Podcasts about western maryland college

About Mike Hipsley: Mike grew up in Catonsville, MD, and came to faith in high school. He graduated from Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) and then got a M.Ed. from Loyola College of Maryland. Mike began his career as a teacher but felt called into ministry so he went to seminary in Charlotte, NC, where he earned a Master of Arts in Philosophical Apologetics. He then accepted a position as an Associate Pastor at a local in church in Reisterstown, MD, where he served for 9 years. In 2020 Mike left this position to become a Campus Pastor with InterVarsity at McDaniel College. Mike has been happily married to Diana for 23 years and they have three children: Joseph (18), William (15) and Grace (11).

Join Dr. Stephanie as she discusses disability theology and disability ministry with Stephanie O. Hubach, author of Same Lake Different Boat.Questions Stephanie and Stephanie Discuss:What is Disability Ministry and Why Does it Matter?a. How would you define disability ministry?b. Why doesn't your definition of disability ministry even have the word disability in it?c. What is the role of disability ministry in the local church?d. If disability ministry is “central to the life of the church” what do you mean by that?e. How does the presence of people with disabilities in a church change the fabric of congregation life?f. What type of steps need to be taken to help a church that is not disability-friendly to move towards people with disabilities?g. You refer to the biblical concept of “equal concern” in your philosophy of disability ministry. What does that look like in practice?About our Guest:Stephanie Opdahl HubachBiographical InformationStephanie Hubach is a Research Fellow in Disability Ministries and a Visiting Instructor in Educational Ministries in affiliation with Covenant Theological Seminary. From 2007-2016 she served as Mission to North America's Special Needs Ministries Founding Director. Mission toNorth America (MNA) is associated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Steph currently serves on the Wheaton Center on Faith and Disability advisory board and the board of directors for Key Ministry.She formerly volunteered as a member of the board for The Arc of Lancaster County, chairperson of the Lancaster County Mental Health/Mental Retardation Advisory Board, and president of the board of directors for the Infant Evaluation Program of State College, PA.Steph is the author of Parenting & Disabilities: Abiding in Gods' Presence (P&;R Publishing, 2021), Same Lake, Different Boat: Coming Alongside People Touched by Disability (P&;R Publishing, 2006; Revised and Expanded 2020), director of a Christian Education DVD seriesbased on Same Lake, Different Boat, and author of All Things Possible: Calling Your Church Leadership to Embrace Disability Ministry (Joni and Friends, August 2007).She has been published in ByFaith magazine, Covenant magazine, Focus on the Family magazine, and Breakpoint online magazine. Steph currently writes for Key Ministry's Special Needs Parenting blog, which is for parents of children with special needs, and for the Presbyterian Church in America's enCourage blog. She has been a guest blogger for The Gospel Coalition and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and has been interviewed on a wide variety of podcasts.Steph also coordinated a writing team for Christianity Today to provide a Disability Ministry Track in The Ministry Essentials Bible, released in September 2014. Stephanie is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College), has an MA in Economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and an MATS from Covenant Theological Seminary.Steph and her husband, Fred, have been married for 41 years. They have two deeply loved sons, Fred and Tim, the younger of whom has Down syndrome. In 2013, the Hubachs were blessed with a wonderful daughter-in-law when Cecelia married Fred, and in 2019, they were thrilled to welcome their first grandchild, Caroline. In 2022, twin grandsons joined the family—Everett and Dietrich. The Hubach family resides in Lancaster County, PA.Stephanie's Book Same Lake Different Boat-Revised Ed. and other resources:https://www.stephaniehubach.com/Dr. Stephanie's Uniquely Us:https://www.christianneurodiversemarriage.com/uniquelyus

Bina Gehres, Director, received her master's in education from Western Maryland College in Westminster, MD in 1972. She was a teacher of the deaf in Dayton, Ohio and after moving to Rhode Island, taught at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf for three years. Bina then went into the healthcare field in Rhode Island in 1979 and became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), where she worked in nursing homes, private duty healthcare agencies and doing home care etc. for 35 years. In 2007 she co-founded with composer and poet, Noreen Inglesi, a non-profit organization, Notable Works Publication and Distribution Co., Inc., which is dedicated to raising community awareness through the arts for environmental and social issues. Since 2004 to the present time (2024) and at the age of 75, Bina has been instrumental in organizing 3 - 5 original musical and poetic events a year in libraries, churches and open spaces specifically following the Notable Works mission concerning homelessness, domestic violence and especially the recent variances in our Earth's climate. Also, most recently Bina has collaborated with three others on a new musical called Sell Division: A Musical in Two Acts About Breaking the Chains of Perception which will be presented in the form of a live stage reading at the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick, Rhode Island towards the end of 2024. Noreen Inglesi, co-founder and Artist in Residence for Notable Works, taught music for the Town of North Providence and the Community College of Rhode Island. Noreen was twice nominated for Teacher of the Year and received her Associates of Fine Arts Degree at the Community College of Rhode Island and her undergraduate and master's degree in music education and composition at the University of Rhode Island. She's received much recognition for her music and poetry which has been featured both nationally and internationally by the Insight Quartet in Italy, the Dallas Songwriter's Association, the Contemporary Record Society, The Music Educators' National Conference, the Culver Music Series in California and on the Women of Substance Music Podcast. Locally, Noreen's music has been featured by The American Band, The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island, The State Ballet of Rhode Island, The Colonial Theatre, Verdant Vibes, Vibe of the Venue, the Westerly Band and WaterFire Providence. Noreen is also proud to be a member of Ocean State Poets and her poetry has been published by Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Nobel House, the National Library of Poetry, Rhode Island Bards, Frequency Writers, The Poetry Loft and Notable Works Publication. Her music has been recorded and released with the Contemporary Record Society, Andreu Marc Publications, The Music Library, Platinum Records and Notable Works Publication and Distribution Co., Inc. And just recently, Noreen wrote the musical “Sell Division” with three of her colleagues. Marianne Quinn, B.A, has been not only an author on this project but has served as a consultant regarding social issues and the prison system. Her experience with diverse cultures has informed the content of the musical, lending validity to the characters. She is a retired social worker of 25 years from the State of Rhode Island. Mary Zema is a career vocalist, singer/songwriter and guitarist. She began playing guitar at the age of seven and singing and writing songs at age ten. A native of Warwick, RI, Mary has played throughout New England. Her style is eclectic, pop, rock, ballads, electronic, etc. Her debut release, co-produced by Richard Bone, “Songs of Early Paradise” was in the top twenty on DMX radio New York. Mary recently released my second album “Whistles, Dimes and Dragonflies” and a video of the same name. She taught music in the Fall River Public School system for 33 years. She is presently performing with her band, “Throwback,” playing music from the 60s -90s.

For the 32nd episode of "Reading the Art World," host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with Mary Morton, Curator and Head of the Department of French Paintings, and Kimberly Jones, Curator of 19th Century French Paintings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Together, they discuss their work on the landmark exhibition, “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment,” and the accompanying exhibition catalogue.The conversation centers on the daring spirit of the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874, a moment that saw artists defy the prestigious Paris Salon to showcase new ways of capturing modern life. Jones and Morton share insights into the forces behind Impressionism's revolutionary appeal, from the political and social upheavals in France to the transformation of Paris under Haussmannization. They explain how these changes inspired artists to redefine not only the subjects they painted but also how art itself was exhibited and experienced.This exhibition and catalog shine a light on lesser-known figures who were critical to the movement's evolution, challenging visitors to unlearn what they think they know about Impressionism. With its juxtapositions of Salon and Impressionist works, “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment” allows audiences to feel the radical nature of these pieces that once shocked critics but are now beloved worldwide.“Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment”  is on view at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. through January 19, 2025. Learn more here: https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2024/paris-1874-impressionist-moment.htmlABOUT THE CURATORSMary Morton has been curator and head of French paintings at the National Gallery of Art since 2010. She previously served as associate curator of paintings at the J. Paul Getty Museum (2004–2010) and associate curator of European art at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Houston (1998–2004). In 2018, Morton was awarded the Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by France's Ministry of Culture. Morton received her PhD from Brown University (1998), concentrating on 19th- and early 20th-century European painting. She also holds a BA in history from Stanford University (1987).Kimberly A. Jones has been curator of nineteenth-century French paintings at the National Gallery of Art since 2016. A former museum fellow at the Musée national du château de Pau (1990–1991) and the Musée d'Orsay, Paris (1993–1994), she joined the curatorial staff of the National Gallery of Art in 1995 as assistant curator of French paintings. Jones holds a PhD and MA from the University of Maryland with specialization in 19th-century European and American art, as well as a dual degree in art history and studio art from Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College).PURCHASE THE BOOK: https://shop.nga.gov/paris-1874-the-impressionist-moment SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new pub

Jeffrey Bellomo is joined by Meg Motter, Life Care Planning Coordinator at Bellomo & Associates. As an experienced, licensed social worker, Meg provides personalized support for elderly individuals dealing with various challenges related to aging, health, and living arrangements. Meg and Jeff share stories of commitment, personal connections, and the critical role of advocacy in health care. It's an eye-opening look at just one aspect of service that differentiates this law firm.   What You Need to Know  (02:42) At 16, Meg decided to pursue social work when she cared for an elderly relative. She graduated Western Maryland College and earned her graduate degree from the University of Kansas. (04:13) A life care planning coordinator's duties vary depending on the needs of the individual and family. Some clients are healthy and well; they live at home and want to stay there so Meg acts as a support or advocate when needed. Sometimes, though, an elderly person's situation is not good. Meg can intervene to determine the services that are needed and assess whether the home is safe. (07:21) A health care advocate is a valuable ally. It's important to have someone who can track, follow up, and understand medical decisions and activity.  (09:58) Jeff hired Meg because he needed someone who could answer questions such as:  How can we make Mom's home safer? Does she need memory care? Does she need skilled care? How should we be advocating for her? (18:39) Meg's willingness to help and advocate for those in need has even extended to non-clients, such as the woman she encountered who was not feeling emotionally safe at home. Meg, her daughter Jennah (Bellomo's chief operating officer), and Jeff all got involved in moving the woman into assisted living. Today, the woman is flourishing, and Meg continues to be involved. (23:34) In a previous episode, Jeff discussed how individuals can use advocates as power of attorney when they don't have family or a support system in place. Meg does not act as power of attorney for her clients.   About Bellomo & Associates Jeffrey R. Bellomo, the founder of Bellomo & Associates, is a licensed and certified elder law attorney with a master's degree in taxation and a certificate in estate planning. He explains complex legal and financial topics in easy-to-understand language. Bellomo & Associates is committed to providing education so that what happened to the Bellomo family doesn't happen to your family. We conduct free workshops on estate planning, crisis planning, Medicaid planning, special needs planning, probate administration, and trust administration. Visit our website https://bellomoassociates.com/) to learn more. Bellomo & Associates workshops: https://bellomoassociates.com/workshops/   LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED Bellomo & Associates workshops:https://bellomoassociates.com/workshops/ Life Care Planning The Three Secrets of Estate Planning Nuts & Bolts of Medicaid For more information, call us at (717) 845-5390. Connect with Bellomo & Associates on Social Media Tune in Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. Eastern to WSBA radio: https://www.newstalkwsba.com/ X (formerlyTwitter):https://twitter.com/bellomoassoc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BellomoAssociates Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/bellomoassociates Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/bellomoassociates/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bellomoandassociates WAYS TO WORK WITH JEFFREY BELLOMO Contact Us:https://bellomoassociates.com/contact/ Practice areas:https://bellomoassociates.com/practice-areas/      

Release Date: 12.20.2023 Hoporenkv Native American Podcast: “Priority Telecommunication Services for Indian Country: How CISA Emphasizes Protecting Your Communities” Special Guests: • Larry Clutts, Priority Telecommunications Services Area Representative (PAR) for the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Emergency Communications, for FEMA Regions 6 and 8 • Cathy Orcutt, Priority Telecommunications Services Area Representative (PAR) for the Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Emergency Communications Division, for CISA Regions 9 & 10 • Jim Fogarty, Priority Telecommunications Services Area Representative (PAR) for Regions 3 and 5 • Bruce Belt, Priority Telecommunications Services area Representative (PAR) for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's Regions 1 and 2 Episode Description: Cyber threats don't respect borders, and Tribal Nations deserve the same robust cybersecurity solutions as anyone else. That's where the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)'s Priority Services Programs step in, offering critical telecommunications and infrastructure support tailored to the unique needs of Indian Country. In this episode of the Hoporenkv Native American Podcast, we dive deep with expert Larry Clutts from CISA's priority area teams. We'll unpack the benefits of programs like GETS, WPS, and TSP, and explore how they can strengthen communications within Tribal communities, safeguard essential infrastructure, and ensure seamless emergency response during crises. Join us as we discuss: • Navigating the unique cybersecurity landscape of Indian Country. • How CISA prioritizes Tribal Nations within its programs. • Real-world examples of how these services have protected Tribal communities. • Steps Tribal governments and organizations can take to enroll and maximize program benefits. Whether you're a Tribal leader, a community member, or simply interested in cybersecurity solutions for remote and underserved areas, this episode is for you. Tune in and discover how CISA is working to empower Tribal Nations with the tools they need to stay safe in the digital age. Don't miss this timely conversation about strengthening cybersecurity in Indian Country! Visit the online resources linked below to learn more about Priority Services Programs for Indian Country. Share this episode with your network and raise awareness about cybersecurity in Indian Country. Keywords: cybersecurity, Indian Country, CISA, Priority Services Programs, GETS, WPS, TSP, Tribal Nations, emergency response, infrastructure, communication, remote communities. Resources to Include with Episode: Website: https://www.cisa.gov/topics/emergency-communications/priority-services https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/programs/priority-telecommunications-services Priority Telecommunications Service Center: Phone: 1-866-627-2255 Email: gets-wps@cisa.dhs.gov PAR Information: • Region 1 & 2: Bruce Belt | bruce.belt@associates.cisa.dhs.gov | (202) 993-6293 • Region: 3 & 5: James Fogarty | jim.fogarty@associates.cisa.dhs.gov | (202) 893-1629 • Region: 4 & 7: Dale Moushon | dale.moushon@associates.cisa.dhs.gov | (202) 738-3678 • Region: 6 & 8: Larry Clutts | larry.clutts@associates.cisa.dhs.gov | (202) 763-6101 • Region: 9 & 10: Cathy Orcutt | cathy.orcutt@associates.cisa.dhs.gov | (202) 941-4633 • Federal Government and Military: Wayne Pacine | wayne.pacine@associates.cisa.dhs.gov | (202) 740-2751 Social Media: Twitter- @CISAgov @CISAcyber Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn- @cisagov Guest Speaker Bios: • Larry Clutts is the Priority Telecommunications Services Area Representative (PAR) for the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Emergency Communications, for FEMA Regions 6 and 8. Larry started as a PAR in 2016 after spending 47 years in the Telecommunications Industry. Larry held positions in Outside Plant Construction, Outside Plant Engineering, Account Management and Sales in the Public and Private Sectors. In addition, Larry held a supervisory role for Telecom, Network Engineering and Smart Classroom responsibilities at a large university in California. Larry's responsibilities as the PAR are to support national leadership; federal, state, local, tribal and territorial governments; first responders; and other authorized national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) users on the value and use of Priority Telecommunications Services. Priority Telecommunications Services Area Representatives (PARs) work in the field, focused on expanding Government Emergency Telecommunications (GETS), Wireless Priority Services (WPS) and Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) within the ten FEMA Regions in coordination with the Office of Emergency Communications Regional Coordinators. Priority Telecommunications Services Area Representative –NM, TX, OK, AR, LA • Cathy Orcutt is the Priority Telecommunications Services Area Representative (PAR) for the Department of Homeland Security, CyberSecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Emergency Communications Division, for CISA Regions 9 & 10. Cathy assumed her responsibilities as a PAR in late 2019 after spending 30 years in the 911 Emergency Communications field as a dispatcher, lead dispatcher and 911 Emergency Call Center Manager. Cathy's responsibilities as a PAR are to support national leadership; federal, state, local, tribal and territorial governments; first responders; and other authorized national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) users on the value and use of Priority Telecommunications Services. Priority Telecommunications Services Area Representatives (PARs) work in the field, focused on expanding Government Emergency Telecommunications (GETS), Wireless Priority Services (WPS) and Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) within the ten CISA Regions. • Jim Fogarty Serves as the Priority Telecommunications Services Area Representative (PAR) for Regions 3 and 5. In this consultant role, Jim Fogarty promotes the Priority Telecommunications Services (PTS) program consisting of Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS), Wireless Priority Service (WPS), Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP), and Next Generation Networks (NGN) Priority Service (PS) among state, local, territorial, and tribal governments along with nonprofit and industry elements supporting public safety. The Priority Services program provides critical emergency communications in support of disaster response and recovery efforts. Before his January 2020 retirement from the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Jim Fogarty supported the PTS program in various managerial positions for 18 years, including: Chief, Programs and Acquisitions; and NGN PS Deputy Program Manager. Noteworthy achievements included conceiving and implementing the Service Provider Council for carriers and equipment manufacturers to work in a collaborative forum to ensure interoperability of NGN PS. Additionally, he chaired the Emergency Communications Executive Committee's NGN Working Group that obtained endorsement for NGN PS user requirements for voice, video, and data. Throughout his career Jim Fogarty supported emergency operations where he deployed to assist in disaster response and recovery efforts. Jim was the communications, ESF2, liaison responsible for coordinating Wall Street recovery efforts following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. • Bruce Belt is currently the Priority Telecommunications Services area Representative (PAR) for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's Regions 1 and 2. He retired from DHS CISA in January 2022 where he worked as the Emergency Communications Coordinator (ECC) for Regions 3 and 9 for 8 years, after transferring from FEMA National Exercise Division. Prior to that he worked as a lead contractor supporting the National Communications Systems (NCS and precursor to the Emergency Communications Division) Training & Exercise Div. and Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) program. He was the lead trainer for the development of the ESF-2 training and exercise program for NCS. Bruce is a retired Lt Colonel after a 23-year career as a US Army Signal Officer. He has a BA degree from Western Maryland College (now McDaniel).

Today's episode is many months in the making. We are very excited because this is the culmination of a series of features we have written about Jim McDowell and his Face Jug: A story about how it has traveled throughout our audience and how Susan and Michael Hershield made it possible to give it to the Nasher Collection. We heard from the collectors, the artists, and the museum. We are trying to do more work to explain to people how to buy art, what to look for, and what a museum looks for when they collect a piece. The conversation with our guest today was a unique opportunity to launch into a series on how to buy art. Marshall N. Price is the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. He graduated from Western Maryland College and received a Master's degree in Art History from Penn State. He also received a Ph.D. in Art History from the City University of New York. We hear from Marshall about his journey to becoming the Chief Curator at Nasher and his experience in the position. He talks about the challenges he faced and his thoughts on the benefits of being embedded in an academic community. He also talks about the collection, programs and the greatest things about the Nasher Museum. We then hear about the incredible story of Jim McDowell's Face Jug acquisition and the history behind the Red Tails jug. You do not want to miss out on this amazing episode. So start listening now! Key Points From This Episode:Recapping the journey of Jim McDowell's new Face Jug to the Nasher MuseumA dream job: how Marshall got there and when he realized art would become his life.The experience of being the Chief Curator at Nasher and the pressures it includes.Marshall talks about the challenges he faced as he walked into the curator role.His thoughts on the benefits of being embedded in an academic community.More about the different programs running at Nasher (at any given time).Marshall talks about the collection at Nasher and the focus of the institution.How Nasher is working to continue to incorporate artists of Color in their collection.One of the great things about Nasher Museum. Marshall's story of Jim McDowell's Face Jug acquisition: The Red Tails as homage to the Tuskegee Army Airfield. How people can enjoy Jim's work at the Nasher.Marshall's thoughts on what this acquisition will mean for Jim's career.Plans surrounding youth programming at Nasher and how they plan to educate the young. Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Marshall N. Price Ph.D. on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/mnormanprice/ Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University — https://nasher.duke.edu/ Jim McDowell — https://blackpotter.com/ From Concept to Collection: How Jim McDowell's New Face Jug Made It to the Nasher Museum Collection [Part I] — https://www.artsvilleusa.com/jim-mcdowell-nasher-museum/ From Concept to Collection: How Jim McDowell's New Face Jug Made It to The Nasher Museum Collection [Part II] — https://www.artsvilleusa.com/jim-mcdowell-nasher-museum-part-two/From Concept to Collection: How Jim McDowell's New Face Jug Made It to the Nasher Museum Collection [Part III] —

F. Coe Sherrard Jr, a former United States Navy aviator and longtime businessperson retired and living in Edinburg, Virginia. Born in Havre de Grace, Maryland, Coe grew up in the farming community of Rising Sun, Maryland, and graduated from Western Maryland College (now called McDaniel College) in 1971. During college, he adopted the pen name,...

When the shutdowns started happening last year, we all had to take our “engagement game” up to another level. Suddenly, our meetings became virtual. Once we mastered the “unmute” and “turn on video” buttons, we had to also master keeping people engaged without the benefit of being in the same room. We could no longer read body language…or yawns. Vernon Roberts started mastering virtual engagement before it was cool. He and I worked together in the 90's, teaching accounting, banking, loan approvals and other dry topics. In that environment, Vernon brought life to the classroom. When he formed Evoke Virtual in 2003, he was ahead of his time.  As it often does, this conversation took many interesting turns; not surprisingly, it was engaging start to finish. He has so many tips and tricks, from setting context, using open ended questions, understanding our own interests in a conversation, to hearing what really matters to those we are talking to.  Vernon Roberts is an author, master instructor, coach and speaker. Vernon creates a positive learning environment and provides masterful coaching that allows participants to achieve rapid and permanent growth in their skills as communicators and presenters. Vernon coaches and consults face-to-face and virtually in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Co-author of The Gift of Success and Happiness (Skyhorse Publishing, 2011), Vernon challenges readers to transform their lives by utilizing dynamic business process principles. He has also published in T+D magazine and client newsletters and delivered seminars on work-life balance to audiences in such institutions as the Wake Forest University Schools of Business. Vernon holds a B.A. in Economics/Business Administration from Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) and an M.B.A. from Loyola University's Sellinger School of Business and Management in Baltimore, Maryland. 

In this episode, I speak with Jeff Bravin, Executive Director of the American School for the Deaf (ASD) in Hartford, CT to discuss the importance of a literacy and language rich environment (their version of LRE). Not only does ASD serve deaf and hard of hearing students, they also have a successful program for hearing and non-verbal students with Autism. Jeff's Bio: Jeffrey S. Bravin has been employed at the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, CT since 2002. He is currently the Executive Director responsible for oversight of the school. He reports directly to the Board of Directors with responsibility for carrying out the vision, mission and goals of ASD. Prior to assuming this role, Jeff served as the Assistant Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of the school. Prior to that he was the Director of Special Projects which focused on logistics related to the building of ASD’s new State-of-the-Art Educational Facility, the Gallaudet-Clerc Education Center--as well as ASD’s PrintWorks as part of ASD’s Technology Center. This role also included supervising Information Technology Services, Security, Sign Language and Interpreting Services, as well as the Isola Bella Summer Camp. Jeff also assisted in fund development, special events and public relations strategies, including managing alumni relations. He earned his B.A. Degree in Government from Gallaudet University, M.S. Degree in Deaf Education from McDaniel College (formerly known as Western Maryland College), and M.S. Degree in School Administration and Supervision from Queens College. You can find Jeff through the American School for the Deaf's website: https://www.asd-1817.org/   TRANSCRIPT (not proofread)DRAFT01_NTK_EPS27_Language Is The Doorway To Wisdom SUMMARY KEYWORDSdeaf, child, students, language, parents, people, hearing, asd, public school, education, least restrictive environment, educator, captions, school, special education, program, interpreter, absolutely, environment, teacher SPEAKERS: Jeff Bravin, Dana Jonson Dana Jonson  00:02 Hello, and welcome to need to know with Dana Jonson. I'm your host, Dana Jonson and I'm here to give you the information you need to know to best advocate for your child. I'm a special education attorney in private practice, a former special education teacher and administrator, a current mom to four children with IPS and I myself have ADHD and dyslexia. So I've approached the world of disability and special education from many angles. And I'll provide straightforward information about your rights and your schools obligations, information from other professionals on many topics, as well as tips and tricks for working with your school district. My goal is to empower you through your journey. So please subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss any new episodes. And I want to know what you want to know. So like, follow and drop me a note. Um, I need to know with Dana Jonson Facebook page. Okay, let's get started. Today I'm speaking with Jeff braven, who is the executive director of the American School for the Deaf. Hi, Jeff, thank you for joining me.   Jeff Bravin  01:06 Hi, Dana. Thank you for having me today. I really appreciate this opportunity. Wonderful. And I should mention to my listeners, if you notice that there's a little gap between my speaking and Jeff, and you might have been a little surprised to hear a female voice. Jeff is in fact deaf and we are communicating through his interpreter right now.   Dana Jonson  01:25 So, Jeff, I would love it. If you would give me a background. I would love everyone to hear about what your background is and how you ended up at the American School for the Deaf and why I am looking to you to tell me what I need to know about students who are deaf and hard of hearing.   Jeff Bravin  01:45 Sure, thank you, Dana. Just a brief background about myself. I was born in upstate New York, Kingston, New York. I was born to a deaf family. Both my parents are deaf. And I have to say my circumstances were a bit unusual. I am a fourth generation deaf in my family, my parents, my grandparents and great grandparents are all deaf. And that's very unusual in our community. About 95% of deaf children are born to hearing parents so we were not the norm. The advantage of my family is that I had full access to communication from birth on. But my parents realized that there were no deaf schools in the Kingston area where I was born. So my parents searched, and they found a deaf school Lexington School for the Deaf in Jackson Heights, which is in Queens. And that was a two and a half hour drive from our home. So my mom would drive me with the infant program and bring you there three times a week. And I have to give my parents full credit for taking that time to drive me to the program to make sure I had the appropriate education access language communication access. And after several months of driving, my parents realized they had to make the move, so they decided to move closer to the school. I grew up going to Lexington and I had Deaf peers. It was a fully accessible environment for me as a deaf individual. By ninth grade, I realized I was doing really well academically and I was curious about public schools and what they were like so we started looking and we found a public school in Rhinebeck, New York called blind burn High School. And really, I was living in Pelham, New York, but Pelham school district did not have the full accessibility in terms of services that I needed. So going to ride Brook I was able to have full access to all services. I had a professional interpreter and professional notetaker for myself, so I was able to have full access to all of the classes. So I ended up graduating from that high school and some have asked me what the differences were between a public school and a deaf school. And I have to say the education was really very similar. But I have to say what I lost was my social peers growing up at a deaf school and being around so many deaf people, everything was very social and interactive for me. When I went to the public school, I only had four or five Deaf peers that I interacted with, but there were also hearing peers that I was around as well. After high school and graduating I decided to go back to the deaf community and I went to Gallaudet University in Washington DC. I got my bachelor's and government studies and started working actually at the IRS. I found that that was absolutely not my cup of tea. So I went back to see my teacher at Galena I said, you know, the IRS is really not for me. And my teacher said, You know, I think you would be really well off as an educator, I think you would really enjoy that. So I headed off to Western Maryland College, now known as McDaniel University and got my master's and Deaf Education decided to head back to my alma mater at Lexington School for the Deaf in New York and got started as a high school teacher. Now while I was there, I also started taking some education administrative courses at St. John's universe. In Queens College, took those courses and graduated at Lexington, I moved up to the Director of Development. And then I did really well there. I worked with fundraising and the American School for the Deaf at that time, the superintendent was Dr. Harvey corson. He happened to hear about me. And he reached out to me and said, Hey, why don't you come on over to Connecticut? And I said, Connecticut. Now listen, I had grown up in New York, it would be hard for me to leave New York and he said, You know what, give it a year. I said, Well, alright, at least it's still New England. And I thought, let me try it for a year. Well, I've been here 19 years now. So I moved up the ranks here at the American School for the Deaf, I started in a position with the development department, then I worked my way up to assistant executive director and now I'm executive director. And I've been in this role for seven years. It's a wonderful place. It's an amazing environment, our staff are just incredible. And our mission, always is helping every individual child grow and thrive here at ASD.   Dana Jonson  06:05 And what you say is really interesting, because being fourth generation deaf, I presume your parents had a sense of how to speak to you and how to communicate with you because they themselves were deaf. I think when you have children who are born to hearing parents, it might be different, because it might take longer for them to realize that they need to sign I remember my son was a year when they said they thought he might be deaf. He's not he ended up not being deaf, but it was he was about a year. So when they told me that they thought he might be and so that's a long, long time. What kind of language milestones are we missing for children who are deaf or hard of hearing when we're not addressing it during those first couple of years?   Jeff Bravin  06:52 Great question. So I think in terms of hearing parents who find that their child is deaf, I think there are various stages they go through, perhaps initially, there's some shock. And now more so than there ever was, there's so much information out there, which is good, but it also can cause a lot of confusion for parents. So we work very closely with Birth to Three group. We also have Early Hearing intervention and detection group, we all work together to talk about how we can better educate families that do have deaf children, so they can have that early identification of that hearing loss. Once we have that clear identification, we can help guide them to access the right kind of birth to three programs so that we can work with the families and help provide them with a full awareness of all the different options that parents have, the earlier that we can introduce language to their children, the better off they will be. Now I have to say this has been quite a challenge over the years, not just here in Connecticut, but nationally, where people really are trying to figure out or sometimes people think I know what I'm doing, even sometimes the school districts who may say, Oh, absolutely, we can educate this child and they start working. And by the time the child reaches 11 1213 years old, they realize they're not able to educate the child properly. And they try to find another school for that child. And I feel it should be the other way around, bring the child to a deaf school where we can provide full language access and communication so that that child can have a strong language foundation before they go on to other programs.   Dana Jonson  08:31 So what I'm hearing is that you prefer a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach, which I could not agree with you more on. And I feel that we have that issue with many disabilities in the public school, which is we wait for the child to fail before we bring them to the services that they need. And as you are probably aware, in the IDA, the term Least Restrictive Environment gets thrown around a lot. And I always tell people, it's the least restrictive environment that is appropriate. We have to maintain that. And for a lot of students, I think they need that more restrictive environment in order to prepare to go into the least restrictive environment as as you were just saying, what are some signs? So I'm just curious for really young children because as I said, it took a long time before I was told that it was a possibility. What are some signs that parents can look for that you might see in Deaf children because I presume that they can also see and identify their environment and pick up on cues that way?   Jeff Bravin  09:38 That's another good question. But I do want to go back a little bit as you mentioned, Least Restrictive Environment oftentimes at ASD, we actually changed that acronym LR II to mean a literacy and language rich environment. The idea is that we want to promote strong communication access and language access here at our school but anyway, in turn of identification for children and what parents might notice. Even today, it's so much better than it was 15 or 20 years ago, I want to say 99 to 90% of children are identified with a hearing loss at birth with the testing and the screening procedures that we have. Now, however, that being said, there are some children that will pass that test and later on mom and dad might notice something's a little different. So for example, if a parent was to call out their child's name, and the child does not turn their head in response to that, or if the child does not start to speak until much later, or has, no speaking at all, parents might start to wonder or if a child reacts to a lot of visual cues, that might be another indicator if the child is very visual, and relies on that more so than their hearing. So those are a few signs where parents may wonder that their child has a potential hearing loss. And perhaps the parents should bring their child to an audiologist, for follow up evaluations to be able to determine whether or not there's a hearing loss or another issue at hand that the child may have.   Dana Jonson  11:06 Wonderful. So when you talk about your LRE, the literacy rich environment that the students need, what does that look like for a student who's deaf or hard of hearing? What do they need in that classroom to provide them the understanding? Again, going from what you said, being proactive, not reactive. I suspected I'm all over the place, sorry. But when we are reactive, we are addressing one particular thing. And we're saying, okay, that didn't work. So let's go put a bandaid on that. But when you're talking about language and communication, you know, putting that bandaid on is not helping the bigger picture of communication. So what is it that those students require? Who need that language build environment.   Jeff Bravin  11:59 So I can give an easy example. So if you have a hearing child born to a hearing family, they will have constant exposure to sound and communication from birth. And just that incidental learning that comes from being in an environment where they're able to hear pick up on sounds and communication. a deaf child does not have that. So if you don't provide that deaf child with appropriate interventions, which either could be sign language, or as a way of picking up communication, or speech and language therapy, as long as the parents are paying attention to those kinds of interventions and processes, oftentimes, parents are surprised and not sure what they should be doing. And that causes a delay. And the longer that delay goes, the more that that child misses out on that language acquisition. And I always say that a child's brain is so much like a sponge. And that critical language acquisition period is from birth to eight years old. And that is where children are really able to absorb and take in all of that language and learning which is so critical for their development. Here at the American School for the Deaf, we have the right kinds of professionals who know about language access, who know about education and how to acquire language. And so we're able to provide children with all of those necessary true tools to succeed and thrive. A lot of times people also asked about our school and why we call ourselves a bilingual environment. So here we have two languages, we have English and we have American Sign Language. So American Sign Language is a visual language. Now if we look at English, you could look at it as reading, writing. There's also the listening and the spoken English approach. We offer all of those options at our school, depending upon the child, some children will thrive and grow quickly with American Sign Language. And we will absolutely reinforce that and help them grow. If the child decides that they eventually want to move on to public school, because they have done so well, that's great, or if they stay with us, that's great too. Some children do not benefit from that some benefit more from the listening and spoken language environment. The point is, is that we want to be able to provide children with full access to almost a communication until it's determined what is going to work best for them. Also, another important fact to consider is that peer to peer learning, which is something that we have here the American School for the Deaf, there are peers where children are able to learn from each other and grow with each other. In other environments, there may not be any other peers that are like them. And so sometimes children feel lost. And I can use myself as an example. When I went into public school even though I already had the very strong language foundation. I didn't have any kind of benefit from sound or spoken language because that was not something that worked for me. However, I still struggled even with a strong language Foundation, I struggled to interact with peers, there was absolutely a group of peers that were eager to learn sign language or write back and forth with me. And I was able to interact with them too. And then there were other people Here's at the public school who just didn't want to deal with any of that. So it was an interesting mix. But I have to say today, with all of the changing technology, accessibility is so much greater than it used to be.   Dana Jonson  15:12 And that's definitely something I was going to ask you and I, but back to the, between birth and eight years old is really the best time if we can get the intervention intervention to a student. You know, in public school, we're restricted with the resources that we have sometimes. And so whether it's Signed English, or ASL, which I think it's important to note that American Sign Language is a language. It's not just about signing the words that we say. And it was created by Gallaudet, who was French, which is one of the reasons I always love it, because I grew up in France. And so the structure of the sentences reflect more French than it does English, or maybe you know, American English. So I like that. But when we're talking about giving students the tools that they need, do you teach them how to survive in a hearing world, where they may encounter people who don't know how to communicate the way that they do? Or who aren't interested in it? Is their life 101 a baby for the death?   Jeff Bravin  16:23 That's a great question. So now I have to say let me back up a little bit. I am an educator. And so I will always provide clarifications when I see things so galley that actually was not French. He was born here in America and Thomas Gallaudet went to France and found a deaf educator lo and Claire, who came back to America with him. And that was actually how our school was founded. But you are correct. Thomas Gallaudet learned quite a bit from France and Laura and Claire also learned quite a bit about America and English from Thomas Galya debt. And that actually was how American Sign Language was developed. We started with French sign language. And we also had brought in some members of a very famous Deaf community, which was from Martha's Vineyard. We also had students at the beginning of our school who had their own home signs and all of that blended to become American Sign Language as we know it today. But going back to early interventions, absolutely, yes, it is critical that children ages birth to aid have the appropriate support in place. And people that understand that oftentimes, if a deaf or hard of hearing child goes to a public school, they have an educator, that's true and a teacher in the classroom. But is that educator Do they have the background and the knowledge of deaf and hard of hearing individuals here in ASD, we do have all of the educators with that specialized kind of training. And that's really the benefit of having the children come to our school because we are able to help those children grow and thrive. And we have some students that go on to go through college and come back to the field of Deaf Education much like I did, even though I could absolutely go work in the hearing corporate world, I wanted to come back to education. And so we do have a lot of deaf individuals that have gone on to work in different capacities, not just deaf education. But I have one example back in the 1980s, we had maybe just three or four Deaf attorneys in our entire country, after the Deaf President Now movement at Gallaudet University. And after ADA was passed, we now have over 400 Deaf attorneys in our country alone, and they work fully with hearing people side by side. They may have some deaf clients, but I really don't think that there are that many deaf people who get into that kind of trouble. No, I'm just kidding. But just overall, we have deaf people that go on to find professions, for Apple for Google for all kinds of corporations, construction companies. And oftentimes year after year, we host something called a career fair day at our school, where we invite these Deaf professionals that work in a variety of fields to come to our school so that our students can see, oh, I can be this or I can be that or if I want to go on to be like this individual. That's something that I can do. So we offer those opportunities to our students.   Dana Jonson  19:12 That's wonderful. And I love that you now have people who can be the example I think, in our world right now we're for the first time starting to really acknowledge how important that is for students to not only have peers that are similar, but also mentors and teachers. And I know that in our country right now we're addressing or we're talking a lot about that as it pertains to race. And it also pertains to disability in any way. So how do students who have been identified from birth had all that language provided to them, and then they go to school that is meant for them? How did they then also learn how to handle themselves in a world that doesn't understand them? Is there like a separate component For that, if that makes sense.   Jeff Bravin  20:05 So I think it's important for the students to have role models to see how they are able to function in the hearing world. Now, as I mentioned earlier, technology really has been a game changer, I could email you, and you would never know that I was a deaf individual, you would assume that I was a hearing person until we met in person and you would say, oh, or if you received a phone call, you would say, why is this guy's name Jeff, but he's got a female voice. I've been called Jane, I've been called so many different names. But you know, that's how you I would identify me as a deaf person later on. But I absolutely can do that. Only if I have that strong language Foundation, I'm able to do this. But without the language, it really is a tremendous struggle and challenge. So that is why I always come back to the importance of language. And once you have that, then you can be whoever you want to be. And you can absolutely grow and thrive, you can have those social experiences, you can go on to different professions. Here at ASD, we have some students that may make the decision that college is not their forte. So we have something called a transition program, where children ages 18 to 21, can either stay here or come here and learn about different career fields, and get experiences as interns not on campus, but out in the real world out in the community, so that they can have those experiences with supports in place to learn how to work with hearing people. And then after they leave that program, they're able to go on and be very successful. And oftentimes our students that start work as interns, a different job sites actually go on to be hired. So that's really how we help our students get prepared for different careers.   Dana Jonson  21:52 Well, and I think that would be the number one barrier, correct? Is that in for an employer? Can I hire them? Because how am I going to understand them? or How are my clients going to understand them? So, as you said, allowing that employer to see how that works, and understand that it can work and that it is beneficial to them? It has to be its own program. Right.   Jeff Bravin  22:19 Right, exactly. And oftentimes, initially, the employer may have a lot of questions and be very hesitant, but really, it's only a matter of days, or even a few weeks, where the bonds are formed. And it absolutely is amazing. People always find a way. And I'm not talking about just deaf individuals, but any disability community, you know, people with autism, you just find their area of expertise, their skills, their talents, and put that to great use. And really, it's so wonderful that we can all work together and we can all help each other and thrive in the world we have today with all of the issues around racism. Yes, that's absolutely out there and happening. But I think that's all because we haven't had the right kind of environment exposure and education for everybody. Once we have that in place, a lot of those issues will go away. So we really have to focus on the root of everything. I think that's so critical.   Dana Jonson  23:14 Yeah, it stands out of fear, and fear of the unknown. So technology is was my next question, which is, I mean, it has to have changed so drastically, I had in my master's program, there was a student who was deaf, so his, his interpreter would come to all of our classes. And so I got to see that next to the teacher, which I personally loved. But then recently, I was at a conference pre COVID, where I saw some people with their laptops open, and they were reading and I was a little disappointed that we weren't going to have any we're not going to have any sign language interpreters for me to watch. So   23:57 how has   Dana Jonson  23:58 How has that really, I presume it has helped, but how has technology changed? how deaf people can and people who are hard of hearing engage in this world.   Jeff Bravin  24:14 It has changed our lives, really is the bottom line. So with captioning, we have artificial intelligence, captions, and they are amazing. I have to say I've been in conferences where I've seen that work wonderfully. But I want to say that works wonderfully. Only if a person has language. If an individual doesn't have that language, then the captions are pointless. And that would be true with other foreign languages. So if you've got that captioning, that's great. But if somebody from another country comes and they don't have a clear understanding of the language, they're going to struggle to understand just like somebody that's Deaf that doesn't have strong language, would struggle to understand captions. So we do have some people in our community who would follow cats. Just fine. We have another group of individuals in our community who would not benefit from the captions, they would benefit more from having an ASL interpreter because that is their true language. That is the language they've grown up with. It really depends on every, every individual that everybody's a little different. But with technology today, it is really astounding. All the videos are captioned. There's some videos that even have interpreters. Other people will develop interpretive videos, all of that kind of exposure for our students, is just life changing. And right now we have the smartboard technology. There are virtual interpreters, it doesn't even have to be a live interpreter anymore. We have something called source interpreting here on our campus that the American School for the Deaf, after the state of Connecticut, close their interpreting services, we opened an interpreting agency and we provide interpreters not just for our school, but statewide also. And so our interpreters have been working virtually, especially since the onset of this pandemic. So what that means is for students in public schools, if they need access, they can have interpreting services provided virtually and I have to say, it is not the same as having a person live with you. But at least they have that access. And the child will succeed once again, they'll only if they have full language access. So that's really critical here.   Dana Jonson  26:20 And that's part of the point I wanted to get at, which is that language skills is different than just being able to read the words. Correct. So when we're teaching a student how to read or, you know, we're saying that, Oh, well, if the words pop up that will work, there's a deeper understanding that's necessary for language. Can you speak to that a   26:41 little bit?   26:45 Sure.   Jeff Bravin  26:49 So some of the students we have prefer the listening and spoken English approach. And we've noticed that for that particular group of students, they are able to grow and thrive only if they have language, if they have no language, how are they going to be able to hear and understand a word? How are they going to be able to read or write if they don't have that structure, and instruction in language Foundation, they really, really absolutely need that. And the same is true for deaf and hard of hearing students that we teach here. We teach them American Sign Language, but we don't just teach them American Sign Language and say this is it, we teach them American Sign Language, and then we apply those skills to reading to writing to help them so that it applies in everything they do for the rest of their lives. And that really helps them to bridge that language. You'll see so many bilingual programs are so successful, because they're able how to apply their language with English. And that's exactly what we do here as well. And it really depends, again, upon the student's preferred communication mode, what their parents would like. But we're able to offer a breadth of opportunities and different options so that they are able to meet language milestones and grow. And we can track which language works best for their child based on their family's preference and to work with them on that.   Dana Jonson  28:10 And that level of communication and understanding is not just for the deaf and hard of hearing. You have also a program for children with autism and other developmental delays who have language issues. Can you explain that a little bit?   Jeff Bravin  28:27 Sure, absolutely. So here are the American School for the Deaf, we have two programs, we have our core academic program, and that is for any student, just a regular kind of K through 1212 program, but we also have students with other disabilities. So we have students that have hearing loss and may have dyslexia or have cognitive delays or intellectual disabilities. And so with those kinds of students, we have the right kinds of educators who are certified in both special education and deaf education, and so they're able to help that group grow and thrive. We also have something called our PCs program. And that's the acronym for positive attitudes concerning education and socialization, pe C's program, that program started 40 years ago, and that is for students who have hearing loss and emotional or behavioral issues as well. So we have that program. It is licensed by the Department of Children and Families. It's also an accredited program as well. And they focused on any of those students who have intense behavior issues and needs, but we try to work with them so that they're able to make that transition that to a core program, our academic program. We also want to make sure that they'll be successful after they move on from American School for the Deaf, some of them go on to group homes, all different kinds of after high school pursuits, and we help them with all of that. In recent years, we've noticed that There are some students who are autistic who are also non verbal, meaning that they can take the language in, but they really struggle to express themselves. And what we found was that a lot of these students were really able to express themselves through sign. And so we made the decision to open our non verbal autism program, and that is for hearing students who are non verbal. And we've had several students go through the program, and I have to say, it is astounding to see them come and start with no language and not able to express themselves. And then within a matter of time, they're able to express themselves 2550 words, they're communicating with their parents with other staff. And really, they're going to go through the rest of their lives going to be able to communicate. And I think that is so nice to see that happen. And I do think that program will continue to grow.   Dana Jonson  30:53 Absolutely. And that is such a main issue for children with developmental delays. I used to work with that population, and they aren't learning language because they can't talk. And so there's, you know, at least back in the day, I'm talking many, many years ago, when I was doing this, you know, we were at that time, teaching kids signs, specific signs to say one or two things. But part of the issue is not just them not knowing how to tell us but not knowing when to tell us not knowing when is appropriate for that and and that's part of the social component of language. So there's so many areas and I love that you are doing that, because one of the things that we saw was as students became able to communicate their wants and needs, the behaviors tend to reduce, and that it's that lack of language that's creating that level of frustration. So for parents whose students are in public school or other programs other than the American School for the Deaf, you mentioned the proper qualifications. What are the proper qualifications for a teacher working with someone who is deaf or hard of hearing?   Jeff Bravin  32:08 Great questions. So there are so many education programs across our country that focused on special education, that focused on deaf education. And really, that is what we are looking for all the time. So Deaf educators are those who have gone through teacher preparation programs, they know how to help deaf and hard of hearing children thrive and grow, whether it be through American Sign Language, or through the listening and spoken English approach. So they are able to work with children in a bilingual environment to help them develop a strong language, foundation and grow. Now in terms of special education. We have teachers that are really very familiar with different disabilities and able to work with those children. But what we noticed is that special education teachers tend to have specialties in autism or intellectual disabilities. And we are looking for those kinds of teachers. If you can find a teacher, though that is qualified in both special education and education. Those are just absolute stars, and we had our unicorn. Absolutely, yes, they, they are two stars. And so the other option is if we find a teacher, who we feel like has a lot of potential, we do send them on for more courses so they can receive further training. Another way for teachers to really help develop their skills is that peer to peer interaction and really, for our school that makes us so unique, because we have teachers with so many different specialties all in one school, which is so nice to have.   Dana Jonson  33:48 That is great. You know, my next question is, how do we teach the rest of the world now, right, because I'm asking you how we teach children who are deaf, but I think that one of the reasons that children who are deaf need to learn how to function in our world is because our world is not very friendly to them. So what is it if you could provide training for the rest of us out here so that we would know how to provide a more inclusive environment for students? What kind of training would you recommend?   Jeff Bravin  34:25 Well, that is a tough question. Exactly. What I tell people is to embrace others, don't view them as anyone different view them as abled. We use the phrase here at our school all ways able. And so we view each individual child, as always able and what that means to us is that every child that comes through our door has the potential to grow and thrive and be whatever they want to be. I think the issue in our world is when people see somebody that looks different or is different, somehow they want to turn around and walk away. What I want to say is embrace them, meet them, take the time to learn about them. And I think you'll be so surprised at how fruitful that interaction will be. And that we all can ultimately learn to love each other. I think that's so important. And really, what we have to understand is, we need to teach people about differences, all different kinds of people that we have. And I think, you know, encouraging them to interact and not be afraid to approach them. Sometimes hearing people will say, you know, if I need a deaf person, I'm going to assume they can lip read and understand everything I'm saying, on my mouth. And that's not true. I would say deaf people generally can understand maybe about 70% of what is spoken through lip reading. But if that deaf individual has language, it's going to be a little bit more than that. But if there's no language, how are they going to understand what's being said, other people will understand more, because they have an ability to hear just a little bit, they may have some residual hearing, others may have no hearing at all, it really does vary. And sometimes people that are hearing will say, oh, I'll just write back and forth. And sometimes that works. But again, only if the deaf individual has that strong language Foundation, and they want to keep driving the point home that that language foundation is key to surviving the world. And it doesn't matter if you're deaf or hearing. It's true for all of us. Once you have language, you have an ability to thrive and succeed in the world.   Dana Jonson  36:32 I completely agree. And in fact, you know, when my son was being evaluated, once we determined that he was able to learn language, I stopped worrying. I was just like, okay, I don't care if he says ours ever or not, you know, whatever he can understand language, we can figure out how to get there. You know. So the American School for the Deaf sounds like an amazing program for children who fall into all of these categories. How big are you because you've got your you're taking care of everyone.   Jeff Bravin  37:05 So we have about 300 staff here, we have about 150 students between our core and our Casey's program. And we have about 100 students that stay in our dorms, we have an amazing dorm program here on campus where students that live far from our school are able to stay on campus. And they have a full complement of all kinds of different activities. After school sports, we have all kinds of events and opportunities for peer interaction, every kind of club, you can imagine we offer all of that. We also do serve students in the public schools where there's about 200 students, and that is through our audiology program. And our outreach program where we have different deaf and hard of hearing students that might be in the public schools. And if they need more supports, or some kind of consultation, then they can, those schools can feel free to reach out to ASD and we're happy to provide that kind of consultation and support. But I bring it back to the point that parents really need to make sure that their children's IPS are written correctly. The IPS are how we measure student growth. And that is key. If the student is not meeting milestones, and is on par with what is expected that parents need to start looking for other options. Now, I'm not saying that American School for the Deaf is the only option for parents, but it is one of many options that parents should consider for their children. So really, it's important for the parents to focus on their children's growth. And if they're not growing, think about what to do to intervene and not wait, don't delay that because the more you wait, the more delays will happen.   Dana Jonson  38:43 Yes. And again with the language it is so critical. So for people who are listening who are saying, okay, Jeff is the only person I can talk to and the American School for the Deaf is the only place my child can go. How do they find you?   Jeff Bravin  39:02 Just go to our website is www dot ASD that hyphen 18 seventeen.org. Some people ask why we have the 1817 and that is because we were founded in 1817 more than 200 years ago. So we have significant history here. But really, they can feel free to reach out to us by contacting us. It doesn't necessarily mean that their child is committed to coming to ASD, it just means maybe they're looking for support or for guidance or possibly an independent education, evaluation of their child or communication evaluation for their child. We have so many different things that we are able to offer children. We can also help parents connect with advocates, with special education attorneys that really can help parents find out what is best for their child so they can receive the education they so deserve. So please feel free to reach out to me to call me or email me directly or any of our staff here. We have wonderful folks here who are happy to help guide you through that process.   Dana Jonson  40:04 Wonderful. And I will have all of that contact information in my show notes. So if you're listening to this and he what you can't remember, then please go back to the show notes and you'll find their website and all of Jeff's information. Jeff, I can't tell you how helpful this has been and how informative it has been. I think it's critical information for parents and schools to hear and understand for any and all students with, as you said, not just death, but also with hearing impairments. So thank you so much for joining me today.   Jeff Bravin  40:38 Thank you so much for having me. And if down the road, you need anything, consultation or guidance, or you feel like you've got some random question, please don't hesitate to call or reach out to me through email. I'm so happy to support any child. Thank you.   Dana Jonson  40:55 Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you so much for joining me today. Please don't forget to subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss any new episodes. And if there's anything you want to hear comment on, go to our Facebook page and drop me a note there. I'll see you next time here on need to know with Dana Jonson have a fabulous day

Marcus Reed is a native of Baltimore, MD, and a product of Western Maryland College. He was initiated in the Gamma Omicron Omega Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Incorporated in Baltimore summer 2017.

AFTERBUZZ TV - AfterBuzz TV's Mini Spotlight edition, is a short form interview series featuring actors & artists discussing their roles and shows as well as their thoughts, passions and journeys. In this episode host Nick Mardi interviews Lauren White. Actress, Lauren White has a supporting role opposite Diane Lane in the final season of Netflix House of Cards and would love to appear on Afterbuzz TV for a Mini-Spotlight interview. She’s also a thrill-seeking ghost hunter in director Dean Alioto’s indie horror film, Portal, and she plays a single woman with no plans for marriage or motherhood in the web comedy series, Partners in Wine. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, White graduated from North Carroll High School and received her undergraduate degree in communications from Western Maryland College. She later received her master’s degree in biomechanics, kinesiology and physiology from McDaniel College. White first performed in front of a VHS camera when she produced her own television show at ten. She did some theater work in high school and college, but her introduction to show business began with field promotional work. While also earning a living as a personal trainer, she began demonstrating new products at trade shows, auto shows, boat shows and conventions – touring for such companies as Dr. Pepper, Humana Health Insurance and Nintendo – a job that took her all over the U.S. This promotional work soon led her to becoming a spokesperson, which began to interest her in expanding her creative juices. White’s epiphany came when she and Jon Ingle produced Little Bits,a lively 40-episode sketch comedy web series, in which she wrote, directed, produced, edited and acted, playing a wide variety of comical characters. Shortly thereafter, she made her prime-time television-acting debut in Parks and Recreation, in which she played a socialite opposite Amy Poehler, Adam Scott and Aubrey Plaza. Her additional television credits include: That’s What She Said, America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back, Happily Never After, and Saigon Broadcasting Television Network. White also got a chance to exercise her creative skills, when she was cast in The Office of Doom, a film spoof of The Office that was completed as part ofa 48-hour film competition, with White playing an office secretary with super powers. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Susan Stevenson, executive director, and Craig Mickanin, director, of the Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company, Novartis, based in Basel, Switzerland, deliver an informative overview of the incredible advances in gene therapy and transformative technologies that are rapidly changing the techniques medical professionals utilize to fight disease. Sue Stevenson is an experienced director with an extensive history in the pharmaceuticals industry. Her focus is in biologics, life sciences, validation, and cell biology. She holds a BS in chemistry from Western Maryland College as well as a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the distinguished Wake Forest University. Craig Mickanin holds a BS in biology and history from the prestigious William & Mary University, the second oldest college in the nation, and a well-respected cutting-edge research university. The Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) is the innovation engine and the NIBR team collaborates across various scientific and organizational boundaries, working for therapeutic breakthroughs for all patients. Novartis's stated mission is to utilize science-based innovation to address the world's most challenging healthcare issues. Novartis seeks to discover and develop breakthrough treatments and successful ways to deliver them to the world's population in need of care. Research and development (R&D) are at Novartis's core and a key component to their primary strategy. Stevenson describes Novartis's mission goal as it relates to disease treatment and prevention, specifically regarding cell and gene therapy. She discusses a few of their gene therapy methods, including the process of removing some of a patient's cells, to modify those cells to, in essence, fight a particular tumor type, and then reintroducing the cells into the patient's body so that the cells can get to work destroying the tumor. This cell therapy is an example of ex vivo therapy. Stevenson also outlines some of their early development on injectable options for cell delivery and the clinical studies that are going on currently. The biochemistry Ph.D. details their exciting work that she hopes will bring truly amazing medical advancements to patients worldwide, such as restoring blindness, restoring hearing, and curing cancer, as well as some other in vivo studies that are showing promise. Mickanin discusses his early work and provides some insight into how technology advances have helped buoy the transformative aspect of the field. He discusses current stem cell studies and the extent of their use in the industry. Mickanin details some of the aspects of the CRISPR technology, which stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. Mickanin states that the system allows researchers to induce double stranded breaks into virtually any genome with specificity, and Novartis has been investing significant resources into the research. And Stevenson adds how their use of CRISPR/Cas9 technology will aid them in the process of introducing cells that can prevent disease or disease complications. She lays out the intricacies of the CRISPR/Cas9 and her hopes for its use ongoing, in future discovery and delivery of treatment options for patients. Mickanin provides an overview of how ex vivo strategies and in vivo strategies are determined, and the issues that are involved when making a choice as to how to move forward with either for treatments. Stevenson discusses the expectations for the future and MIT studies that indicate perhaps as many as forty new gene therapy medicines may be released by the year 2022.

Jerry Donald is a Frederick County native and has worked in Frederick County for 30 years as a teacher. He is married, has three daughters, and lives in Braddock Heights near his parents. He is a graduate of Middletown High School and Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College). Besides teaching, he has been in sales, coached and officiated high school sports, served as President of the Braddock Heights Community Association and served in various positions at Trinity United Methodist Church. Council District 1 comprises Burkittsville, Brunswick, Braddock Heights, Jefferson, Middletown, Rosemont, Sugarloaf Mountain, Tuscarora, and parts of Urbana. 

Our special guest is Joni Eareckson Tada, the Founder and CEO of Joni and Friends International Disability Center, an international advocate for people with disabilities. A diving accident in 1967 left Joni Eareckson, then 17, a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, without the use of her hands. After two years of rehabilitation, she emerged with new skills and a fresh determination to help others in similar situations. Visit her website at www.joniandfriends.org During her rehabilitation, Joni spent long months learning how to paint with a brush between her teeth. Her high-detail fine art paintings and prints are sought-after and collected. Her best-selling autobiography Joni and the feature film of the same name have been translated into many languages, introducing her to people around the world. Mrs. Tada has also visited more than 47 countries, several many times. Mrs. Tada has served on the National Council on Disability and on the Disability Advisory Committee to the U.S. State Department. She has served as Senior Associate for Disability Concerns for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization and serves in an advisory capacity to the American Leprosy Mission, the National Institute on Learning Disabilities, Christian Blind Mission International, as well as on the Board of Reference for the Christian Medical and Dental Society. Joni Tada currently serves on the Young Life Capernaum Board. After being the first woman honored by the National Association of Evangelicals as its “Layperson of the Year” in 1986, Joni was named “Churchwoman of the Year” in 1993 by the Religious Heritage Foundation. She has received numerous other awards and honors, including the American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award; The Courage Award from the Courage Rehabilitation Center; The Award of Excellence from the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center; The Victory Award from the National Rehabilitation Hospital; and The Golden Word Award from the International Bible Society. Joni has been awarded several honorary degrees, including: Bachelor of Letters from Western Maryland College; Doctor of Humanities from Gordon College; Doctor of Humane Letters from Columbia International University, the first bestowed in its 75-year history; Doctor of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary; Doctor of Divinity from Lancaster Bible College; a Doctor of Humanitarian Services from California Baptist University; and in 2009, a Doctor of Humane Letters by Indiana Wesleyan University. She was also inducted into Indiana Wesleyan University’s Society of World Changers. Joni has written over 50 books and is a regular columnist in several magazines. She was inducted into the Christian Booksellers’ Association’s Hall of Honor in 1995 and received the Gold Medallion Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Joni’s works cover topics ranging from disability outreach to understanding the goodness of God and the problem of suffering. Her books include: A Christmas Longing, depicting her best-loved Christmas paintings, and Life and Death Dilemma, addressing the complex issues surrounding physician-assisted suicide. The mystery of suffering is systematically examined in When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty, a book written with Steve Estes in 1997 which won ECPA’s Gold Medallion Award. In 2003, Joni wrote her memoir The God I Love, chronicling a lifetime walking with Jesus. In 2011, A Place of Healing was released, recounting her journey through physical pain and addressing questions concerning prayers for healing. After battling stage III breast cancer in 2010, Joni wrote Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: Life after Shock, released in the fall of 2012. Joni & Ken: An Untold Love Story was released in 2013. Joni’s book detailing her latest health challenges, Beside Bethesda: 31 Days Toward Deeper Healing, was released in 2014. In October 2016, her new daily devotional,

To learn more about our new systems coming out go here: http://eo3.fit/TRAINEO3 This week on the podcast we talk Olympic Weightlifting for the Garage Gym Athlete with Coach Joe!  More about Coach Joe:  Coach Joe is an accomplished coach and athlete with experience in many different areas of competitive athletics and functional fitness. While in college he played football and studied exercise science and sports coaching at Western Maryland College. As a physical education and health teacher Joe taught grades 6-12 and coached football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. In 2010, Joe and his Wife Eliza moved to Hawaii and he began to pursue a career in strength and conditioning. Joe’s journey started as an intern with the University of Hawaii’s S&C department. After interning for two semesters Joe put his coaching ambitions on hold to raise his son Mason full-time. While his commitment to his family took precedence he just could not stay away from coaching and CrossFit helped him find peace as both a coach and father. At CrossFit 808 Joe was an athlete, coach, and in 2012 and 2013 he helped 808 win the NorCal Region. As a member of CrossFit 808’s games team Joe helped 808 secure a 21st ranking in the 2013 games. As a “Crossfitter” Joe always gravitated toward Weightlifting. Most notably, qualifying for and competing at the 2014 and 2015 USAW National Championships. Currently his athletic and coaching ambitions focus on Weightlifting but he rarely shy’s away from an opportunity to coach and train. Coach Joe has run a marathon, finished a triathlon, love’s to “play,” will take on any challenge but more than anything enjoys spending time with his Wife Eliza and their three children, Mason, Charli and Luci. As a coach Joe enjoys working with all age groups and goal orientated people. If you’re motivated by the pursuit of a goal, ready to implement squatting as part of your adventure, understand the difference between exercising and training, and willing to be coached Joe would love to help.

Communications Security, Computer Security, Information Security, Information Assurance, Information Operations, Cyber Security: through a 35-year career at the National Security Agency, and now with the non-profit Center for Internet Security, Tony has been a participant, observer, and shaper of the world we now call Cyber Security. Since he?s never had another job (or some might say, never had a real job), through the lens of his career he will share his observations about the evolution of Cyber Security from a de facto government monopoly focused on national security and technology, to an issue that touches every one of us, in every aspect of our lives. Beyond the bumper stickers and rah-rah of Public-Private-Partnership, he?ll also describe the new models of cooperation between government and industry that we need for success. About the speaker: Tony Sager is a Senior VP and Chief Evangelist for the Center for Internet Security. He leads the development of the CIS Critical Security Controls, a worldwide consensus project to find and support technical best practices in cybersecurity. Tony also serves as the Director of the SANS Innovation Center, a subsidiary of The SANS Institute.Tony retired from the National Security Agency (NSA) after 34 years as an Information Assurance professional. He started his career in the Communications Security (COMSEC) Intern Program, and worked as a mathematical cryptographer and a software vulnerability analyst. In 2001, Tony led the release of NSA security guidance to the public. He also expanded NSA's role in the development of open standards for security.Mr. Sager holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Western Maryland College and an M.S. in Computer Science from The Johns Hopkins University.

Suzanne leads educational and clinical programming at Trellis Services, a progressive and innovative agency that provides comprehensive services for children with autism.  Our defining goal is to teach children that learning is a fun, playful, and interactive experience. Suzanne holds a master’s degree in school counseling psychology from Western Maryland College and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Suzanne began her career at the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s LEAP program and ultimately moved to become a classroom teacher. She has over 15 years of professional experience designing and implementing highly successful treatment programs that meet the academic and behavioral needs of children with autism.  She recently completed her coursework for her BCBA. Suzanne is also trained in the implementation of the ADOS, a tool used in diagnosing children with autism. All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by Autism Spectrum Therapies (autismtherapies.com) and Trellis Services (trellisservices.com) and Learn It Systems (learnitsystems.com)