Caroline Pezzarossi

Dr. Kobek Pezzarossi has known since she was 12 years old she wanted to go into the field fo psychology. After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Lenoir-Rhyne University, she worked as an employment consultant for people with developmental disabilities. After two years she returned to school, this time as a graduate student at the University of Arkansas where she earned her Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling for People who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She worked as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the state of Indiana. Her specialization was within the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In realizing she still had a dream of an advanced degree in psychology, Dr. Kobek Pezzarossi then enrolled at Gallaudet University in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program where she also earned a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology.

Dr. Kobek Pezzarossi is now the director for Institutional Effectiveness & Certification at Gallaudet University. She leads the accreditation, licensure, state authorization, assessment and certification activities for Gallaudet; serves as the accreditation liaison officer for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and oversees and serves as a resource for professional accreditation throughout the University.

Dr. Kobek Pezzarossi was a 2021-2022 Leadership Fellow with the American Council on Education (ACE). She was hosted by Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania and her mentors were President Julie E. Wollman, Ph.D and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff Kathryn J. Herschede, Ph.D.

She is also a professor with the Gallaudet University psychology program. Her areas of teaching include Human Sexuality, Psychology of Gender, Social Psychology, and Abnormal Psychology. Dr. Kobek Pezzarossi focuses her research in intimate partner violence (IPV) and the impact of the media on mental health within the Deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf Disabled, and Hard of Hearing (DDBDDHH) community.