Research & Creative Works

Dr. Emily Girardin’s dissertation included a needs assessment and intervention study focused on American Sign Language fluency as a foundational competency for future school interpreters. This research informed interventions that the PSI Project further developed and implemented.

Complexities in Educational Interpreting

The PSI Project was featured in the second edition of Complexities in Educational Interpreting: An Investigation into Patterns of Practice. The book presented research that informed the School Interpreting Series competencies and the interdisciplinary concentration implemented at the University of Northern Colorado from 2021–2026.

PSI Project Co-Directors Dr. Leilani Johnson and Dr. Emily Girardin, along with External Evaluator Dr. Marty Taylor, were among the authors contributing to the second edition.

The Current State of Interpreter Education

The PSI Project was featured in a national examination of ASL–English interpreter education published in Sign Language Studies in 2025. The article explored the structure and current state of interpreter education programs across the United States.

Garrett, B. D., Girardin, E. G., & Weirick, W. (2025). The current state of ASL-English interpreting education across the United States. Sign Language Studies, 25(2), 227–256. https://doi.org/10.1353/sls.2025.a953722

Dr. Emily Girardin, Angie O’Bleness, and Kelli Stein presented Preparing School Interpreters: Redesigning Educational Interpreting Curricula to Reflect an Interdisciplinary Lens at the 2022 Conference of Interpreter Trainers in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

The poster described the curriculum review process and the initial development of the 16-credit School Interpreting Series, including contributions from interdisciplinary subject-matter experts.

Girardin, E. G., Stein, K., & O’Bleness, A. (2022, September 21). Preparing School Interpreters (PSI) Project: Redesigning educational interpreting curricula to reflect an interdisciplinary lens [Poster presentation]. Conference of Interpreter Trainers National Conference, King of Prussia, PA.

Dr. Emily Girardin presented a poster on the PSI Project’s intervention study at the 2025 Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf National Conference. The presentation shared the study’s findings and introduced attendees to resources developed through the PSI Project.

Dr. Emily Girardin, PSI Project Director, and Kouston Worthington, School Interpreting Series Instructor, presented a poster at the 2025 Office of Special Education Programs Conference in Washington, D.C.

The poster illustrated curriculum and instructional approaches used by the PSI Project to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and support interpreting student learning.

Girardin, E. G., & Worthington, K. (2025, August). The Preparing School Interpreters Project: Fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to support deaf and hard of hearing learners [Conference poster presentation]. Office of Special Education Programs National Conference, Arlington, VA.

Amy Kroll and Dr. Emily Girardin presented Open Access | Real Impact: Sharing Resources for School Interpreting at the 2026 National Association of Interpreters in Education Conference.

The poster highlighted PSI’s open-access curriculum, instructional activities, assessment tools, mentoring resources, and transition-to-practice supports, and how they can be adapted to support continued learning beyond the grant.

Kroll, A., & Girardin, E. G. (2026, July). Open access | Real impact: Sharing resources for school interpreting [Poster presentation]. National Association of Interpreters in Education Conference, Las Vegas, NV.

Lauri Krouse, Patty Gordon, and Dr. Emily Girardin presented The School Interpreting Lab Experience: Ushering in the Next Generation of School Interpreters at the 2026 National Association of Interpreters in Education Conference.

The poster shared PSI’s School Interpreting Labs, which provided Scholars with authentic K–12 interpreting practice, facilitator feedback, and structured reflection to support continued skills development after graduation.

Krouse, L., Gordon, P., & Girardin, E. G. (2026, July). The School Interpreting Lab Experience: Ushering in the next generation of school interpreters [Poster presentation]. National Association of Interpreters in Education Conference, Las Vegas, NV.

Kelli Stein and Dr. Emily Girardin presented The Induction-Mentorship Experience: Ushering in the Next Generation of School Interpreters at the 2026 National Association of Interpreters in Education Conference.

The poster highlighted PSI’s 10-week induction model, which combined case conferencing, mentoring-as-coaching, and professional development to support Scholars as they transitioned into K–12 interpreting practice.

Stein, K., & Girardin, E. G. (2026, July). The Induction-Mentorship Experience: Ushering in the next generation of school interpreters [Poster presentation]. National Association of Interpreters in Education Conference, Las Vegas, NV.

Elena Stuffel, a PSI Scholar who participated in Research Coaching with Kelli Stein and Susan Brown, presented Raising the Bar: How Intentional Collaboration Must Define the Work of Educational Interpreters at the 2026 National Association of Interpreters in Education Conference.

The pilot study examined educational interpreter–teacher collaboration and highlighted the importance of relationship-building, preparation, communication, and recognition of professional expertise.

Stuffel, E. (2026, July). Raising the bar: How intentional collaboration must define the work of educational interpreters [Poster presentation]. National Association of Interpreters in Education Conference, Las Vegas, NV.

Kouston Worthington, School Interpreting Series Instructor, presented What I Wish My Interpreter Knew: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students’ Perspectives in Mainstream K–12 Classrooms at the 2026 National Association of Interpreters in Education Conference.

Drawing on the perspectives of Deaf and hard of hearing students and recent graduates, the poster highlighted four themes: access is personal, understanding matters, visual access is exhausting, and respect my voice.

Worthington, K. (2026, July). What I wish my interpreter knew: Deaf and hard of hearing students’ perspectives in mainstream K–12 classrooms [Poster presentation]. National Association of Interpreters in Education Conference, Las Vegas, NV.

PSI Project Director Dr. Emily Girardin joined several co-authors of Complexities in Educational Interpreting in sharing the book’s research through conference presentations, workshops, and other professional learning opportunities.

Their presentations included discussions of the PSI Project and used the School Interpreting Series competencies and SIS curriculum as examples of how research could inform interpreter preparation.

Dissemination included:

• National Deaf Education Conference, California — Summer 2023
• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf National Conference, Maryland — Summer 2023
• Virginia Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf virtual workshop — Fall 2024
• Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission virtual book club — Fall 2025

Dr. Emily Girardin presented Building Authentic Access: Understanding Systems, Collaboration, and Student-Centered Interpreting in K–12 Education at the 2026 Silent Garden Lecture Series, where she was recognized as a Distinguished Lecturer.

Drawing on ecological systems theory and research from the PSI Project, the presentation explored how school interpreters navigate educational systems, collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, and support student-centered practice for diverse DHH learners.

Girardin, E. G. (2026, February 21). Building authentic access: Understanding systems, collaboration, and student-centered interpreting in K–12 education [Conference presentation]. The 14th Annual Silent Garden Lecture Series, Fresno, CA, United States.