Mary Bird
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Raised in New Hampshire, Mary graduated from Keene State College with degrees in Chemical Dependency/Safety Studies and Psychology after attending Gallaudet University. Relocated to Boston area for employment opportunities, she graduated from Boston College with a Masters' Degree in Social Work. Mary has worked in various settings empowering Deaf and Hard of Hearing people with knowledge, self-advocacy and cultural competency awareness so they can initiate individual change with dignity and respect. Mary works as a School Counselor for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children at R.E.A.D.S. Collaborative in Middleboro, MA for the past 13 years. Mary and her family are running an aspiring vegetable farm, selling Massachusetts-grown products at farmer's markets. With awareness of world issues and social injustice towards children who need families, Mary and her husband expanded their family via International Adoption. Growing along with vegetables are 3 children, one who is a Middle School student at RISD. |
Carol Dorros
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Raised in Maryland just outside of Washington, DC, Carol received a B.A. in Biology from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and medical degree from Boston University. Transplanted to Rhode Island for residency training in Internal Medicine, she and her husband have lived here for 19 years. She is the mother of two wonderful sons. Her younger son, now 10 years old, is deaf and has been involved with RI School for the Deaf since the age of one. He currently attends in the lower elementary at RISD. For about the past two and a half years, Carol has been a member of the RISD Board of Trustees.
Since 2002, Carol has participated as a parent consultant and physician liaison on RI’s First Connections Training and Research Project, a federally funded grant designed to strengthen the Rhode Island system of newborn hearing screening and follow-up intervention. Specifically, the project focuses on improving coordination of care, resources and information for families with infants and young children being diagnosed with hearing loss. She has been a parent consultant to the RI Hearing Assessment Follow-up Committee for many years and have participated in Medical Home initiatives in Rhode Island as well. |
Kathleen Ellis
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A 2001 graduate from Michigan State University with a dual PhD in Kinesiology & Deaf Education, Kathleen Ellis is an assistant professor and director of the APE program at the University of Rhode Island. She specializes in fitness and physical activity, as well as healthy lifestyle factors, for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. |
Neil Leahey
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Dr. Leahey became involved with the Board of Trustees in September, 2004 and became a member in
January, 2005. He received his BA in Biology with a minor in Business Administration from Boston University. He was enrolled at RIT/NITD prior to transferring to BU. He completed his dental degree (DMD) at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. He has been a praciting Dentist in general dentistry since 1994 with his current position as Managing Clinical Director in a Warwick dental office. |
Jennifer LeComte
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Jennifer joined the board in January of 2006. She attained her B.A. in Education and Psychology from Stonehill College, and her M.A. in Counseling from Lesley College. She worked for 9 years at the School for the Deaf as a counselor and in the Parent Infant program. She left in December of 2004 to care for her deaf son (which has since been pluralized to sons). She joined the Board in hopes of helping the school to bring the best to some of her favorite children. |
Mary Wambach
Contact: Email |
Bio coming soon. |
Travis Zellner
Contact: Email |
Bio coming soon. |