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Winners of the President and Provost’s Research Excellence Awards for FY 2025 are two faculty-led projects focused on emerging technologies. The awards, respectively, go to Drs. Kenneth DeHaan and Abraham Glasser to support their project, “Smart DeafSpace: Innovative and Interactive Technological Sensoryscapes,” and Drs. Geoffrey Whitebread, Kathleen Wood, and Pamela Collins, for “Generative AI Tools for Language Equity for Deaf and Non-Native English Students and Professionals.”

Headshot of man with facial hair standing in a front of a tree with orange leaves.
Dr. Kenneth DeHaan, associate professor of American Sign Language, School of Language, Education, and Culture
Headshot of man with facial hair standing outside in front of some columns.
Dr. Abraham Glasser, assistant professor, Accessible Human-Centered Computing program, School of Science, Technology, Accessibility, Mathematics, and Public Health

The grants were introduced in October 2023 to inspire Gallaudet University researchers to develop projects that dismantle traditional barriers to inclusion and support meaningful career opportunities for Gallaudet students. As required by the stipulations of the awards, both projects emphasize the use of sign language in arts, technology, or education, while fostering collaborations that showcase the University’s creative contributions to both the deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, and hearing communities, as well as embodying Gallaudet Promise imperatives of bilingual mission, belonging and equity, and innovation for impact. They demonstrate, once again, what Gallaudet is doing, not only to make the world a better place for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people, but what the University is contributing to the body of knowledge in numerous disciplines.

“Smart DeafSpace: Innovative and Interactive Technological Sensoryscapes” presents the concept of “Smart DeafSpace,” a pioneering initiative aimed at enhancing accessibility and interaction for Deaf, Deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals through the integration of advanced smart technologies, according to the project abstract.

Headshot of woman wearing a blue shirt
Dr. Pamela Collins, assistant professor, Interpretation and Translation, School of Language, Education, and Culture

DeHaan said this means that the researchers are taking the idea of DeafSpace and modifying the concept to fit today’s technologically integrated world by turning a DeafSpace into a “Smart” DeafSpace. “Consumers will be able to sign, for example, ‘Hey Siri, what’s the weather like this afternoon?’,’ or ‘Hey Siri, please call mom (starts a VRS call),’ etc.,” DeHaan explains. “The best part is, it’s all done by radio frequencies, so there is 100% privacy and no need for cameras, which is a common concern, in terms of privacy.”

Headshot of man in blue polo shirt seated in a chair.
Dr. Geoffrey Whitebread, associate professor, Public Affairs, School of Civic Leadership, Business, and Social Change

Through collaboration with Deaf community technology users, the research team aims to create a scalable model for future smart environments that prioritize user agency and cultural relevance. Smart DeafSpace is not limited to the users’ homes, creating a significant innovation for impact for the Deaf community. The technologies being developed from this project will allow users to interact with smart technologies, including their own personal devices, such as an iPhone or Android, leading to private, sign language devices of the near future.

Joining DeHaan and Glasser on the FY 2025 President’s Research Excellence Award project are research team members Raja Kushalnagar, Department of Accessible Human-Centered Computing, Gallaudet University; Darrin Griffin, Department of Communication Studies, University of Alabama; Chris Crawford, Department of Computer Science, University of Alabama; and Sevgi Gurbuz, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University.

Headshot of woman with glasses wearing a gray shirt and a black cardigan.
Dr. Kathleen Wood, professor of English, School of Language, Education, and Culture

The goal of “Generative AI Tools for Language Equity for Deaf and Non-Native English Students and Professionals,” according to the project’s research team, is to create a public scholarship about using artificial intelligence for greater language equity. As demonstrated with tools such as Grammarly, AI can be a powerful force to improve written communication. The team believes that Generative AI takes this potential for improvement and equity to the next level. They seek to maximize this benefit for the students and professionals Gallaudet serves. The end project of the FY 2025 Provost’s Research Excellence Award will be a website available to the public with resources for teaching/learning how diverse groups of Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, and Deaf+ individuals can smartly and ethically use AI to improve language equity.

Dates for both projects are 12/2/24 to 09/30/25, although DeHaan and Glasser say they intend to continue their study after securing extramural funding.

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