Congressman Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) Appointed to Gallaudet University Board of Trustees

Announcement made at the Kansas School for the Deaf as part of a panel presentation on student leadership

OLATHE, Kan. — August 31, 2011 — Gallaudet University today announced that Representative Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) has been appointed to its Board of Trustees.

Chartered in 1864 by President Abraham Lincoln, Gallaudet University is the world’s only liberal arts university for the deaf and hard of hearing that offers a bilingual learning environment in American Sign Language and English. The university is located in Washington, D.C., within walking distance of the U.S. Capitol.

In accordance with the Education of the Deaf Act, Rep. Yoder was appointed to the university’s Board of Trustees by Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner (R-Ohio).

“Gallaudet University is pleased to welcome Congressman Yoder to its board of trustees,” said Gallaudet University Board of Trustees Chair Benjamin J. Soukup who made the announcement. “Congressman Yoder’s leadership qualitie will be an asset to our Board of Trustees as it helps guide the university in meeting the needs of present and future generations of students.”

Yoder’s appointment was announced at a panel presentation on the importance of student leadership held at the Kansas School for the Deaf (KSD) and with the school’s Student Body Council. Yoder, who was once president of the student body at the University of Kansas, commented on the importance of student leadership.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be appointed to the Board of Trustees for Gallaudet University,” said Congressman Kevin Yoder. “The 3rd District has a large and dynamic deaf community, including our own premier educational institution, the Kansas School for the Deaf. It is my goal that through this position at Gallaudet, I can be an advocate for our deaf students and the deaf community here at home and throughout the country.”

Yoder and Dr. Soukup were joined on the panel by Gallaudet President T. Alan Hurwitz, the university’s 10th president. In his remarks, Dr. Hurwitz noted, “Many alumni from both Gallaudet and KSD have gone on to lives of achievement and purpose — and many of those alumni were former student leaders.” Hurwitz thanked the members of the KSD Student Body Council for their commitment to service, as they “represent the next generation of leaders in the deaf community.”

Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals through American Sign Language and English. Gallaudet maintains a proud tradition of research and scholarly activity and prepares its graduates for career opportunities in a highly competitive, technological, and rapidly changing world.