This proposal requests a continuation of one of the most fruitful products of the SLC program, the annual meeting of students and post-doctoral fellows being trained within the various Science of Learning centers. In the past this conference has led to cross-center research collaborations, and to the creation of a national,and even international, interdisciplinary community of young scholars who are likely to continue to be in touch, cooperate and collaborate throughout their future careers.
Normal.dotm 0 0 1 498 2840 Gallaudet 23 5 3487 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false Every year for the last five years, the National Science Foundation has supported a conference for all the students and post-doctoral fellows affiliated with the six Science of Learning Centers (SLC). An inter-center gathering, it is known as iSLC. The fourth annual inter-Science of Learning Centers (iSLC) Conference was hosted by the Visual Language and Visual Learning Center (VL2) at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., March 25 to March 27, 2011. Tom Allen, the co-PI of VL2, and Shilpa Hanumantha, a VL2 post-doctoral fellow, were the primary organizers of this conference. The theme of iSLC 2011 was "Researching Communication and Communicating Research." Not only did attendees present and discuss ongoing Science of Learning Center research on language and communication, they also considered the implications for communicating research findings in a way that is accessible to all audiences, including laypeople, educators, and policymakers. The broader goal of the conference was to enhance the opportunities for cross-Center collaboration and to share strategies for communicating research. The conference consisted of symposia, networking activities, poster sessions, and workshops on methodology. To better encourage cross- and inter-disciplinary connections, two speakers from different Science of Learning Centers presented at each of the symposia. Over ninety students and post-doctoral fellows from all six of the Science of Learning Centers (VL2, CELEST, LIFE, PSLC, SILC, and TDLC) attended. Science of Learning Center alumni were also present to discuss their work and the transition between graduate studies and a career in the sciences. Attendees at the fourth annual iSLC had a unique experience in that they attended the conference at a university campus where language use is bilingual and bimodal. Gallaudet University is the only institution of higher education for deaf and hard of hearing students in the United States, and as such, is a bilingual American Sign Language (ASL)-English setting. All sessions were either signed or interpreted. Sign language interpreters were also provided for after-conference and between-session networking. Participants were also given an introduction to the Deaf cultural and sociolinguistic community through workshops, a performance in ASL, and a tour of the campus's "haunted" sites, given by Gallaudet University alumni and Provost Stephen Weiner. The setting served as a literal reminder of the ongoing importance of effective communication and the need to bridge differences in the sciences, particularly in light of the National Science Foundation's efforts to increase innovative and interdisciplinary knowledge through broadening participation in STEM fields. When asked about the benefits of the conference for each attendee, iSLC Co-PI Shilpa Hanumantha noted, "I think this iSLC meeting is a great opportunity for many reasons; we can pave a way for Deaf and hearing networking, better encourage and maintain the growth of the scientific research community, become allies through potential research projects in the future, share information about possible future jobs, and finally, gain a better understanding of why communication is important. In addition, by setting iSLC at Gallaudet University, participants benefitted by learning about Deaf people and our unique and important contributions to the understanding of bilingualism."
