Denise Kavin

Denise Kavin serves as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Liberal Studies at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), Rochester Institute of Technology. She coordinates the Bachelor of Science program in Community Development and Inclusive Leadership and the Associate of Science program in Applied Liberal Studies, and teaches leadership and English courses.

Her educational qualifications include:

• Ed.D. in Leadership and Educational Policy Studies, Northern Illinois University
• M.S. in Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University
• M.S. in Secondary Education of the Deaf, NTID/RIT
• B.S. in Communication Arts and Psychology, Gallaudet University
• Certification in Administration of Programs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults, San Diego State University

Dr. Kavin's research centers on community development and inclusive leadership, with a focus on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. She integrates disability justice and racial justice frameworks into organizational leadership and community development. Her work also addresses higher education access and success for deaf and hard of hearing students, drawing from her extensive administrative experience in deaf education.

Her sole publication is a 2012 conference presentation on language use in academic settings, reflecting interdisciplinary work spanning linguistics, deaf studies, and education. The research emphasizes academic language, sign language, and bilingual education within deaf educational contexts.

Dr. Kavin secured significant funding as co-principal investigator for DeafTEC, a National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education National Center of Excellence. Her leadership roles include Assistant Dean for Outreach, Placement and Special Projects at NTID, and coordination of multiple academic programs.

She actively contributes to the DeafTEC center and recently facilitated the Deaf Organization Executives Summit (December 2024), demonstrating ongoing impact in deaf education and community leadership development.