Thaisa Hughes

Dr. Thaisa Hughes is a part-time Senior Lecturer in Deaf Studies and Interpreter Education at the University of Wolverhampton, affiliated with the Department of Social Sciences within the School of Social Science and Humanities, Faculty of Arts, Business, and Social Sciences. She holds a PhD in Interpreter Education completed in December 2023 and a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE), both from the University of Wolverhampton.

Her research focuses on improving sign language interpreter training through situated learning, authenticity in educational environments, and interprofessional collaboration. She emphasizes community of practice models and the integration of real-world contexts in interpreter education, particularly within healthcare settings.

Her recent publications explore instructor modeling and legitimate peripheral participation in medical interpreting education, reflecting a consistent focus on experiential and authentic pedagogy. The articles highlight her contributions to interpreter training frameworks using sociocultural learning theories.

Dr. Hughes actively supervises PhD students as a second supervisor and participates in PhD progression panels. She also serves as a peer reviewer for journals such as Scientific Reports and conference proceedings in language and culture. She maintains a dual professional identity as both an academic and a practicing sign language interpreter.

• Second supervisor for one PhD student
• Member of two PhD progression panels
• Peer reviewer for Scientific Reports (2024), Educational Action Research (2024), and Language and Culture conference (2016–2017)

She has been a registered sign language interpreter with NRCPD since 2008 and continues a part-time freelance interpreting practice alongside her academic duties.