Student and Alumni Spotlights

Vodcast: Deaf Youth Disaster Experiences & Action

Vodcast description: Deaf youth leaders are generating attention to climate change issues and social injustices through taking action in their communities and on a global scale. This vodcast (video-cast) introduces two Deaf youth leaders, their disaster-related experiences, and their recommendations to address community, regional, and/or national needs and is co-produced by Gallaudet University and the Global Alliance for Disaster Resource Acceleration (GADRA). The vodcast episode is hosted by Ashley Inkumsah with the World Institute on Disability, and moderated by Neha Balachandran, a graduate student in Gallaudet University’s International Development MA program, who also holds a Master of Arts degree in Deaf Education. Guest presenters are Olufemi Ige (G-‘20 and G-‘21) and Ai Minakawa (M.A. Deaf Studies G-’21).

Jamison Oslund (G’23)

Jamison Oslund conducted his practicum experience in Fall 2021 with the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD). Jamison’s international development interests focused on inclusive higher education, particularly for college students with disabilities. By researching the accessibility services at the collegiate level in Norway, Croatia, and Belgium, Jamison has organized information that can assist future students with disabilities to access education in those countries. His work also establishes critical data for future research to build upon. By recognizing the disparities that people with disabilities face, Jamison’s passion for accessible higher learning has guided him to work toward equitable education for disabled people worldwide.

Habtamu Buli, G-’19

Habtamu Buli is FHI 360’s Disability Inclusion Technical Officer and has worked within the Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) Hub to increase disability inclusion across all aspects of FHI 360’s work. Buli interned with FHI 360 during his IDMA studies and went on to become their first Disability Inclusion Technical Officer. In this role and with the support of colleagues across the organization, Buli has created a ripple effect across the organization and international development field. FHI 360 is co-recipient of Inter Action’s Disability Inclusion Award, granted in 2021 to FHI 360 and MADRE. Click here to watch the award ceremony.

Olufemi Ige, G-’20

Olufemi Ige graduated from the IDMA program at Gallaudet in 2020 and currently works in Nigeria as the Project Manager for Deaf-E3, a project that works to strengthen Deaf Education, Empowerment and Employment for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals in Nigeria. As part of the Gallaudet in Nigeria Africa (GAIN) program, the Deaf-E3 project has been granted $2.05 million from USAID to bolster these efforts. Project activities include capacity building with the National Association of the Deaf, awareness raising with local development organizations, training modules to enhance education practice, and the establishment of a consortium of NSL interpreters and stakeholders in the education sector. This work is done in partnership with Wesley University–Ondo, Discovering Deaf Worlds, and the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities. The project launched on International Day of Sign Languages, where Olufemi led a lesson in Nigerian Sign Language (NSL).

MJ Jones, G-’19 presents their 2020 publication, “Where are My People? The Case for Culturally Competent Interpreters

MJ Jones (pronouns: they/them/theirs), a Southern California native, currently resides in the Washington, D.C. area. MJ’s intersectionalities include Black, first-generation Filipinx, masculine of center, sighted, and hearing. After graduating from California State University, Northridge with a B.A. in ASL-English Interpreting and a minor in Queer Studies, MJ graduated with their M.A in International Development at Gallaudet University. They are currently a Full-Time Freelance Interpreter and in the Sexuality and Gender Studies Certificate Program at Gallaudet University.

Click here to view a video of MJ’s publication.
Click here to view MJ’s publication.

Phoebe Tay, G-’17, presents her 2018 publication, “Being d/Deaf in Singapore: A Personal Reflection of Deaf Culture and Identity”

Click here to view Phoebe’s Synopsis

Click here to view Phoebe’s publication

Phoebe Tay is a Ph.D. student (IGP-Global Asia) in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Phoebe holds an M.A. in International Development and an M.A. in Linguistics from Gallaudet University. Her research interests include linguistic typology, linguistic anthropology, sociolinguistics and historical linguistics. She is particularly interested in exploring language ideologies, multilingualism, language shift, constructions of identity and variation, in the context of the Singapore Deaf Community.

Sandra Lopez, G’17, became the first deaf intern at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and completed an internship from February to June 2017 at UNDP headquarters in New York City.

Click here to read about her experience.

Yvonne Kato, the second IDMA student to intern with the United Nations, where she worked within the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH). Click here to learn about Kato’s journey to Gallaudet, why she entered the IDMA program, and some of her experiences in Thailand.

Jarvis Grindstaff 2019-20 Fulbright Research FellowshipGrindstaff (G’ 19, IDMA and MPA) is the first Gallaudet student Fulbright winner since 2010-2011. Grindstaff’s research project is titled “Social Inclusion and Technology Innovation: Examining the Impact of Communication Technologies for Deaf People’s Social Integration in Thailand.” Grindstaff’s project examines the development of the Thai Telecommunication Relay Service and its relationship to the Thai Deaf and disability rights movements.

Link here to learn more about Jarvis’s research and Fulbright experience.

Steph Niaupari and Dayamarali Espinosa (G’19 and G’20) featured as participants at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 2019 Leadership Conference. More information linked here: IDMA Alum and Student Ambassador Participate in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute 2019 Leadership Conference

Olufemi Ige (G’19) and Julia Mills (G’21) participated in the World Bank’s 30 Second Challenge – responding to the question, “How Can Youth with Disabilities Take Part in the Development Agenda?”. World Bank 30 second challenge videos: Julia, Olufemi

Gallaudet University’s International Development MA Program students Alexander (Alex) Mentkowski, Olufemi Ige, and Christine (Chrissie) Marshall reflect on their experience at the Society for International Development Career Fair 2020.

Click here to learn about their experiences.

IDMA students (G’20 cohort) interned abroad during the spring 2020 semester. Click here to learn from student interns’ experiences from their internship placements and their thoughts on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their work.