Along with warm temperatures and long days, summer 2018
brought a new program to Wyoming EPSCoR; an eight-week internship in the Stable
Isotope Facility, SIF, for deaf and hard of hearing students. In partnership
with Gallaudet University professor Dr. Caroline Solomon’s biology lab,
undergraduates Arianne Levenson and Patrick Pocztarsk from the National
Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology learned
about environmental science and water quality in the high plains and rolling
hills of Wyoming. Wyoming EPSCoR has
highlighted scientists with disabilities since 2012, first bringing scientists
to campus to discuss their work and now with a more significant commitment to
expanding the definition of a scientist at the University and beyond. The
motivation for the new internship program is to grow the deaf and hard of
hearing student community at the University of Wyoming and for students working
on the Micro project to collaborate with scientists of different abilities and
backgrounds. Chandelle Macdonald of the Stable Isotope Facility likened her
experience this summer with the interns to work with students from a different
culture. She was surprised to “learn how deaf culture works, not just the
language but the entire culture.”
Faculty, staff, and students from the EPSCoR, the Microbial
Ecology Collective, and the SIF participated in an introduction to American
Sign Language or ASL workshop at the University before Arianne and Patrick’s
arrival. This was a chance to learn about deaf culture and pick up a few signs.
Participants practiced finger spelling their names and different welcome signs.
The experience was both humbling and engaging. The workshop helped the UW
community begin a broader conversation on inclusivity.
Interns settled into the UW dorms, which tower over campus,
and ate with other summer programs at the dining hall. Each day, they walked
across campus to the Berry Center where the SIF is housed and worked with
faculty Dr. David Williams, research scientists, and graduate students. Over
time, they experienced Wyoming culture, riding horses and hiking in the nearby
mountains. One student brought his skateboard and quickly made friends with
locals skating around campus and at the park.
Throughout the duration, Arianne and Pat learned about
taking samples, different techniques for analysis, and the story told by data.
The culminating activity was a poster presentation, which was open to the
public. Students, faculty, and staff from EPSCoR’s Micro project watched Arianne
sign while listening to an interpreter. Pat spoke about his research. The question and answer period were filled
with graduate students asking Arianne and Pat about their desires for the
future, what they were interested in studying, and how this experience influenced
their thinking. Each expressed an interest in marine biology and noted the ties
between what they learned in the internship and their desired career
trajectory. “this program had activities
that could be applied - isotopes and chemicals which will require instruments
like isotope ratio mass spectrometer to analyze on” said Arianne. Dr. Williams had
a more enthusiastic reflection on the experience, “I was tickled by the whole
thing and look forward to supporting future interns in my lab and others across
the project.”
Sparked by an NPR story in its “50 Great Teachers” series
called “Biology Professor’s Calling: Teach Deaf Students They Can Do Anything”
about Dr. Solomon, Wyoming EPSCoR initiated a dialogue several years ago. Dr.
Solomon’s research parallels work Wyoming EPSCoR does on conservation biology
and nutrient dynamics in water systems. These similar interests allow for an
exciting synergy around aquatic environmental science and the hard of hearing
and deaf communities. Over the next four years of EPSCoR’s Track 1 project,
Micro, deaf and hard of hearing students will continue to spend their summers
in Wyoming doing hands-on research. We hope some decide to return to Laramie
for future study.
