Caroline M. Solomon

Dr. Caroline M. Solomon is President of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) and Vice President of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), marking her as the first woman to lead NTID. With 25 years in academia, her prior roles include Dean of Faculty and Director of the School of Science, Technology, Accessibility, Mathematics and Public Health at Gallaudet University. She maintains faculty appointments at both NTID and RIT's College of Science.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography, University of Maryland (2006)
• M.S. in Biological Oceanography, University of Washington (2000)
• B.A. in Environmental Science and Public Policy, magna cum laude, Harvard University (1996)

Her interdisciplinary research bridges estuarine ecology and STEM accessibility. She investigates nitrogen cycling—particularly urea utilization in phytoplankton—in anthropogenically impacted rivers like the Anacostia, and develops frameworks for mentoring deaf students in science. Her work has documented viral metagenomics in polluted watersheds and optimized urease activity assays for environmental samples.

Awards:

• Fulbright Fellowship

She actively mentors deaf/HoH STEM students through workshops and institutional initiatives, focusing on overcoming barriers in scientific education. Her advocacy includes developing ASL lexicons for scientific terms and promoting inclusive lab/research cultures.