Meet the new academic hires for 2025

Academic Affairs is thrilled to welcome these seven experts to Gallaudet this year! Read on to learn about their backgrounds, research interests, and a few fun facts.

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Shubhaganga Dhrruvakumar, Assistant Professor, HSLS

Dhrruvakumar, who holds a PhD in Audiology from the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, University of Mysore, first stepped foot in the United States earlier this year, when she arrived at Gallaudet. As an experienced audiology researcher, clinician, and educator, she was looking for opportunities that would allow for better communication with her deaf patients. “ASL is used vastly in the U.S.A., and I’m excited to learn more about it,” she says. “I discovered Gallaudet University’s programs and was impressed by its commitment to serving the Deaf and hard of hearing community.”

In her first few months here, Dhrruvakumar has focused on learning about the culture, intensively studying ASL, and setting up her lab, where she plans to look into attitudes about hearing loss. She is also working toward expanding accessible and inclusive audiologic care models. Her other research interests include auditory processing disorders, hearing aid technology and innovation, listening effort, and auditory rehabilitation across the lifespan. She is particularly passionate about integrating technology and evidence-based practices to improve patient outcomes. 

Dhrruvakumar strives to make her courses interactive to keep students engaged. She particularly loves getting hard questions. “If they ask, ‘What is the trend that’s happening,’ I can’t give them 10-year-old information,” she says. “I am learning every day.”

Dhrruvakumar firmly believes that no research idea is too small and no hearing aid fitting too complicated — except maybe before her morning coffee.

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Dr. Leah Geer, Director, Early Intervention Studies 

Geer, G-’10 & G-’25, joins Gallaudet as the Director of the Early Intervention Studies Graduate Programs, overseeing programs that Geer herself completed as a student (a Graduate Certificate and MA in Early Intervention Studies). A proud three-time Gallaudet alum, she also holds a doctorate in Linguistics from The University of Texas at Austin.

Geer is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and identifies as Latina. “I began my academic journey studying Kinesiology at New Mexico State University, where my interest in motor learning and development led me to Gallaudet’s MA in Linguistics program. There, I combined my passions for motor skill acquisition and signed language acquisition,” she says.

Geer is based in Sacramento, CA, and is a pro at keeping in touch with GU folks through email, text, and a Google Chat dedicated to non-residential faculty. And Zoom, of course. “I am fur-mom to Kyle (16-year-old Rat Terrier), Indigo (5-year-old pittie mix COVID rescue), and Taisie (17-year-old Seal-Point Siamese mix). If you can ever see light color fur on my clothes through Zoom, they’re to blame,” she says.

Geer is co-author of ASL at Home, a routine-based ASL curriculum for families with young deaf children. As part of this project, Geer offers expert consultation in early intervention, language planning, advocacy, and more. She is also a Content Expert for Language First where she creates ASL components of language therapy materials. Active in the broader community, Geer is a Commissioner for the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education (CCIE) and is a Board Member of the American Board of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (ABDHHS). 

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Farha Najah Hussain, Assistant Professor, SLP

Hussain was raised to appreciate all of the many different ways people communicate. As the child of Pakistani immigrants living in Canada, she spoke Urdu at home, and was immersed in French and English at school. So it came as a shock when she eventually realized that some of her loved ones were told to stick to just one language by speech-language pathologists or teachers. “There was this myth that bilingualism or multilingualism will cause difficulties for a person and there was a disregard of the harm on intergenerational dialogue when imposing monolingualism,” she says. After graduating from McGill University with a masters in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), she worked with d/Deaf youth in a clinic in Montreal — and noticed more patterns of linguistic injustice. This included insufficient research on the needs of these service-users. In 2019, Hussain organized a specialized knowledge exchange that brought her to Gallaudet to learn from SLP faculty and experts in other fields. 

All of these experiences helped inspire her doctoral dissertation, which asked Deaf/Hard of Hearing young adults who are Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color to reflect through the medium of digital collage on SLP services they have received and their preferred interactions with SLPs. “Art can tap into experiences, thoughts, and feelings that might not surface in formal language. It’s not just a way to communicate with a researcher, but also with themselves,” says Hussain, who found that participants craved therapy that emphasized ASL and Deaf culture while providing space to explore minoritized languages like Spanish, Black ASL, and alternatives to what is considered to be standard English. She plans to continue exploring how arts-based research can be used to collect and disseminate data.

Since earning her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences from New York University in 2024, Hussain has been doing postdoctoral research at Université Laval and served as an adjunct for online courses at Gallaudet. She is thrilled to be returning to campus this year to continue her contribution for a more fluid, Deaf-centered approach to SLP services. “Gallaudet is such a site of transformation and has a focus unlike any other,” Hussain says. She is looking forward to meeting people, finding ways to connect, and meaningfully contributing to the Gallaudet community, especially through art.

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Candace Jones, SLEC Educator

Jones, ’08, is a familiar face at Gallaudet. An alumna who has been staff since 2021, she previously served as the ASL Connect co-director and director of the Heritage Sign Languages Center. She is now an educator in the School of Language, Education, and Culture, teaching and mentoring students, leading curriculum, outreach, and program development initiatives, and conducting research on families’ beliefs about bilingualism and multilingualism to inform family language planning.

Jones is also set to join Gallaudet this fall as a Ph.D. candidate with a dual appointment in the American Sign Language (ASL) and Education programs. With a strong foundation in linguistics, Multiethnic Deaf Studies and critical pedagogy, Candace brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep commitment to advancing education and inclusion within the Deaf community.

At the heart of Candace’s academic journey is her passion for bilingual and multicultural education. Her previous research has explored the intersection of ASL linguistics through an intersectional lens that integrates sociolinguistic variation, racialized language practices, and principles of language justice, and educational best practices, with an emphasis on creating accessible learning environments for Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing students, as well as those with neurodiverse abilities. Candace’s diverse background includes teaching experience across K–12 and higher education settings, where she has utilized innovative, evidence-based strategies to foster student success and empower future educators.

Candace’s interdisciplinary expertise positions her to make a meaningful impact at Gallaudet University. She looks forward to contributing to research initiatives, engaging with students and faculty, and helping shape the future of ASL and Deaf education. Her vision is to support inclusive educational practices while promoting linguistic and cultural pride within the Deaf community—a mission that aligns profoundly with Gallaudet’s own values and legacy.

Written by Paige Franklin and Candace Jones 

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Damara Paris, Professor, Counseling 

Paris grew up in the Bay Area and in Oregon, where she now lives. 

Paris obtained her doctoral degree in Deaf Studies and Deaf Education from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a graduate degree in Rehabilitation Counseling with Persons who are Deaf, both from Western Oregon State College (now Western Oregon University). She comes to Gallaudet after a long career teaching in Deaf Education and Counselor Education programs at both these universities, and at Emporia State University (ESU) in Kansas. 

“My research interests include tribal communities in rehabilitation counseling settings, intersectionality of indigenous, female, and disabled populations, estrangement and Deaf individuals in the family, accessibility issues in higher education, Deaf individuals in incarcerated environments, and online teaching,” she says. 

In addition to teaching and directing higher education programs, Paris has managed a non-profit mental health agency, directed a telecommunications assistance program, and has been a national marketing director for a corporation. 

Paris is a nationally certified counselor, a certified rehabilitation counselor, and a licensed professional counselor in the state of Kansas. She has a certificate in eLearning and Online Teaching and has been a master reviewer for Quality Matters since 2016. She served as a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) liaison from 2018-2025, and directed CACREP programs from 2023-2025 at ESU. She is the current editor-in-chief of JADARA, and serves on the Commission for Rehabilitation Counseling Certification Education Committee.

And for fun? She says her hobbies involve seashell collecting and seashell artmaking, but also quilting, cross-stitching, science fiction books and movies, and “creating Pinterest fails.”

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Dwayne Redd, Executive Director, Maguire Academy of Risk Management and Insurance

After spending 27 years at State Farm Insurance, Redd wanted a new challenge. He got one this spring semester as he stepped in front of the classroom for the first time. “It was the highlight of my week every week,” says the D.C. native, who appreciates that students asked questions and tackled hot topics. “Our conversations got heated and I loved it. They would engage with each other and debate.”

Redd, who holds a bachelor’s in Marketing from Hampton University and a master’s in Business Management from Bowie State University, is looking forward to building on the successful RMI program model created by James Bruner. To steer students toward careers in insurance, he plans to link them up with internships and other opportunities that offer real world experience.

“I truly think it’s a wonderful industry that will stand the test of time,” he says. “We always need to find ways to protect our assets and our lives. You need someone to help you understand the risks and how to recover.” In the course of his career, Redd has worked in every aspect of the business, starting with selling policies, and then managing claims and payments. He later transitioned to handling public affairs and directing philanthropic efforts. Part of his portfolio included supporting educational efforts, including Gallaudet’s RMI program. “I always tried to find programs that helped students develop into who they want to be,” Redd adds.

If you spot him on campus, get prepared for a conversation. “I like to talk. It’s a gift and a curse,” he jokes.

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Rakesh Veerabhadrappa, Assistant Professor, SLP

With over ten years of clinical experience and more than five years of teaching graduate and postgraduate students in speech-language pathology, Veerabhadrappa looks forward to teaching, research, and collaborative clinical initiatives in fluency and voice. 

Veerabhadrappa received his Master’s and PhD degrees in Speech Language Pathology from the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), University of Mysore, India.

His research interests lie in understanding the underlying mechanisms of stuttering, with a focus on establishing empirical support for treatment approaches and exploring the emotional and psychosocial dimensions associated with fluency and voice disorders. He is particularly committed to cross-linguistic and multicultural perspectives in stuttering, with several of his studies conducted in the Indian context and among Kannada-speaking populations.

Veerabhadrappa has contributed to over 16 peer-reviewed articles, two book chapters, and four clinical manuals to the field, earning him six Best Paper Awards. He received the Travers Reid Award at the 2021 Oxford Dysfluency Conference in the UK and is the recipient of an extramural research grant from the AIISH for a project focusing on the affective, behavioral, and cognitive components of stuttering. Winning a competitive NIH Travel Grant allowed him to present his work at the joint world congress on stuttering and cluttering in Montreal, Canada, in 2022.

When he’s not busy with work, he enjoys cycling, trekking, camping, and watching movies. He has also been exploring the country, saying, “This summer, I had the chance to visit Detroit and Chicago, where I met some of my childhood friends from school. It was a wonderful experience exploring both cities and reconnecting after so many years.”