Frances Cooley

Frances Cooley is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Liberal Studies within the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology. She holds a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin (2021), an MA in Linguistics from the same institution (2018), and a BA in Brain and Cognitive Science with American Sign Language from the University of Rochester (2009). Her research focuses on reading behaviors of deaf individuals, emphasizing strengths-based and bilingualism perspectives to improve educational practices for deaf students. Current projects include an R21 Exploratory Grant investigating reading efficiency in young deaf bilinguals (Grades 3-5).

Teaching: She teaches courses in psychology (e.g., PSYC-101, PSYC-221), quantitative research methods (LEAD 351), and the Cognitive Science Colloquium (COGS 801). Her courses emphasize culturally appropriate research methodologies for deaf and hard-of-hearing populations.

Labs/Teams: She leads the Reading and Deafness (RAD) Lab, which uses eye-tracking and statistical modeling to study cognitive processes in deaf readers. The lab seeks to optimize literacy acquisition through insights into bilingual (ASL-English) reading strategies.

Grants & Awards: Currently holds an R21 grant exploring early literacy development in deaf children. No specific awards listed in provided texts.

Professional Links: Personal Website, ORCID, Google Scholar.