establishment of Deaf Youth USA (DYUSA), now known as the National Association of the Deaf鈥檚 Youth Section. 鈥淭his program creates leaders,鈥� she says. 

She admires her dedicated DST professors, who designed incredible courses, and says she benefited hugely from discussions with her cohort. 鈥淲e talked a lot about narrative frameworks, and how being Deaf is perceived in our everyday society and the media,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t is difficult to be a strong storyteller creating a narrative shift if you do not understand all the factors in play. By understanding influences, and context, we are better positioned to build our narratives and shape our community in impactful and positive ways.鈥� 

Laura Mauldin

Master鈥檚 in Deaf Studies in 2005

Professor

Writer and scholar Dr. Laura Mauldin credits her masters in Deaf Studies with introducing her to a new way of critically thinking and analyzing the world. 鈥淚t’s wonderful and unique as an experience. There is literally nothing like it in the world,鈥� she says.

Learning theories and critiques of the deaf experience, and disability experiences more broadly, allowed her to dive deep into research. 鈥淎fter I did my thesis on the experiences of deaf and queer individuals, and found that they had to resist medicalization and pathologization on multiple fronts, I realized I wanted to know more,鈥� Mauldin says. 

DST faculty, including Drs. Dirksen Bauman and Ben Bahan, 鈥�79, encouraged her to continue her studies, and she obtained her PhD in Sociology from the City University of New York. Now she is a tenured professor in the Department of Social and Critical Inquiry at the University of Connecticut, where she studies ableism, the lack of support for caregivers, and the care crisis. Her 2016 book, , was on the consequences of cochlear implant technology, and she is currently working on her forthcoming book, You Are the One, to be released in early 2026. She is also a nationally certified sign language interpreter.

Mauldin believes Deaf Studies has to view itself not as being applicable to only a specific community, but be simultaneously specific and universal. 鈥淯nderstanding ableism, and the specific form of audism that it takes, has something to tell us about the world more broadly, about who we value and who we don’t, about how even in marginalized communities there are other forms of oppression co-occurring, shaping all of us uniquely,鈥� she says. She poses key questions for the field to ponder: 鈥淲hat might people who have no interest in Deaf Studies per se get out of the scholarship and thinking in this field? How do we make our ideas portable?鈥�

Mauldin has been profoundly changed because of the program and hopes others can be too. She maintains her connection to the university through friends and by sending her child to ASL Camp Discovery. 鈥� It’s joyful for me to be able to share Gallaudet with her,鈥� she adds.