National Technical Institute for the Deaf

Marianne Gustafson, a professor in NTID’s Department of Communication Studies and Services, has been named Associate Dean for Curriculum and Special Projects by NTID President Gerry Buckley.

Gustafson, who came to NTID nearly 40 years ago, has taught more than a dozen courses and instructed scores of students. She has published scholarly articles and presented at numerous national and international conferences.

For 12 years, Gustafson served as NTID’s Curriculum Resource Associate, guiding the development, review and approval of all of NTID’s curriculum actions. In that role, she also collaborated with chairs and program directors in the creation, implementation and reporting of student learning outcomes assessment.

“Through her interactions with faculty, staff, administration and relevant committees, Marianne has enhanced NTID’s reputation across the university for being a leader in outcomes assessment and curriculum proposals,” Buckley said. “I am confident that she has demonstrated the knowledge, administrative skill and interpersonal style that will make her very successful in her expanded role.”

In her new role, Gustafson will serve as a member of NTID’s senior leadership team – the NTID Administrative Council.

A native of the Chicago area, Gustafson moved to Rochester as a child. She received her bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Northwestern University and her master’s in Education from Syracuse University. She also holds professional certifications related to Speech-Language Pathology.

She began working with individuals who are deaf around 1970 when she worked with NTID students at an insurance company in downtown Rochester. It was such a positive experience that she decided to contact NTID after her graduation to see if they were hiring speech-language professionals. She joined the college in 1974, the year NTID’s main academic building, Lyndon Baines Johnson Hall, opened on the RIT campus.

She now lives in the Rochester suburb of Chili.

“I am very honored to be given the opportunity to serve NTID in this challenging capacity,” she says. “Being part of the Administrative Council will give me a broader view of NTID, student life and academic affairs, which I can bring to my work with faculty, staff and administrators. I look forward to collaborating in the creation of new programs consistent with NTID’s Strategic Decisions 2020 goals, and promoting the development of future leaders of NTID.”