Ambitious, confident, homegrown: Sophomore Hiruni Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne excels at Gallaudet and beyond

When Hiruni Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne joined Kendall Demonstration Elementary School’s (KDES) Parent Infant Program as a baby in October 2007, no one knew it was the beginning of her star-studded career on Gallaudet’s campus. “I’ve been here ever since,” she says.

Now kicking off her sophomore year, Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne says she’s carrying forward the lessons she learned as a freshman to make this year a time of exploration. Focusing on the present and day-to-day, “I see this year as a chance to deepen my studies, strengthen my leadership skills, and step into new opportunities that challenge me in different ways,” she says.

Homegrown roots

At the beginning of 2007, Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne’s father, Chaminda Hewapathiranage, ’15 & G-’20, was studying in the ELI (English Language Institute) at Gallaudet when he learned about the early education program at KDES. Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne was with her mother in Sri Lanka, where she was born. “Dad was here alone, and he decided to bring the family together and move us to the United States,” she explains.

She continued on to Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), where she kept busy with cheer, basketball, working as a peer tutor, and in leadership roles in student body government, peer advisors, and Jr. NAD. But this all-rounder is most proud of her four years on MSSD’s Academic Bowl team, saying, “We won two national championships and two regional championships. The experience gave me a love for learning intricate details across many subjects and strengthened my confidence, teamwork, and resilience.”

Bringing energy to Gallaudet

Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne never imagined she would go to Gallaudet. After years on campus at KDES and MSSD, she had decided it was time for a change, but then chose to stay at the last moment. “I wanted to focus on what I wanted, not just what I needed. Accessibility and belonging were already here, and I realized I could also thrive in an environment with countless opportunities, strong networks, and a location surrounded by major institutions and organizations. In that sense, Gallaudet was actually the most optimal place for me to grow,” she says.

As a freshman, she quickly identified opportunities that built on her strengths and where she could make a contribution. Having experienced the thrill of a youth debate competition in high school, Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne decided to join Gallaudet’s debate team and took home a novice championship trophy that recognizes talented debaters in their first year of competition. Gallaudet’s Center for Democracy in Deaf America also awarded her with the Listen as if you’re wrong award, which goes to a debater who is “curious, open-minded & humble.”

She says the transformative experience “taught me not only how to grow as a student but also how to use dialogue as a way to spark change, even in small ways.” She believes she can apply some of those lessons to her new position as the Student Body Government’s Administrative Assistant, yet another role she’s sure to excel in.

Making moves with scientific research

As a Biology and Public Health major, science and research are a big part of Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne’s trajectory. “I was always interested in the human body and its biology, and I was curious about how it worked,” she says. This brought her to Gallaudet’s Center of Deaf Health Excellence (CDHE) while she was still at MSSD.

“Hiruni’s journey with the CDHE began remarkably early—she first started volunteering when she was still in middle school, and she came to me with an idea to develop a film about body image,” recalls Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar, ’93, Director of the CDHE, and Gallaudet’s Strategic Research Officer.

Kushalnagar supported Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne to create the film alongside former CDHE intern Elizabeth Linstaedt, ’21, but that was just the beginning of their relationship. Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne interned at CDHE for a semester during her senior year in high school, and was hired as a Research Assistant last year as a freshman.

The projects Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne is involved in have social justice and real-world implications. In the fall, she began working on Kushalnagar’s NIH U01 project, which trains community health navigators to guide deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing adults through cancer screenings. That spring, she joined a second project using AI and machine learning approaches to capture consent in American Sign Language (ASL). The NIH-funded G08 project is headed up by both Raja Kushalnagar and Poorna Kushalnagar. This year, Hiruni will join CDHE’s recently funded grant focused on AI and Women’s Health.

“I really enjoy collecting data, interacting with people, and engaging with different kinds of research questions,” says Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne. “I wrote some of a paper and got involved in the survey process. Through that experience, research has now become more of a viable possibility for my future,” she says. 

From campus lab to international stage

In the Kushalnagars’ AI project, Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne played a patient in a demonstration video, but then was honored with a different task: “I was asked if I wanted to present, and I said yes–it seemed like a great experience!” Not just any presentation. Raja Kushalnagar and Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne co-delivered the team’s talk in International Sign Language (ISL) at the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED) in Rome this past July.

Part of the team’s goal was to help conference attendees understand AI and its applications with regard to ASL, not only in health-related fields, but in education and many other fields. Global Gallaudet Co-Director Senda Benaissa, E-’05 was in the audience for the presentation and said, “Hiruni’s contribution was impressive and truly exemplified the kind of student excellence we are proud to showcase at Gallaudet. Her poise, clarity, and engagement during the presentation offered a strong model of our commitment to student-centered research and leadership on global stages.”

Luckily, she has many role models from whom to learn. She specifically points to her parents, who she says have supported her throughout her life, especially around education. “My dad is a teacher at Kendall School, and he’s sparked my own belief in the power of education.” She also points to “Dr. K [Poorna Kushalnagar]. She’s great–she shows that a South Asian female can drive research, set up different projects, and start from scratch to develop them into truly world-class work.” 

This year, Hewapathiranage-Mayadunne hopes “to continue building connections across campus and beyond, finding spaces where I can contribute meaningfully while also learning from others.” 

Clearly, it won’t be long before she’s a role model herself. 

Dig deeper into Hiruni’s world as you learn about Gallaudet’s Biology and Public Health programs, the Center for Deaf Health Excellence, the debate team, and Student Body Government. Hiruni is a proud alumna of Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and Model Secondary School for the Deaf.