Laura Vitkus

Laura joined the staff at Hampshire in 1995, working in the President's Office under Gregory S. Prince, Jr. In 1999, she transferred to the Dean of Students office and was there until October, 2009. While employed at Hampshire, she played many vital roles for Student Services. She routinely worked with offices all over campus to improve budget management and assist with web site development in RedDot. She has served on the web development committee, Datatel users group, and assisted in leading advanced Excel workshops. In the spring of 2008, she completed a two-year post as the staff representative to the Trustee Committee for Buildings and Grounds.

In the fall of 2007, Laura enrolled as a transfer student. Her focus is deaf studies, American Sign Language, cochlear implants, and deaf culture. Her Div III, "Cochlear Implants and the Future of Deaf Culture" will involve all of these areas, and consider ASL as a dying language, due to cochlear implants. What is the future of deaf culture?

Laura is happily married with two fantastic kids. Her other interests are Shorin Ryu Karate, motorcycling, watercolor/acrylic painting, billiards, geocaching, knitting, hiking, running, skiing...it's endless really.

In May 2009, Laura was the first staff member to graduate from Hampshire in over 10 years. She had a bell-ringing with her colleagues on April 28 and rang the bell so hard the rope broke!

In October, 2009, Laura's family relocated to Tucson, Arizona. Her husband started a new career and she is looking forward to a fresh start herself. The kids are adjusting well and Tucson is everything they hoped it would be, and more! Feel free to reach out via email: [mailto:varula247@yahoo.com varula247@yahoo.com]

Division II
Hampshire College Courses:


 * The Meanings of Literacy
 * Apes and Language
 * Independent Study - Deaf Culture in Isolation
 * Theory of Language

I enrolled with an Associates Degree and used the following Holyoke Community College courses toward Div II:


 * Introduction to Deaf Studies
 * ASL Level 2 - 5
 * Non-vocal Communication
 * Fundamentals of Speech

I did my Community Service requirement in the form of helping to establish the current ASL classes offered at Hampshire, providing support for the weekly ASL lunch at the dining commons, acting as "communication facilitator" for ASL professor, Ruth Moore.

My Committee: Mark Feinstein Laura Wenk

Division III
Hampshire College Courses:


 * Field Methods in Linguistics
 * American Sign Language, Level 2 - teaching assistant

Division III Paper Outline
"Cochlear Implants and the Future of Deaf Culture"


 * Introduction
 * Deaf Culture
 * Background: History of Deaf Culture and Education
 * Technology
 * Controversy
 * Future of Deaf Culture
 * Conclusion

My Committee: Chair, Sue Darlington Mark Feinstein Kathryn Flack