Highlights

  • Major redesign of WPSD Alumni website

    Major redesign of WPSD Alumni website

    WPSD Alumni Welcomes You to brand-new website in year 2024! Members of the WPSD Alumni Association will see major design changes in https://www.wpsdalumni.org website, opened to public on April 1, 2024. We’re not kidding. You might noticed the colorful content: mainly blue background. This color brings you the mood to read the Alumni site including…

  • Communication barriers for a Deaf PhD student meant risking burnout

    Communication barriers for a Deaf PhD student meant risking burnout

    Megan Majocha, WPSD Class of 2015, shares her spotlight story article. By Jyoti Madhusoodanan Megan Majocha is gearing up to complete her PhD. But developing a sign-language lexicon to help her succeed took an immense toll during her scientific research. Sign language in science The lack of scientific terms and vocabulary in many of the…

  • TribLive: Signs of the Times

    TribLive: Signs of the Times

    Story by JOANNE KLIMOVICH HARROPPhotos by SHANE DUNLAPTribune-Review June 11, 2023 Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on residency at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children. Interviews were done with the help of an interpreter. Many students’ last names have been omitted at…

  • WPSD: Pittsburgh’s unique (ASL) signs

    WPSD: Pittsburgh’s unique (ASL) signs

    This article is published in Post-Gazette on December 23, 2022. You need to subscribe to view this page. Signing with a Pittsburgh accent LAURA MALT SCHNEIDERMAN | PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE DEC. 23, 2022 Val Wojton, deaf since birth, learned sign language at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Edgewood. There, the days of the week…

  • Deaf student becomes first to earn doctorate at UH Mānoa

    Deaf student becomes first to earn doctorate at UH Mānoa

    Emily Jo Noschese is WPSD Alumni – Class of 2005. Emily Jo Noschese is the first deaf student to earn a doctorate from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The Department of Linguistics in the College of Arts, Languages & Letters (CALL) recognizes the recent graduate. “I feel honored,” expressed Noschese. “The linguistics department made this happen and took a…

  • TribLive: WPSD celebrates 2021 graduates

    TribLive: WPSD celebrates 2021 graduates

    Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Edgewood celebrated their 2021 graduates on Thursday. Graduates began their morning with a class photo and a graduation walk through the campus prior to a commencement ceremony scheduled for 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium. Students, faculty and staff lined the halls to congratulate seniors Thursday morning, with…

  • WPSD grad becomes licensed commercial truck driver

    WPSD grad becomes licensed commercial truck driver

    Posted: May 11, 2021 Article by: CCAC Public RelationsSource: ccac.edu PITTSBURGH—The Community College of Allegheny County is celebrating the accomplishment of Daniel Zeolla, who recently passed his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) exam to become a licensed truck driver –-and he did it without hearing a word from his instructors. Zeolla, who is Deaf, wanted to become…

  • Zion Harper, Class of ’17: Local photographer overcomes challenges, owns business

    Zion Harper, Class of ’17: Local photographer overcomes challenges, owns business

    David L. Dye, The Herald, Sharon, Pa.Tue, May 25, 2021 May 25—SHARON — Because he was born deaf, Zion Harper has to communicate mostly through sign language and writing — but he also has an eye for photography. As the owner of Zion Grant Photography in Hubbard, Ohio, the Sharon native has photographed everything from…

  • WPSD Deaf community within the BLM movement

    WPSD Deaf community within the BLM movement

    Reminder Note: WPSD Students, Alumnus, staff/teachers and friends who are participated in the video. For professional interpreter Amy Crawford, American Sign Language is her first language. Ms. Crawford is a CODA — child of deaf adults. Interpretation has always been a part of her everyday life growing up, using ASL at doctor’s appointments, in the…