Festive ceremony marks grand opening for Southwest Regional Center

Gallaudet President T. Alan Hurwitz and Austin (Tex.) Community College (ACC) District President and Chief Executive Officer Stephen B. Kinslow formally dedicated the newest Gallaudet University Regional Center (GURC), located at the community college, on January 12. The Southwest GURC, which serves Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah, joins five other centers across the United States in offering extension courses, training workshops, and technical assistance to address the educational, transition, and professional development needs of deaf and hard of hearing people from birth through adulthood.

“We had about 250 people in attendance, which showed how strong the community is in Austin,” said GURC Southwest Director Arlene Gunderson. She added that iDeafNews.com provided live streaming video of the ceremony.

“As director, I am honored, excited, and committed to ensuring that our GURC center will collaborate with the communities in Austin, as well as the state of Texas and seven other states,” said Gunderson, a member of Gallaudet’s Class of 2000. “With our mission at ACC, we will also work with Gallaudet University in multiple outreach efforts to accomplish quality programs and services within the states of the Southwest Region.”

ACC Dean of Arts and Humanities Lyman Grant, a noted supporter of the new GURC, commented, “I am very excited about our new partnership with Gallaudet University. ACC has so many students who will benefit from this close association. I know that the number of our students who transfer to Gallaudet for their four-year degree with increase greatly. ACC has such as vibrant deaf community already, the addition of the Gallaudet University Regional Center just seemed to be a natural fit.”