Special Section in Memoriam: Ye "Angel" Wang Peter V. Paul, Jean F. Andrews, Maria C. Hartman, Sonia B. Arora, Jodi L. Falk, Marian Patricia Bea Francisco, Amanda Howerton-Fox, Jennifer Montgomery, Onudeah D. Nicolarakis, Elizabeth A. Rosenzweig, Ronda Rufsvold, Lingyun Shi, Julia Silvestri, Elaine R. Smolen, Michelle A. Veyvoda, Beverly J. Trezek, Connie Mayer

American Annals of the Deaf, Volume 166, Number 1, Spring 2021, pp. 74-84 (Article)

Published by Gallaudet University Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/aad.2021.0012

For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/794032

[ Access provided at 29 Sep 2021 04:27 GMT with no institutional affiliation ] Special Section in Memoriam: Ye “Angel” Wang Paul, P. V. et al. (2021). Special section in memoriam: Ye “Angel” Wang. American Annals of the Deaf, 166(1), 74–85.

In Memoriam: Ye Wang Peter V. Paul

Our research and ­professional commu- collaborative nature of her publications nity lost a kind, remarkable scholar with and presentations, it is clear that Ye was a the passing of Dr. Ye Wang on Friday, Feb- considerate “team player.” She understood ruary 12, 2021 (Levine, 2021). To be truth- that the resolution of deep, complex prob- ful, a part of me died on that day as well. lems requires the collaboration and stim- “Kind” and “remarkable” can be impressive ulation of colleagues. Ye also incorporated descriptors, especially when a personal and this principle into her classroom discourse professional story can be told to exemplify and instruction. each term. Ye obtained a respected level of re- I knew Ye for about 20 years, from search expertise in both quantitative and her enrollment as a graduate student at qualitative methodology, as evident in her Ohio State University in 2000 to her truly publications, and in the fact that she taught remarkable meteoric rise to full profes- courses and sessions on research method- sorship at Teachers College, Columbia ology during her university career. In short, University. Inspection of Ye’s curriculum not only did Ye have the ability to conduct vitae might take your breath away, consid- and lead research investigations, but she ering the quantity of her scholarly output was also capable of translating findings and once she obtained her PhD in 2005—there conveying her passion and understand- are books, book chapters, journal articles, ing to other scholars and her students. It funded grants, and a number of conference should come as no surprise that in 2013, presentations. If you take the opportunity Ye was selected to serve as Senior Associate to read a few of the published pieces, you’ll Editor of the American Annals of the Deaf. be mesmerized by the quality—in fact, I have a few personal stories to tell about in a positive sense, this is the scholarly my relationship with Ye. Like my other rendition of “shock and awe.” Given the international doctoral students, Ye decided 74

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to adopt an “Americanized” nomenclature Over the years, Ye and I had several to, apparently, make it easier for others to deep conversations, typically at the few remember her name. The selection was conferences we attended. Ye knew that “Angel.” After interacting with Ye for a few I was passionate about discussing those years at OSU, I finally told her that she was profound philosophical questions: “What definitely an angel of the highest order. is the meaning of life? Why is there some- There was no doubt that Ye possessed an thing rather than nothing?” I told Ye that incredible level of kindness, reminding me there are two broad perspectives about how of a maxim attributed to Lao Tzu: “Kind- the universe came into being: A supernat- ness in words creates confidence. Kindness ural entity created it, or the universe begat in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness itself. I asked Ye about her view. I still smile in giving creates love” (“Lao Tzu Quotes,” whenever I recall her response: “Don’t Ask, n.d.). Nevertheless, I decided to continue Don't Tell.” to call Ye by her real name. Besides, I could In January 2014, I had the wonderful always make her laugh when I got her at- honor of composing a letter of support for tention by yelling out, “Hear Ye! Hear Ye! I Ye, who was nominated for and eventually want to talk to you!” received a New Leader Alumni Award Yes, Ye was definitely an angel—a gentle, from the College of Education & Human brilliant soul that belied a tenacious inner Ecology at Ohio State. The last paragraph world determined to contribute to the im- of that letter rings an eternal truth: provement of the lives of individuals who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing—no doubt moti- In sum, since her graduation from The Ohio vated by the fact that her parents were Deaf. State University, Dr. Wang’s accomplish- Because I had a bilateral profound hearing ments in research, teaching, and service loss, I wondered if this was one major reason have been substantial with considerable im- why Ye “respected” me. Her response was pact. Dr. Wang has been highly visible at the most likely a reflection of her culture and national level and, at present, she is Senior was buttressed by our wonderful relation- Associate Editor for the American Annals of ship. Ye informed me that teachers are con- the Deaf. In a relatively short period of time, sidered “second parents” in her culture—and Dr. Wang has made significant contributions that she considered me her “Second Father.” to our understanding of the profiles of strug- It’s still difficult to write this without shed- gling readers in the areas of deafness and ding a few tears in my home office. bilingualism and has been an inspiration for While Ye was at OSU, she gave birth students and scholars. to her first child, Amy. It was unbeliev- —Peter V. Paul able, but I was ecstatic for Ye. Of course, I wanted to play with Amy, who was placed References in a stroller whenever Ye worked at the university. Even more incredible was the Lao Tzu quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuotes. https://www. fact that Amy was in that stroller for most brainyquote.com/quotes/lao_tzu_118352 of the day while Ye was studying and work- Levine, J. (2021, February 23). A champion for pos- sibility: Ye (Angel) Wang created new pathways ing in her office. I was petrified—but Ye to literacy for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. assured me that all was fine, and then a few Teachers College, Columbia University. https:// years later informed me that both of her www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2021/february/ children (Amy and Stone) were turning out a-champion-for-possibility-ye-angel-wang/ to be gifted and talented!

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Angel Wang was an international read- As a Coda, Angel had knowledge of and ing scholar conducting studies in the respect for the Chinese Deaf community United States, the Philippines, Korea, that impacted her work. I particularly and mainland China. She had a gentle admired how she led an international leadership style. After running a reading Deaf-hearing collaborative team of re- clinic and training teachers in the Mid- searchers who wrote a recent chapter on west, she returned to New York to prepare the development of Chinese literacy skills doctoral-level researchers. for deaf students. —Jean F. Andrews Lamar University

A Dear Colleague, Friend, and Mentor: Tributes to Dr. Ye (Angel) Wang From Her Teachers College Community Maria C. Hartman, Sonia B. Arora, Jodi L. Falk, Marian Patricia Bea Francisco, Amanda Howerton-Fox, Jennifer Montgomery, Onudeah D. Nicolarakis, Elizabeth A. Rosenzweig, Ronda Rufsvold, Lingyun Shi, Julia Silvestri, Elaine R. Smolen, and Michelle A. Veyvoda

Dr. Ye (Angel) Wang was an extraordi- never forget how she arrived at TC in the nary human being: kind, quietly confident, early afternoon for her first round of inter- and wise beyond measure. As the Director views and meetings. Unfortunately, due to of our Deaf and Hard of Hearing program an airline error her luggage did not arrive at Teachers College, Columbia University, with her. On her second day, still with no she led cutting-edge research while expertly luggage, an errant cab driver picked her guiding dozens of doctoral and master’s up at her hotel and mistakenly took her students to their degrees. The following downtown instead of uptown, causing her tributes from colleagues and former stu- to arrive very late for her meeting with our dents illustrate the indelible mark Dr. Wang then–college president, Susan Fuhrman. left on all who were fortunate enough to While both of these events—no clean work with her. Her gentle spirit and bound- clothes and a missed appointment with less intelligence will be greatly missed. the president—would have unnerved most *** of us, Angel took it in stride. As a lifelong New Yorker, ever anxious and perpetually I first met Angel in 2004 when I was a stu- on edge, I was incredibly impressed. dent on the search committee that brought Angel stayed with us for 3 wonderful her to Teachers College as Assistant Pro- years, before moving on to become Di- fessor in our Program in the Education of rector of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH). I’ll

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Program at Missouri State University, quietly, she wrote with precise attention to where she remained until returning to detail, and she invited us to do it all with us at Teachers College in 2014 to assume her. Instead of promoting herself, she fo- the leadership of the DHH program after cused on cultivating excellence in others. Dr. Robert Kretschmer’s retirement. I was She would step back, giving us the freedom again on the search committee and sadly to do the work our way, and she trusted us still a student. This time Angel’s plane was to not let ourselves down. In stepping back, delayed due to a snowstorm, and then she empowered us and gave us our voice. there was a fire drill in Thorndike Hall in In the midst of grueling doctoral travails, the middle of her job talk. Again, Angel we couldn’t realize it, but she was growing never broke a sweat. How could there be a both our confidence and our competence. person like this? I thought. In stepping back and letting us step for- Angel always exuded a magical sense ward, she created more leaders around her. of calm. She came from across the world, Isn’t that what teachers do? all by herself as a young woman, to a new Angel was a conduit of illumination. country, a new language, and a new life. She didn’t need the spotlight; instead, she She got a PhD, married, had two won- let others shine. She didn’t look for acclaim derful children, Amy and Stone, whom but made sure we all got it. For her, the end she adored, and built a life here through results of our collective gains were so much sheer grit. Her courage and resolve were more important than her own personal glory. fierce, but she was also ever so graceful. —Maria C. Hartman (PhD, 2015; And though she was brilliant and talented Lecturer & Practicum Coordinator) in so many ways, she had the smallest ego of anyone I have ever known. This sec- ond time she came to TC, she said to me, Dr. Wang oversaw countless research “You’re still a student! No, no, you are go- studies and authored numerous books, ing to finish!” And within a year, I did. chapters, and peer-reviewed articles. But to Angel was good at getting things done, me, that list of publications tells a deeper and even better at making sure that her story. Very few of her chapters and articles students got things done. And the things bear her name alone. Instead, they reveal she made us get done always made us look Dr. Wang’s true legacy through the people better. One of her most exceptional traits she touched during her too-short career. was a quiet inner confidence that was de- She collaborated on studies and writing rived from letting others shine. To give projects with colleagues around the globe; you some examples, she would walk into her list of coauthors spans disciplines, from my office and say something like, “Maria, reading development to neuroscience. For I think it’s time for you to write a chapter,” nearly every publication, among that list or “I think it’s time for you to apply for a of impressive coauthors is at least one less grant,” or “I think you should go to this well-known name: that of one of her stu- conference and represent our program.” dents. Dr. Wang truly championed all of us And then I would write the chapter, apply who were fortunate enough to have her as for the grant, and go to the meeting. Her our mentor. She generously shared oppor- leadership style always involved letting tunities to write chapters, design studies, other people take center stage. and review manuscripts that she could Angel modeled what she expected from easily have taken credit for herself. She was her students in word and action. She taught happy and proud to be part of the “et al.”

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if it meant giving her students experience “heroes” even before she became my ad- and exposure. Dr. Wang used asterisks on viser. What stood out for me was the fact her CV to indicate projects with student that she “saw” her students. She encour- authors. If I did the same to highlight all aged me to pursue a research area I love the publications that came as a direct result even though it was outside her comfort of her sharing her own opportunities with zone. Just a week before she passed away, me, nearly everything would be starred. I I wrote in my journal that the best com- am so grateful that she believed in me be- pliment I ever received was from her. She fore I believed in myself. said that I was the most hardworking and —Elaine R. Smolen (PhD, 2020) sweetest student she had ever worked with. For a professor who had mentored so many brilliant minds, that was very high praise. Dr. Wang swooped into my life like noth- But what I took from that compliment was ing less than an angel—she gave me a job, the “hardworking” part. She saw my strug- swiftly guided my aspirations into a dis- gles and understood that for me to submit sertation focused on reading achievement a simple paper I had to read twice as much in deaf people, assisted me in publishing as my classmates because I needed to un- and presenting my research, and inspired derstand the background of the reading. I our award-winning Deaf Music Project at can never fathom how she could believe so Teachers College. And so much more. You much in her students to accomplish things know that feeling when someone believes bigger than us. Her unwavering belief en- in you, and it turns your whole life around? abled us to accomplish things we once only That was it. My story is one of many among dreamed of. They say you should never the lives she has impacted in such gentle meet your heroes because you will just end and fierce ways. It is such a grave loss for up disappointed, but that was never the our program, our field, and especially for case with Dr. Wang. her family and young children. Despite the incredible loss we are grieving, I know that —Marian Patricia Bea Francisco all of us are experiencing overwhelming (PhD, 2020) gratitude for having known her and been inspired and uplifted by her kindness, her devotion to the rights and scholastic expe- People don’t realize that the relationship riences of deaf people, and her expectation between an adviser and their advisee can that we serve the world as the best humans be an intimate one. However, Dr. Wang we can possibly be. Thank you, Dr. Wang, and I didn’t start off that way. I remember for being part of this world. beginning my first day of class with her as my professor and having a chip on my —Julia Silvestri (PhD., 2016) shoulder then. We had nothing in com- mon, or so I assumed. Needless to say, Not all heroes wear capes; some are just I was proven wrong. It was then that I armed with a brilliant mind and a com- learned to truly embrace the idea that there passionate heart. I first encountered “Ye was no one right way to teach Deaf and Wang” as a name in an article I read when Hard of Hearing students and that research I was looking for ways to teach reading should be more about uncovering the to my Deaf college students 10 years ago. many ways for them to be literate instead. Thus, Dr. Wang was already one of my To Dr. Wang, the more literate adults we

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had in the world, the better—regardless of “You too” when I said “Thank you.” Those the method used. countless replies always warmed my heart As time went by, our meetings went and told me how humble and kind she from having many adults in her small of- was to her students. When I struggled fice to one-on-one meetings with just us. about my work and future, I saw her re- We had found a method to communicate ply to my paper revisions with detailed in our own way and had many wonderful suggestions and feedback, always with philosophical and theoretical discussions encouragement. that sometimes lasted an hour or so. Fre- I remember a moment when Dr. Wang quently, our conversations would be filled and I went to the TC Café to buy tea. After with laughter, as I think we were each oth- I paid for her order, she handed me $5, er’s best audience—she understood my hu- smiled, and said, “You still need money mor as I did hers. It wasn’t until she came for school, and let me buy this to support into the Fishbowl, the glass-walled con- your library time this afternoon.” Those ference room where many of our classes small and simple moments composed met, a few days after my proposal hearing, powerful chapters of the book in my heart. and shared that she had talked to Dr. Paul I will carry on this book of legacy through (her former adviser), telling him that the time, to meet my students in the future approval of my dissertation proposal made and to become a better person to this her feel like a proud parent, that I knew world. our relationship was special. —Lingyun (Elune) Shi (PhD, 2020) Just recently, I’ve been given compli- ments on how much I’ve accomplished in the short time I’ve been in academia. All Every memory I have of Dr. Wang brings I can say is that the apple doesn't fall far a smile to my face. She was the guiding from the tree—much of the credit goes to light I needed at a very specific point in Dr. Wang. Every time I’m offered a teach- my doctoral studies. Her advice was always ing, scholarship, or service opportunity, I fruitful— never easy, but always fruitful. always ask myself, “What would Dr. Wang She gave of herself often to support her stu- do/say?” You are missed, and you’ve left a dents’ endeavors, and I am grateful to have huge void in everyone’s hearts, Dr. Wang. been a recipient of that selflessness. —Onudeah “Oni” Nicolarakis One particular advising session in her (PhD, 2020) office comes to my mind. We were sitting at her round table, she was effortlessly re- On the way of exploring special education citing noteworthy aspects of recently read and learning how to become an educator articles, I was feverishly typing everything and a researcher, Dr. Wang guided me to she was saying, and in walks her son, approach the answer with her kind trust Stone. I thought to myself, “All this and a and caring support. One unexpected gift mother!” A few short years later, I walked in this journey was that she wrote a book across the stage with my baby in my arms. of being a legendary adviser and mentor Dr. Wang’s lead-by-example passionate in my heart. Among the more than 10,000 nature left an immeasurable impact on my e-mails I had with her since I met her, she life. I am forever grateful for her steadfast always sent me a reply, even a thumb-up, belief in me. when I said “Thank you, professor,” or —Ronda Rufsvold (PhD, 2018)

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I first met Dr. Wang nearly 20 years ago needed as I plugged away on each chapter when she was giving a job talk for a visiting of my dissertation. I hear her soft but steady faculty line at Teachers College. I was early voice as she named people I might want to in my doctoral program then, and I remem- ask to sit on my dissertation committee. I ber being struck by her poise and intensity, see e-mail replies within minutes. traits not often matched so gracefully. She Dr. Wang was a dream adviser for any spoke with warmth and admiration of doctoral candidate. While she challenged her father, of his intelligence and grit, as us to design and write studies that met any she revealed the same qualities in herself. gold standard for peer review, her pres- Later that afternoon I saw her with a child ence was calming. We all exited the Deaf on each arm, and I recall my wonderment Ed doctoral program at Teachers College that such a thing was possible: that a young under her tutelage prepared for a smooth woman could be a scholar and a mother, defense and with publications on our CVs. too. That image of Dr. Wang and her chil- Dr. Wang’s former students now teach dren, hand in hand in a corridor in Horace in higher education around the country, Mann Hall, has stayed with me as a vision continue to publish, and lead schools and of what’s possible even as I raise my own programs for the Deaf. This is part of the children and try to maintain the balance. legacy Dr. Wang left to our beloved field. Years later, I had the opportunity to —Jodi L. Falk (PhD, 2017) work with Dr. Wang on a manuscript and to learn from her, once again, of possibil- Over the years that I knew Dr. Wang, her ities. Her poise, intensity, and warmth re- relationship with me evolved from an en- mained, and she drew from them all as she couraging professor to a relentless adviser to orchestrated a lengthy revise-and-resubmit a steadfast confidant. She helped me grow as process across several authors. This is how an educator, a researcher, and, last but not it’s done, I thought, and tucked away the least, as a human being. Dr. Wang valued vision for some later time when I would ambition and recognized our strengths; this need to call upon it, the way I’d called upon set her apart as a mentor and an adviser. She her mother scholarship as a model. My accomplished so much in her young life; interactions with Dr. Wang were brief, but her passion and dedication to the field were poignant, and I will be forever grateful. beautifully illustrated and serve as an in- —Amanda Howerton-Fox (PhD, 2013) spiration to us all. My memories of her are filled with her words of encouragement and When I think of Dr. Wang, a myriad of im- her smile. While this is a tremendous loss ages and memories come to mind. I see her to our field and community, the legacy and providing free professional development for lessons she left will live on in her students my school as a thank-you gift. I hear her say and her kids. I am incredibly blessed by her “now” when I asked when I should return to guidance and inspiration. finish my doctorate after a 3-year hiatus, as —Sonia Arora (PhD, 2018) we sat on the infamous couches in front of the elevators of Thorndike Hall’s fifth floor. I picture her son sitting quietly doing his I first met Dr. Angel Wang in the spring homework at a side table in her office every of 2005, as a student representative on her time I stopped in with a question. I see her interview committee. Our research interests e-mails with comments about revisions, overlapped. We were both passionate about more revisions, and even more revisions underutilized visual systems to teach read- ing. I research a system called Cued Speech,

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and Dr. Wang specialized in Visual Phonics. cover letter, formatting the paper, organiz- The systems are similar in that handshapes ing the data, trimming 200 pages to a pub- represent the phonemes of spoken lan- lishable 45. Angel did not know me, but I guages. For 16 years we taught our similar knew her. Every close friend I had from my approaches, year after year, to students doctoral studies advised me to reach out to interested in sign language and culture or her for help, and I did. Seemingly without listening and spoken-language strategies, hesitation, she agreed enthusiastically to but she never wavered in continuing both mentor me through the process. courses, out of her belief in a comprehensive When I met with Angel in person for and inclusive approach to education, for all the first time, I expected to feel intimi- students, not just some students. dated. Instead, I felt calm. She made me Over the 16 years I knew Angel, she aware of the tremendous amount of work I became a nationally recognized and highly had ahead of me, but she also made me feel published expert on phonology and deaf- that it was achievable. I knew she would be ness. She published numerous articles and by my side throughout the process. And supported dozens of doctoral students. Her for the next 2 years, she was. She answered publications helped bring phonics instruc- every e-mail, improved upon every draft tion to residential schools for the deaf. She with her feedback, and stayed with me un- modified our program requirements to til the very end, when the paper was finally enable more students to enroll, ultimately accepted for publication in the Journal of bringing more educators into the field. I Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. I am in am shocked and without many words at a disbelief that she is no longer here to men- life cut so short, with so much left to offer. tor the next generation of deaf education The volume of thought and publications scholars. But her memory, and the impact she contributed in such a short time, and she made on her students and mentees, will at such a young age, is unparalleled. I am be a blessing on the deaf education field overwhelmed by her loss and by the lessons and will certainly guide those of us who we will have to learn without her guidance. knew her to carry out her legacy. —Jennifer Montgomery (PhD, 2013) —Michelle A. Veyvoda (PhD, 2013)

I did not have the opportunity to learn Dr. Wang was the doctoral adviser students from Angel in a traditional sense, as she dream of: patient and supportive, giving in- began her professorship at Teachers Col- dependence and guidance in equal measure. lege after I had completed my PhD. I knew Despite her many accomplishments, she of her—I often heard faculty and peers remained immune to egoism and allergic reference the name “Angel” in the rooms to self-promotion. Like the best of teach- and hallways of the college—but only met ers, she was far more concerned about her her several years after I had graduated and students’ accomplishments than her own, needed assistance preparing my disserta- and she had boundless faith in our ability tion for publication. At the time I was early to accomplish great things. Her memory in my tenure-track position at a nearby is a blessing to all who knew her, and her college and knew that a big step toward legacy will live on in the teaching, research, achieving tenure included publishing the and service of her many students. As a re- mammoth qualitative study I had done as searcher, teacher, mentor, and mother, she a doctoral student. I needed guidance in so set the bar high. May we rise to it. many areas: selecting a journal, writing a —Elizabeth A. Rosenzweig (PhD, 2020)

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We first came to know Ye (Angel) Wang represented an innovative approach to through our shared passion for the literacy teaching reading to deaf students, chal- development of deaf children, and over lenged previous assumptions about the na- time we became friends as we worked on ture of skill development and instruction, numerous collaborative projects. In work- and signified an area of pioneering research ing together, we learned to value Angel’s in deaf education. These early investiga- talents as a researcher and a writer—her tions provided further foundation for our keen attention to detail, strong work ethic, later collective research on this topic (e.g., and unwavering commitment to the field Smith & Wang, 2010; Trezek & Hancock, of deafness and deaf education. We always 2013; Wang et al., 2013), and led to several looked forward to getting together with coauthored publications offering the theo- our colleague and friend at the annual retical and evidence-based arguments for conferences of the American Educational our views (Trezek et al., 2010, 2011), most Research Association or the Association notably, the 2008 publication of “The Role of College Educators–Deaf and Hard of of Phonology and Phonologically Related Hearing and having lively and interesting Skills in Reading Instruction for Students conversations over dinner or a cup of tea. Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing” (Wang Our mutual support of the qualitative et al., 2008). similarity hypothesis in literacy and deaf- This publication immediately sparked ness (Paul et al., 2013), which rests on the significant dialogue in the field, as evi- assertion that deaf learners must follow a denced by the response to the original developmental learning trajectory similar article (Allen et al., 2009) and subsequent to that of their hearing peers, formed the rejoinder (Paul et al., 2009). As relatively foundation for our collaborative work. In new members and junior scholars pre- particular, this work focused largely on the senting this work for the Research on the role of phonology in reading for deaf learn- Education of Deaf Persons Special Interest ers, a topic that has been fiercely debated in Group at the annual American Educational the field for decades. Research Association conference, we felt After meeting Angel, when she was our nerves running high in anticipation a doctoral student at Ohio State Uni- of the response this topic would receive. versity, we conducted some of the first Anyone who knew Angel would not be studies of the use of the multisensory tool surprised that her calm, matter-of-fact See-the-Sound Visual Phonics (Interna- responses to at times difficult and chal- tional Communication Learning Insti- lenging questions immediately put every- tute, 1996) to support implementation of one at ease. She had an uncanny way of phonologically based reading instruction acknowledging various viewpoints while with deaf learners (Trezek & Wang, 2006; simultaneously maintaining a focus on the Trezek et al., 2007). At the time, this work research evidence.

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Angel’s strong desire to align literacy leave a lasting impact on the field of deaf instructional practices with an evidence education. base is reflected throughout her research Beverly Trezek and publications, as well as in our more Associate Professor and Tashia F. recent collaborations. These include a Morgridge Chair in Reading chapter applying the Council for Excep- Department of Rehabilitation Psychology tional Children’s standards for evaluating and Special Education evidence-based practices to the body of University of Wisconsin–Madison intervention research in reading and deaf- Connie Mayer ness (Trezek & Wang, 2017) and another Professor providing a comprehensive review of the Faculty of Education research examining phonologically based York University interventions in spoken-language and sign Toronto, Canada bilingual settings (Trezek et al., 2021). In these scholarly endeavors, we relied on Angel’s meticulous attention to detail and Authors’ Note her skill in synthesizing research findings Correspondence concerning this article should be across multiple sources of data. addressed to Beverly Trezek ([email protected]). When asked to do a presentation on teaching reading and writing in Hong Kong, we turned to Angel to help us under- References stand how the relationship between spoken Allen, T., Clark, M. D., del Giudice, A., Koo, D., Li- and written language worked in a language eberman, A., Mayberry, R., & Miller, P. (2009). with a logographic script. She patiently Phonology and reading: A response to Wang, Trezek, Luckner, and Paul. American Annals of explained to us the role that phonological the Deaf, 154(4), 338–345. https://doi skills play in learning to read and write .org/10.1353/aad.0.0109 Chinese, although she could not resist a International Communication Learning Institute. chuckle when we tried to imitate her pro- (1996). See-the-Sound Visual Phonics. http:// nunciation of words in Mandarin. Tonal seethesound.org/ languages are not easy! Beyond helping Paul, P. V., Wang, Y., Trezek, B. J., & Luckner, J. L. (2009). Phonology is necessary, but not sufficient: us with this presentation, the insights we A rejoinder. American Annals of the Deaf, 154(4), gained by examining these connections be- 346–356. https://doi.org/ 10.1353/aad.0.0110 tween talk and text in Chinese illuminated Paul. P. V., Wang, Y., & Williams, C. (2013). Deaf our understanding of these relationships in students and the qualitative similarity hypothesis: English. Understanding language and literacy development. Gallaudet University Press. Simply put, we will miss Angel. We will Smith, A., & Wang, Y. (2010). The impact of miss being able to collaborate on research Visual Phonics on the phonological aware- projects, present together at conferences, ness and speech production of a student who and coauthor manuscripts. But her voice is deaf: A case study. American Annals of the will not be absent. It will continue to res- Deaf, 155(2), 124–130. https://doi.org/10.1353/ onate in our future work and in the work aad.2010.0000 Trezek, B. J., & Hancock, G. R. (2013). Implementing of so many others who had the privilege of instruction in the alphabetic principle within a knowing and collaborating with her. In this sign bilingual setting. Journal of Deaf Studies and way, Angel’s research and scholarship will Deaf Education, 18(3), 391–408. https://doi .org/10.1093/deafed/ent016

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Trezek, B. J., Mayer, C., & Wang, Y. (2021). Phonolog- studies, language, and education (2nd ed., pp. ically based interventions in spoken language and 99–114). Oxford University Press. sign bilingual settings. In S. R. Easterbrooks & H. M. Trezek, B. J., Wang, Y., Woods, D. G., Gampp, T. L., & Dostal (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of deaf studies in Paul, P. (2007). Using Visual Phonics to supple- literacy (pp. 281–296). Oxford University Press. ment beginning reading instruction for students Trezek, B. J., & Wang, Y. (2006). Implications of utiliz- who are deaf or hard of hearing. Journal of Deaf ing a phonics-based reading curriculum with chil- Studies and Deaf Education, 12(3), 373–384. dren who are deaf or hard of hearing. Journal of https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enm014 Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 10(2), 202–213. Wang, Y., Spychala, H., Harris, R., & Oetting, T. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enj031 (2013). The effectiveness of a phonics-based Trezek, B. J., & Wang, Y. (2017). Evaluating early intervention for deaf and hard of hearing evidence-based practices in reading interven- preschool children and its possible impact on tions for deaf students. In S. W. Cawthon & C. L. reading skills in elementary school: A case study. Garberoglio (Eds.), Research in deaf education: American Annals of the Deaf, 158(2), 107–120. Contexts, challenges, and considerations (pp. https://doi.org/10.1353/aad.2013.0021 277–308). Oxford University Press. Wang, Y., Trezek, B. J., Luckner, J. L., & Paul, P. V. Trezek, B. J., Wang, Y., & Paul, P. V. (2010). Reading (2008). The role of phonology and phonologically and deafness: Theory, research, and practice. Cen- related skills in reading instruction for students gage Learning. who are deaf or hard of hearing. American Annals Trezek, B. J., Wang, Y., & Paul, P. V. (2011). Processes of the Deaf, 153(4), 396–407. https://doi and components of reading. In M. Marschark & .org/10.1353/aad.0.0061 P. Spencer (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of deaf

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