Event

The ASL Program in the Department of Linguistics at Penn and the Wolf Humanities Center are pleased to announce the Spring 2025 ASL Lecture Series event to be presented by Crom Saunders, Associate Professor of American Sign Language at Columbia College, Chicago.

Professor Saunders’ presentation is titled “Evolution in Deaf Identities.”  The lecture will be held on Wednesday, March 5, from 5:30-7:30 PM as an in-person only event at the University of Pennsylvania, Meyerson Hall, B-1, 210 South 34th Street, Philadelphia.  

The abstract and bio are detailed below. 

 The lecture will be presented in ASL with ASL/English interpretation provided.  It is free and open to the public.  No registration is required to attend.

If you have questions, please contact Dr. Jami Fisher, Director of ASL, Department of Linguistics.

Abstract:

The collective identity of the Deaf community in the United States has undergone some changes in recent years. Those changes mirror other identities and their development in society, resulting in overlapping of identity and how we understand it. This has caused some controversy in Deaf Studies and related fields. Professor Saunders' presentation will explore some of the history behind those changes and how we now look at Deaf identity in the U.S.

Bio:

Crom Saunders is currently an Associate Professor at the American Sign Language Department of Columbia College, Chicago. Crom works extensively in translation, including PSA videos and children's stories, with organizations such as Fun4TheDisabled and Sally Is Sarah, LLC. Crom has interpreted dozens of plays, from children's theatre to musicals, including at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Steppenwolf Theater, and has taught dozens of ASL linguistics, educational, and theatrical workshops across the nation, in addition to working as a Director of ASL for several theatre companies across the nation. He also has a one-man show, "Cromania!", which he performs worldwide.