Curriculum Vitae
Melissa B. Smith, Ed.D
RID CI/CT, NAD V, BEI Master, EIPA 4.9 (Elementary ASL)
Professor Emeritus, Palomar College ∙ Entrepreneur ∙ ASL-English Interpreter
- Melissa@ASLFlurry.com
Founder & CEO: ASL Flurry, Inc.
Education
Doctor of Education, Teaching and Learning, University of California, San Diego
Dissertation: More than Meets the Eye: Revealing the Complexities of K-12 Interpreting
Master of Arts, Teaching and Learning: Emphasis in Curriculum Design, University of California, San Diego
Thesis: Enhancing Self-Regulation in ASL/English Interpreting through Scaffolded Instruction and Peer Collaboration
Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, Distinction in Spanish, San Diego State University
Major: Spanish
Minor: American Indian Studies
Professional Certifications & Credentials
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID): Certificate of Interpretation and Certificate of Transliteration
National Association of the Deaf: Level V, Master Interpreter
Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment, 4.9 (Elementary: ASL)
Board of Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI), Master
Publications
Interpreting in Education (2015). In Jourdenais, R. and Mikkelson, H (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Interpreting. London, UK. Routledge.
More than Meets the Eye: Revealing the Complexities of an Interpreted Education. (2013). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
More than Meets the Eye: Revealing the Complexities of K-12 Interpreting. (2010). Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of California, San Diego.
Opening Our Eyes: The Complexity of Competing Visual Demands in Interpreted Classrooms. (2010). In K.C. Christensen (Ed.), Ethical Considerations in Educating Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
Taking a Closer Look: Examining the Practice and Decisions of K-12 Interpreters. (2011). Across the Board: Magazine of the Australian Sign Language Interpreters Association.
Enhancing Self-Regulation in ASL/English Interpreting through Scaffolded Instruction and Peer Collaboration. (1998). Unpublished Master’s thesis, University of California, San Diego, 1998
Teaching, Administrative, & Supervisory Experience
Center for Atypical Language Interpreting (CALI), August 2022 to August 2023
Supervising Partner – Project for Professionals to Prepare for Work with Atypical Signers
Palomar College, Spring 1997 – Spring 2021
Professor; Director of ASL-English Translation & Interpreting Studies; Academic Coordinator – ASL/Interpreting Lab
Gallaudet University, Spring 2020
Visiting Scholar, Department of Interpreting and Translation
International Deaf Education, Advocacy & Leadership (IDEAL), Dec. 2015 – Present
Project Manger, Step Up for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth
National University, 2006 – 2008
Course Content Specialist, Adjunct Instructor,
Develop and teach course on the acquisition of sign language in program leading to a Master of Science in Special Education – Emphasis in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Palomar College, 2004 – 2006
Assistant Director, Associate Professor, Program for Interpreters in Educational Settings (PInES) funded by the California Department of Education
Front Range Community College, 2003 – 2004
Instructor, Distance Opportunities for Interpreter Training Center, Educational Interpreter Certificate Program
Palomar College, 1995 – 1997
Adjunct Instructor
San Diego Community College District, 1990 – 1995
Adjunct Instructor
Interpreting Experience
Freelance Interpreter 1986 – Present
Deaf Access Services, Linguabee, Network Interpreting Service, Partners in Communication, Deaf Community Services of San Diego, etc.
San Diego State University, 1988 – 1994
Lead Interpreter
San Diego Unified School District, 1988
Interpreter
San Diego Community College District, 1985 – 1988
Hourly and Staff Interpreter
Western Oregon State College, 1986 – 1987
Lead Staff Interpreter/Mentor
Presentations
Building your Toolbox: A Workshop for Parents of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind Children and Mentors. A 2-hour Zoom webinar with tips to build your toolbox and ideas to get the whole school to support parents’ goals for their child. Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Outreach Services for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. 11/21/2024
Harnessing the Village Expertise: Innovation in Action (75-minute presentation). Mosaic Experiences: Reframing and Reconnecting Deaf Education, 2024 CAL-ED Conference. La Jolla, CA. 10/26/2024
Where’s the Line: Teaching vs Tutoring. Onsite 5-hour workshop for teachers of the Deaf and educational interpreters. Using research and data to build consensus around addressing the needs of DHH students as a team. Colorado Department of Education. Colorado Springs, 10/20/2024; Greeley, 10/21/2024
Examining the Educational Interpreter’s Role: Applying Research to Practice
Six-hour staff training for teachers of the Deaf and educational interpreters, Tehama County Office of Education. Redding, California, 8/7/2024
Where’s the Line: Teaching vs Tutoring. Introductory two-hour Zoom webinar for teachers of the Deaf and educational interpreters. Colorado Department of Education. 5/18/2024
Navigating Expansion: When Does Enough Become Too Much? (3-hour Zoom webinar).Part of the “I Never Learned That in my Interpreting Program” series.
Lancaster-Lebanon Early Childhood and Special Education Services, Sensory Impaired Program. 10/9/2023
The Changing Landscape of Educational Interpreting (3-hour Zoom webinar).Pare of the “I Never Learned that in my Interpreting Program” Series. Lancaster-Lebanon Early Childhood and Special Education Services, Sensory Impaired Program. 10/9/2023
The Changing Landscape of Educational Interpreting:Part of the “I Never Learned that in my Interpreting Program” series. MDk-12workshops. 10/12/2023
Decision-Making for Interpreters: You’re Not in this Alone! Idaho RID. 5/16/2023
Preparing for a Performance Assessment: EIPA Steps to Success. Co-presented with Cindy Farnham.
ASL Flurry, LLC, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA. 1/27/2023
Accessing STEAM through Qualified Interpreters: More than Meets the Eye
California Educators of the Deaf conference, Burbank, CA. 10/1/2022
I’m Not Afraid of Fingerspelling! Steps to Fingerspelling Mastery
ASL OWL, North Carolina. 1/14/2022
Possibilities and Pitfalls of Educational Interpreting
Educational Interpreting Conference. GaRID ,Atlanta, GA. 1/3/2020
Educational Interpreters & Captain Marvel: Ending Myths about Female Superheroes;
The XYZs of Interpreting: Getting the Credentials You Want; The Educational Interpreting Workforce Awakens.
Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission 2019 Interpreter Conference. 4/27-28/2019
And Justice for All. Keynote address. Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission 2019 Interpreter Conference. 4/26/2019
Educational Interpreting: More than Meets the Eye. Invited speaker, Gallaudet Master’s in Interpretation, Educational Interpreting class. Three semesters, 2016-2018
Debunking the Myth of Being “Just” an Educational Interpreter; Subject matter expert regarding Possibilities and Pitfalls of an Interpreted Education. Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center.
- Online discussion content expert. 9/13-20/2018
- Live discussion with Dr. Laurene Simms followed by Twitter chat. 9/18/201
- Three-part book club discussion of More than Meets the Eye: Revealing the Complexities of an Interpreted Education. 10/9/2018-12/11/2018.
Working with Emergent Language Learners: Part of the “I Never Learned that in My Interpreting Program” Series. Co-Presented with Colleen Smith. North Coastal Consortium for Special Education in conjunction with Palomar College and Escondido Union High School Interpreting Departments. 8/14/2018
Stepping Stones to Effective Interpreting: Using EIPA Domains to Improve Your Work. Co-present with Cindy Farnham. Turning Pages to a Brighter Tomorrow, Sacramento, California Educators of the Deaf (CAL-ED 2018). 3/24/2018
The Nuts and Bolts of Interpreting: What Every IEP Team Member Should Know. Co-present with Cindy Farnham. Turning Pages to a Brighter Tomorrow, Sacramento, California Educators of the Deaf (CAL-ED 2018). 3/23/2018
California Summit on Educational Interpreting for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Keynote Speaker with Jon Levy presented by The Silent Garden at California State University, Fresno. 10/6-7/2017
Educational Interpreting: It’s Not Just a Job; It’s an Adventure! San Diego Chapter of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, University of California, San Diego. 3/19-20, 2016
The Nitty Gritty of Educational Interpreting. Educational interpreter staff development for the Imperial County Office of Education. 3/3/17
More than Meets the Eye. Alaska Educational Interpreters Conference, University of Alaska, Anchorage. 1/15-16, 2016
The Nitty Gritty of Educational Interpreting. Deaf Community Services. Corporate Alliance, University City, California. 1/11/2016
How Do I Sign That?!? Bippity Boppity Boo & Other Stories; and
Revealing the Complexities of K-12 Interpreting through the Eyes of a Frog.
Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Outreach, Statewide Family and Professional Conference, Oconomowoc, WI. 10/24-25/2015
Educational Interpreting: It’s Not Just a Job; It’s an Adventure! Step Up for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth. California School for the Deaf, Fremont, CA. 7/23-25, 2015
Educational Interpreting: It’s Not Just a Job; It’s an Adventure! Step Up for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth. California School for the Deaf, Riverside, CA. 7/29-31/2015.
It Is Not Just a Job; It’s an Adventure! Educational Interpreter Summer Institute PA Training and Technical Assistance Network-PaTTAN, Pennsylvania Department of Education, Harrisburg, PA. 7/16-17/2015
Possibilities and Pitfalls of Educational Interpreting: A Call for a Paradigm Shift. Gallaudet University Department of Interpretation, Center for Advancement of Interpretation and Translation Research (CAITR), & Regional Interpreter Education Center (GURIEC) Colloquium Lecture, Washington, DC. 2/20/2015
View online at http://www.gallaudet.edu/interpretation/department-of-interpretation-research/colloquium-lecture-series.html
Essential Elements for Energizing Interpreter Education Through Context-Based Learning, Conference of Interpreter Trainers, Portland, OR. 10-29-11/1, 2014
Educational Interpreting: It’s Not Just a Job…It’s an Adventure! Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind (IESDB). Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind, Gooding, ID. 6/9-11/2014
Educational Interpreting: It’s Not Just a Job. . . It’s an Adventure! Sign Language Interpreting in Education program of Northcentral Technical College statewide Educational Interpreting Conference, Wassau, WI. 4/11-13/2014
It’s a Frog’s Life: Hopping from Graphics to Quality Interpretations. Palomar College and Mesa College Interpreting Program, San Marcos, CA. 4/15/2014
Revealing the Complexities of K-12 Interpreting, invited speaker, Interpreters in Education graduate course, University of California, San Diego. December 2013.
Beyond Interpreting and Transliterating: What Interpreters and Educators Need to Know about the Complexities of the Work of Interpreters in K-12 Settings. Indiana Deaf Educators and Educational Interpreters Conference. June 2013.
Interpreting Secondary Science Lessons: Using Resources and Awareness of Teacher Talk to Enhance Interpreting Effectiveness. Co-presenter: Melissa Hopkins. June 2013.
Seeing Science: Interpreting Elementary School Science Lessons in Ways that Promote Learning. Co-presenter: Melissa Hopkins. June 2013.
Empowering and Enlightening Students through Self-Analysis. Present self-analysis theories and procedures to teachers of ASL and interpreting at Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, VA. Co-presenter: Melissa Hopkins. September 2013.
How to Teach Educational Interpreting. Interpreter Educator Empowerment Series. Sorenson VRSII, SLC, Utah. November-December, 2012.
What the Best College Teachers Do: Applications to Interpreting. Conference of Interpreter Trainers, Charlotte, NC. October 2012.
More Than Meets The Eye: Revealing the Complexities of Interpreting in K-12 Classrooms. Conference of Interpreter Trainers, Charlotte, NC. October 2012.
Self-Analysis Workshop for School to Work Interns. Sorenson VRSII, SLC, Utah. Co-presenter: Melissa Hopkins. June 2012.
Making the Most of a Mentorship: For Mentors and Mentees. San Diego County RID. June 2012.
Understanding the Complexities of Interpreting in K-12 Classrooms. San Diego Unified School District and San Diego County RID. September 2011.
Assessment in Interpreter Education. Sorenson VRSII, SLC, Utah. February 2011.
Creating Connections through Assessment. Moving from “I Hate This” to “Thanks!” Conference of Interpreter Trainers, San Antonio, TX. October 2010.
Designing and Grading Beginning ASL Students’ Signed Presentations. Conference of Interpreter Trainers, San Antonio, TX. October 2010.
Expanding our Understanding of Educational Interpreting: Preparing Interpreters for Work in K- 12 Classrooms. Conference of Interpreter Trainers, San Antonio, TX. October 2010.
Teachers and Interpreters Working Together, invited speaker in Mainstreaming and Inclusion graduate course, University of California, San Diego, 2006.
Teaching and Interpreting in the Classroom: Is Interpreter Certification the Answer? CAL-ED/IMPACT Conference, 2006.
Professional Development Workshop Series: ASL to English Interpreting. Regional Interpreter Training Consortium, Irvine Unified Schools, 2005.
Mind the Gap: How Interpreting Students Can Avoid Falling through the Cracks, 24th Annual Interpreter Symposium, National Center on Deafness, California State University, Northridge, 2005.
Knowing Your Stuff: An Analysis Technique for Diagnosing Strengths and Weaknesses of an Interpretation, 24th Annual Interpreter Symposium, National Center on Deafness, California State University, Northridge, 2005.
Effective Interpreters in K-12 Settings, Conference of Interpreter Trainers, Poster presentation. Washington, DC, 2004.
Theoretical Foundations and Practical Applications of Second Language Teaching and Learning, San Dieguito Unified School District World Language Program, 2002.
Enhancing Self-Regulation in ASL/English Interpreting: Promoting Excellence in Interpreter Education. CIT Proceedings. Conference of Interpreter Trainers. Portland, OR, October 2000.
In-service training on ethics for district interpreters, San Diego Community College District, 1999.
Performing Arts Interpreting, Region V Conference of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, 1996.
Performing Arts Interpreting, Southern California Chapter of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, 1996.
Awards
- Interpreter Educator of the Year, Region V of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), 2014 and 2004
- Interpreter Educator of the Year, San Diego County Chapter of RID, 2004
- Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, 2006, 2005 and 2002
- Outstanding Woman of the Year, Palomar College, 2001
- Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching – Finalist, 2000
Grants
California Department of Education grant awarded to develop and implement a distance education program for interpreters working in K-12 settings throughout California.
Partnership for Excellence grant won; Perkins & Foundation funds obtained to establish and maintain a state of the art ASL/Interpreting Lab at Palomar College.
Professional Affiliations & Service
San Diego Chapter of the American Sign Language Teachers’ Association, Board Member, Co-Secretary and Co-Chair of Professional Development (2000-2007)
San Diego Unified School District ROP Advisory Board: American Sign Language and Interpreting
Member: Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID); National Association of the Deaf (NAD);
Conference of Interpreter Trainers (CIT); San Diego County Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (SDCRID)
Professional Development
Additional graduate and doctoral level coursework completed:
Center for Atypical Language Interpreting (CALI), August 2022 to August 2023
Training for Supervising Partners – Project for Professionals to Prepare for Work with Atypical Signers
Board of Evaluation of Interpreters Summer Seminar (Observer/Guest teacher), Ft. Worth. San Antonio College Mid-Program Review, San Antonio, TX.
- Distance Learning for Training Interpreters, Distance Opportunities for Interpreter Training (DO IT) Center
- Assessment techniques through Teaching Interpreter Educators and Mentors, Project TIEM
- Doctoral coursework in Educational Technology, Reading Instruction, and Distance Education, San Diego State University
- Signed Communication Proficiency (SCPI) Interviewer and Rater Training
- ASL Linguistics, Gallaudet University Regional Center
- 80 hours every three years to maintain RID certification
- 70 hours per year to fulfill faculty obligations from 1998-2021