Board of Directors
Marie Coppola
Founder and Chair
M.A., Ph.D., Brain & Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester
Asst. Professor, Departments of Psychology and Linguistics, University of Connecticut
Marie’s interest in language and effective communication is long-standing, being rooted in her experience as the hearing daughter of two Deaf parents who use American Sign Language. Her academic research focuses on the importance of sign language input and a linguistic community for deaf children’s linguistic and cognitive development. Through Signs and Smiles, she strives to connect deaf children and their families with linguistic resources.
Christopher Kurz
Secretary
Ph.D., Foundations of Education, University of Kansas
Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Chris is on the faculty of RIT/NTID and is an avid traveler. His research and development interests are mathematics and science language and learning. In addition, he has done collaborative projects internationally where he trains and develops a teacher training curriculum for future teachers of deaf.
Patrick Graham
Treasurer
Ph.D., Educational Theory and Practice, University of Georgia
Assistant Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology
A long time advocate of equity and excellence in Deaf education, Patrick worked with Dr. Joseph Tobin at the University of Georgia and his colleagues on a Spencer funded research project, studying deaf preschools in Japan, France, and the United States. He is also interested in equity in education, disability studies, multicultural education, and culturally sustaining pedagogy.
Kyle Duarte
Board Member and Director of Operations
Ph.D., Information and Communication Sciences, Université de Bretagne-Sud
Owner, The Kyle Duarte Company
Kyle is a nationally-certified sign language interpreter based in Washington, DC. His firm provides interpreting and captioning services to a number of academic, nonprofit, and business clients. Previously, his doctoral research considered the practical applications of avatars as a form of accessible technology for deaf users. In his leisure time, Kyle is a wine reviewer and avid traveler.
Audrey Loudenback
Board Member
MA in Interpreting Studies
ASL-English Interpreter and Adjunct Instructor
Audrey lives in Salem, Oregon with her family where she works as a freelance interpreter in a variety of settings. She also teaches interpreting courses at Western Oregon University as an Adjunct Instructor, and is working with a research team to publish data on BIPOC interpreters’ experiences in the field.
Milmaglyn Morales
Board Member
Master in Special Education and 6th Year Certificate in Educational Leadership
Director of Early Childhood Center at Marie Philip School
Milmaglyn believes in ending injustice and brings a passion for anti-bias awareness to the Deaf community. She works in the worlds of both interpreting and education. She enjoys teaching, mentoring and storytelling to 3, 4, and 5 year-olds.