Jess La Sala

Jess La Sala serves as Associate Dean for Academic Administration at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), part of Rochester Institute of Technology. She holds an Ed.D. from the University of Rochester and brings extensive experience in Deaf education and research administration.

Her educational background includes a BS from Rochester Institute of Technology, an MSW from East Carolina University, and her doctorate from the University of Rochester. As a mother of KODA (Kids of Deaf Adults) twins, she has personal connection to Deaf culture that informs her professional work.

Dr. La Sala's research focuses on Deaf education, health disparities, and accessibility issues, with publications spanning from 2011 to 2020. Her work examines mentoring Deaf scholars in STEM, Deaf health research, breastfeeding experiences of Deaf mothers, and cardiovascular health perceptions in the Deaf community. She teaches LEAD-350 Introduction to Qualitative Research, applying her expertise in research methodology to train future scholars.

Her research demonstrates consistent attention to community-based participatory approaches and cultural factors that impact educational and healthcare outcomes for Deaf individuals. The publications reveal a trajectory of work that addresses systemic barriers while developing practical solutions for improving accessibility and equity.

Dr. La Sala's scholarship reflects interdisciplinary collaboration across education, public health, and social work domains, with emphasis on practical applications that benefit the Deaf community directly.

As Associate Dean for Academic Administration, she oversees critical functions that support NTID's mission of providing educational opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing students at RIT. Her administrative role complements her scholarly work by positioning her to influence institutional practices that affect Deaf student success.