Workshop Title:
“Sprouting Researchers: Gallaudet MAI Class of 2026 Research Findings”
Workshop Description:
This panel will be comprised of seven recent graduates from Gallaudet’s M.A. in Interpretation program. Each student will present on the research project they designed and carried out as part of the requirements for the program.
Their research includes the following topics:
● Insights from the Deaf community on interpreters’ ethical decision-making
● How Washington, D.C. based theater companies work with ASL interpreters
● The development of the interpreting profession in Vietnam
● The efficacy of using Ericsson’s deliberate practice to improve interpreting students’ translation skills
● Comparison of simultaneous interpretation and sight interpretation/translation
● How interpreters become confident working from ASL into English
● Interpreters with ADHD and their experiences ASL –
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TytrBUCkrz8
Educational Objectives:
1) Attendees will gain evidence-based insights on ethical decision-making and collaboration between interpreters and the Deaf community.
2) Attendees will widen their perspective of performance interpreters from a theater company perspective.
3) Attendees will understand the current state of sign language interpreting in Vietnam and perspectives on professionalization of the field.
4) Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of deliberate practice principles and how they can be effectively applied to interpreter education.
5) Attendees will be able to identify the difference in linguistic features found between simultaneous interpreting and sight translation.
6) Attendees will be able to name suggestions from interpreters for how to further ASL to English interpreting skills and confidence.
7) Attendees will recognize the unique experience of interpreters with ADHD and understand how to foster their community.
Bio:
Shawna Wolf is an ASL/English interpreter based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Originally from Northeast Ohio, she attended Kent State University, where she earned a B.A. in ASL. She holds a National Interpreter Certification (NIC) and has professional experience in K-12, medical, business, post-secondary, and VRS settings. She then went on to get her M.A. degree from Gallaudet University in the Department of Interpretation and Translation in 2026. She is currently primarily a post-secondary interpreter with goals of teaching in an ITP and continuing her research on ASL interpreting ethics.
Anh Doan is a sign language interpreter from Vietnam with nearly a decade of experience working with Deaf communities and contributing to the development of interpreting services in Vietnam. She has collaborated with Deaf leaders, interpreters, and organizations to strengthen language access and promote ethical interpreting practices.
To further support the development of the field in her home country, Anh earned her M.A. in Interpretation from Gallaudet University as a Fulbright scholar. Through her work and studies in both Vietnam and the United States, she brings a cross-cultural perspective on sign language interpreting and Deaf access in emerging contexts.
She works across Vietnamese Sign Language, American Sign Language, English, and Vietnamese, including international collaborations in Southeast Asia. Her interests include interpreter education, professionalization, and strengthening collaboration between Deaf communities and interpreters across countries, particularly between the United States and Vietnam.
Samantha Dutra is an ASL/English interpreter based in Washington, D.C., originally from Michigan. She received her M.A. in Interpretation from Gallaudet University in 2026, with her research focusing on interpreters’ experiences working from ASL to English.
Sophia Coverston is a neurodivergent ASL interpreter who received her B.A. at Utah Valley University, majoring in Deaf Studies with an emphasis on ASL Interpretation. She holds both novice and professional certifications for the state of Utah. She later earned an M.A. at Gallaudet University in 2026 studying Interpretation. Her professional experience comprises mostly post-secondary, low-risk medical, and community settings. Her research interests are currently focused on neurodivergent ASL interpreters with ADHD and their experience in their profession.
Alex Lei received his M.A. in Interpretation from Gallaudet University in 2026. He comes from a generative linguistics background with a B.A. in Linguistics with a minor in ASL from the University of Washington. His linguistics background has guided his M.A. research towards
analyzing linguistic differences in the productions of simultaneous interpretation and sight interpretation/translation.
RID CEUs Offered: .15