Michella Maiorana-Basas (she/her/hers)– is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Undergraduate Program in Deaf Education and the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Flagler College in Saint Augustine, FL. While her professional practice and expertise is grounded in the bilingual/bicultural model, Basas understands the importance of supporting the diversity within the D/deaf communities and believes it is critical that teacher preparation programs provide philosophical balance to the greatest degree possible. In order to move forward in the field, Basas believes that we must find the common threads that connect families, deaf individuals, and professionals across all modality preferences and philosophical approaches.

Basas currently serves as a co-editor for Raising and Educating Deaf Children, Foundations for Policy, Practice, and Outcomes and has dedicated her study and service to strengthening the research-to-practice pipeline while building philosophical and collaborative bridges in deaf education.

Basas lives on a small family farm with her husband, a VERY energetic little human, nine hens, a budding little fish tank, her beloved Holland Lop, and the silliest little Labradoodle that ever lived.

Daphne Werner (she/her/hers)– has been the K-12 School Leader for Curriculum & Instruction at the Delaware School for the Deaf for nearly seven years, and has plans to return to her primary passion – the secondary Language Arts classroom – in Fall 2021.

Werner strongly advocates for professionals in the field to rally and build a cohesive and comprehensive range of supports and services for all DHH students, regardless of their location and hearing status.

Werner lives in Delaware with her husband, adopted teenage sister, nine year old daughter, a clever Siamese cat and a mischievous Olde English Bulldogge puppy.

Karla Maday Giese (bio coming soon!)

Benjamin Lachman (bio coming soon!)

Jenna Voss (she/her/hers) is an Associate Dean, Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Deaf Education at Fontbonne University. Her career as a teacher and early interventionist, serving children who are deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) and their caregivers, has evolved into preparing the next generation of professionals to do the same.

Voss is committed to building a collective workforce of professionals with deep knowledge and skills, strong commitments to interprofessional practice, and high expectations for all children who are DHH and their families. As the AG Bell Academy Chair, Voss is committed to inviting interested (and/or curious?) professionals to partner with families, globally, to support listening and spoken language development through the use of audition, technology, and developmental approaches.

Because there is no single way to be d/Deaf, we need a vast and diverse professional workforce that can support families and learners every step of the way. The Radical Middle has provided an important opportunity to resist the scarcity mindset and instead focus on creating cross-expertise collaborations that will ultimately promote more equitable outcomes. Voss has high hopes for the future, knowing that by supporting the youngest humans and their grown-ups we can do better. Voss’s partner (Ben) and three children (Mikey-9, Francis-5, and Ramona-5) keep her humbled and energized.

Founding Members not currently serving on the Board:

Dr. Jennifer Beal

Dr. Joanna Cannon

Dr. Caroline Guardino

Dr. Christina Rivera

Dr. Uma Soman

Dr. Jessica Trussell