Raja Kushalnagar

I am a Professor in the School of Science, Technology, Accessibility, Mathematics and Public Health at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. I am also a Director of the Bachelor of Science Information Technology program, and Co-Director of the Accessible Human-Centered Computing Program  Our IT and AHCC program has grown rapidly in the past few years.

I primarily teach human-centered computing with a focus on accessible computing, and application development courses. I also teach cybersecurity related courses at both the introductory and specialized levels.

My research interests encompass the fields of accessible computing and accessibility/intellectual property law, with the goal of improving information access for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. In the accessible computing field, I investigate information access disparities between hearing and deaf. For example, I investigate how deaf individuals acquire information through speech-to-text, e.g., enhanced captions that provide visual cues to non-speech information.

In the accessibility/intellectual property law field, I advocate for updates in accessible and intellectual property law, to incorporate accessible computing advances such as automatic captioning/subtitling.

I have published several peer-reviewed publications and received grants in the fields of accessible computing, accessible law and intellectual property law. 

• Google Scholar Page
• CRA Undergraduate Research Mentor Award

Info for Students

I love meeting, mentoring, and working with students. I enjoy watching students develop their passion and interests from their first course with us to their final Capstone project. I get many requests from students. This page is intended to provide some common information about the most common requests I get.

General Advice and Chatting

Drop by my office any time during my office hours. My office hours change each semester but can always be found outside my office door. If you want to discuss something for a long period of time (more than 15 minutes) email me so we can set up a dedicated time.

Letters of Recommendation

I get many requests for letters of recommendation, and I am usually happy to write them. However, writing strong recommendation letters takes time, and I ask that students provide some information to help me write the strongest letter I can:

• Book a meeting with me to discuss why you need the letter and the scope of the letter(s) you'll need. This helps me get an idea of how to tailor your letter.
• After our meeting, please email me your statement of purpose (usually for applications to academic programs) or a sample cover letter (for job applications) and your resume. These do not need to be final documents; drafts are OK. These help fill in gaps and tell me things about you outside of your academic performance. There is no need to send me your transcript if you are a current student.
• In your email, please include a list of programs or jobs you are applying to, the date by which the letter needs to be submitted, and how the letter is to be submitted. This list helps me keep track of what letters I need to complete.
• Please ask 2 weeks in advance the first time I write a letter for you. After I've written an initial letter, I can usually update it quickly. This deadline means you need to have the above materials to me well in advance.
• I will send you an email as I complete each letter and submit it. If you have not heard from me, assume I have not submitted your letter yet. Do not be afraid to send me an email to ask for a status update or a gentle reminder.
• Let me know what happens! I always want if you got the job or got into the program. Please drop me a quick email and fill me in!