Joel Runnels, Ph.D.

The University of Arizona Center for the Philosophy of Freedom Social Sciences, 1145 E South Campus Dr Tucson, Arizona 85721 [email protected] https://freedomcenter.arizona.edu/person/joel-runnels

Education

University of North Dakota. School of Graduate Studies 2020 Educational Foundations and Research (Ph.D.)

University of Tennessee. College of Education 2017 Special Education. Education Specialist (Ed.S.) Cognate in Africana Studies

Lewis and Clark College. School of Graduate Studies 2001 Deaf Education, Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Portland, Oregon

Western Washington University. College of Arts & Sciences 1997 Audiology/Speech Pathology. BA

Languages Proficiency KiSwahili Intermediate American Advanced Ghanaian, Jamaican, Kenyan, (s) Intermediate

Grant Writing

Grants Awarded, $1.7 Million, 9 projects across 8 countries • $628,569, USAID/, 2006-2010. Project Title: Supporting Teacher Training and Workforce Development to Improve Basic Deaf Education for the Deaf in Kenya • $248,300, USAID/Tanzania, 2008-2011. Project Title: Supporting Deaf Teacher Training and Sign Language Research to Improve Basic Education • $6,793, Satterberg Foundation. 2012. Project Title: Tertiary Education for Deaf Immigrants in Minnesota • $492,325, USAID/Jamaica, 2011-2014. Project Title: Supporting Work Force Training and Development for Deaf Youth • $130,000, Bureau of Cultural and Educatonal Affairs, 2013-2014. Project Title: Expanding Access to Inclusive Education for Deaf Ugandan Children through Soccer • $200,000 Embassy of Finland/Namibia, 2015-2017. Fund for Local Cooperation. Project Title: Namibia Empowerment and Equality for Deaf through Skills Transfer, Mentorship, Education and Technical Training (NEEDS-MET) • $23,855. U.S. Embassy Jamaica, 2019 -2020. Project Title: Sports and Inclusion for children with Disabilities • $10,000. Partners of the Americas, 2020. Citizen Diplomacy Fund. Project Title: Expanding Access to Education for the Deaf in Ghana

1 Honors and Awards

U.S. Fulbright Specialist Award 2020 U.S. State Department/Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs

Critical Language Scholarship Award (Swahili) 2019 U.S. State Department/Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs

Graduate Student Research Award 2017 University of Tennessee/Theory and Practice in Teacher Education

Certificate of Appreciation 2016 National Deaf Persons of Color Association

Certificate of Appreciation 2015 National Black Deaf Advocates, Inc.

Curricula, Instructional and Media Material Development

Fulbright Specialist, University of Ghana Jan-Mar, 2020

• Pioneered a Ghanaian Sign Language research project, creating a 35 minute multimedia instructional video, training local d/Deaf colleagues to deliver it at Sign Language course

• Mobilized print, digitial and social media, launching candid public discussions to explore expanding inclusion of students with disabilities in educational settings

• Engagement of government’s Ministry of Education and special/inclusive schools to operationalize Inclusive Education policy, Persons with Disabilities Act, and UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities for Ghana’s special needs students

U.S. Fulbright Research Fellow, University of Ghana 2017 - 2018

• Designed and facilitated qualitative research, creating foundational Ghana d/Deaf education documents presentated at U.S. Missions and universities in Ghana

• Supported U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Office colleagues to vet and select d/Deaf Ghanaian youth to participate in Department of State sponsored exchange program

Project Director, Junior Achievement/USAID Jamaica 2011 –2014

• Managed project to vet, hire, train, mentor, assess local team, then incrimentally transfered management of activities for sustainability

• Led research to create and distribute six Jamaica Sign Language manuals and DVDs to twelve island-wide schools, impacting 260 d/Deaf children across Jamaica

Project Consultant, Government of Botswana 2007- 2008

• Coordinated development of first ever Botswana Sign Language dictionary of 1,800 local signs for national instructional and reference resource at inclusive education schools

• Trained and mentored d/Deaf Botswanan counterparts in sign language research and resource creation

2 Teaching, Administration and Research: Special Education (K-12, ABE)

Teacher of the Deaf, Communication Services for the Deaf Jan–June, 2010

• Taught adult basic education (ABE) literacy, numeracy to d/Deaf youth/young adults immigrants using

• Prepared deaf youth/young adult immigrants to pass U.S. citizenship exam using American Sign Langauge

Project Coordinator, Jamaica Association for the Deaf 2005- 2006

• Designed, organized and executived pioneer adult education survey conducted for d/Deaf adults island-wide with d/Deaf Jamaican survey team

• Presented project outcomes to governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, and U.S. Government partners

Teacher of the Deaf, Hawai’i Center for the Deaf and Blind Feb-Aug, 2001

• Taught 30 multi-disabled youth from Asian Pacific Rim immigrant communities, 20 hours a week at a state institute for the d/Deaf and d/Deaf/blind

• Served as a member of IEP team to build consensus on and implement IEPs for youth with multi-disabilities

U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer/Kenya, Kuja Primary School for the Deaf 1997-2000

• Taught 143 Deaf pupils literacy and numeracy, 20 hours a week at Kuja Primary School for the Deaf using

• Pioneered first HIV/AIDS awareness trainings at schools/units for the Deaf in Kenya, later replicated and scaled country-wide by U.S. Peace Corps and development partners

Special Education Teacher, Galaxy International School of 2003-2005

• Led team of educators to develop and deliver education invention for students with special needs in international school setting

• Drafted and presented weekly, quarterly and annual educational assessment and progress reports

Administration of Inclusive Policy and Planning

General Manager, Mary’s Meal’s International 2016-2017

• Envisioned, garnered census for and drafted strategic five year development plan at Oscar Romero School for the Deaf in Liberia

• Mobilized Government of Liberia, faith based and non-governmental organizations to contribute resources to support day to day operations at Oscar Romero School for the Deaf

• Participated in Government of Liberia’s inclusion education forum, to create Liberia’s first inclusion education policy

3 Senior Technical Advisor, Namibian National Association of the Deaf 2015-2017

• Built capacity of local disabled persons organization to advocate for implementation of UN Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities

• Sensitized Government of Namibia, foreign missions and NGOs to their role in implementation of UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Progam Director, Global Deaf Connection 2008 – 2011

• Mobilized and colllaborated with Board of Director and programming team to built organization’s institutional capacity through improved planning and management

• Innovated volunteer opportunities for Gallaudet University and University of Minnesota students to participate in service learning internships in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Jamaica

• Hosted cohorts of d/Deaf Ugandans and Jamaicans for skills exchanged and capacity buliding trainings in Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis/St. Paul

Chief of Party, USAID Kenya funded project 2006 -2008

• Piloted d/Deaf teacher training model in Kenya, graduating 55 d/Deaf teachers from teacher college to teach and mentor d/Deaf children in schools/units for d/Deaf

• Authored and presented quarterly, annual and summative end of project reports to USAID/Kenya, USAID/Washington and at international conferences

Inclusive Education Specialist, Diocese of Muhabura (Uganda) 2001-2003

• Taught 40 primary d/Deaf school pupils, in government inclusive education unit, using Ugandan Sign Language

• Assisted Uganda’s Ministry of Education/Special Needs Units to expand capacity through design and funding of innovative training sessions on educational topics and HIV/AIDS awareness

• Led Sseseme Inclusive Education Unit in development of a 5-year strategic growth plan in partnership with local, national and international stakeholders

Teaching, Administration and Research: Higher Education

Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Arizona 2020- Present

• Presented on the intersections of disability, race, language and culture in eductional settings to academic audiences

• Allied with the Tucson Urban League to expand access to services for persons of color in Southern Arizona during COVID-19

Graduate Research Assistant, University of North Dakota 2018-2020

• Facilitated urban, multicultural field experiences for undergraduate education students to observe best practices at K-12 public schools with students of color

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• Served as guest lecturer, presenting to undergraduate students on writing fellowships, grants, scholarships, and inclusion of d/Deaf students in K-12 schools

• Collaborated qualitative and mixed method research, and presentations at academic conferences on topics of diversity, equity and inclusion in education

TN-EDDE Project Coordinator, University of Tennessee 2014- 2017

• Identified, recruited, and provided accessibility accommodations and support for, d/Deaf students of color to enroll in University of Tennessee’s deaf education program

• Supervised, mentored and provided tailored one-on-one and small group guidance for pre-service special education interns to successfully complete student teaching experiences

• Envisioned, designed, co-taught and evaluated graduate and undergraduate courses in American Sign Language and grant writing

Academic Publications

Runnels, J. (2017). Dr. Andrew Foster: A literature review. American Annals of the Deaf, 162(3). https://www.jstor.org/stable/26235342?seq=1

Runnels, J. (2015). Book Review: The Life of RH Tawney: History and Socialism, by L. Goldman. Adult Education Quarterly, 65(4), 343-344. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0741713615591010

Johnstone, C., Ojwang, T., Garaghty, R., & Runnels, J. (2012). Inclusive development for persons with disabilities: Rights and contributions of deaf Kenyans. In Kenya: Political, Social and Environmental Issues (pp. 105-118). Nova Science Publishers, Inc. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Moses_Imo/publication/257869577_Forest_Degradation_in _Kenya_Impacts_of_Social_Economic_and_Political_Transitions/links/02e7e525fd0aaedd8d000 000.pdf#page=119 Professional Trainings

Fulbright Enrichment Seminar: 2019 Innovation in civic engagement Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Youth Exchange and Study (YES)/Department of State 2019 End of Exchange Stay Seminar (for international students) Washington, D.C.

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2011 Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities New York, New York

United States Agency for International Development 2009 Worldwide Education Workshop and Training Arlington, Virginia

5 African Presidential Archives and Research Center 2007 Second African Heads of State Roundtable Johannesburg, South Africa

World Bank Institute 2005-2006 Education and Decentralization in Africa Forums Nairobi, Kenya

Professional Presentations

Runnels, J. (2020). Deaf Historical-Ethnographies. Paper presentation at the 32nd Annual Ethnographic and Qualitative Conference (EQRC), Las Vegas, NV.

Runnels, J. (2019). Ethnographic and qualitative research on deaf education and sign language in Ghana. Paper presentation at the 31st Annual Ethnographic and Qualitative Conference (EQRC), Las Vegas, NV.

Runnels, J. (2018). Ghana and the roots of education Africa. Paper presented at 10th Conference of Heads of Special School (CoHeSS), Kumasi, Ghana.

Runnels, J. & Akanlig-Pare, G. (2018). The historical foundations of education and sign language in Ghana. Paper presented at University of Ghana, School of Language Seminar Series, Accra, Ghana.

Runnels, J. & Ogunjirin, A. (2017) Race, academic achievement, and deaf students of color: What does the research say? Paper presentation at the 28th National Black Deaf Advocates Conference (NBDA), Baltimore, MD.

Moore, E.J. & Runnels, J. (2017) Faculty Practitioners: Modeling as Instruction for Preservice Teachers. Paper presentation at the 69th annual meeting of the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE), Tampa, FL.

Runnels, J. & Adeoye, S. (2017) White teachers and deaf students of color: Can we talk about it? Paper presentation at the 43rd Annual International American College Educators of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Conference (ACE-DHH), San Antonio, TX.

Moore, E. & Runnels, J. (2016). Modeling inclusive instruction: Research, barriers, and strategies. Paper presentation at the 30th Annual Teacher Education Division of the Council of Exceptional Children (TED-CED) Conference, Lexington, KY.

Runnels, J. (2016). Inclusion of deaf persons of color in educational materials. Paper presentation at National Deaf People of Color Fourth Triennial National Conference, Austin, TX.

Runnels, J. (2016). Historical foundations of deaf education in Africa. Poster presentation at the 42nd Annual International American College Educators of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Conference (ACE-DHH), New York, NY.

Runnels, J. (2015). Creating the vision together: Dr. Andrew Foster’s legacy. Paper presentation at the 27th National Black Deaf Advocates Conference, Louisville, KY.

6 Media Presence

“Hearing Across the Ocean: Fulbright Scholar Supports Deaf Education in Africa” , UND Alumni Association Foundation, August 17, 2020. https://undalumni.org/joelrunnels

“Helping Those Who Came After Him: Joel Runnels”, UND Leaders in Action 2020. https://und.edu/leaders/helping-those-after-him.html

“Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund holds seminar in Savelugu to engage stakeholders in inclusive education for the deaf students”, Sagani TV/Ghana, February 10, 2020

“Tongo special education, Gbeogo School for the Deaf appeals for facelift”, Ghana TV, “Evening News” February 8, 2020

“Navrongo: Inclusive Education. Inadequate interpreters affecting academic work”, Ghana TV, “Evening News”, February 6, 2020

“Government urged to include sign language in school’s curriculum” Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, February 5, 2020. https://www.gbcghanaonline.com/news/govt-urged-to-include-sign-language-in-schools- curriculum/2020/?fbclid=IwAR1cZo2jCu2zWswV82kppcFth8Vu5JE9yCZgMe3ZwGvDb1E4Dx kJJdPFizg

“UND doctoral student prepares for second Fulbright experience in Ghana” Grand Forks Herald, December 24, 2019 https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/education/4837558-UND-doctoral- student-prepares-for-second-Fulbright-experience-in-Ghana

“Global fluency: UND doctoral student, Fulbright researcher heading back to Africa for 2019 Critical Language Scholarship” University of North Dakota Daily, April 25, 2019 http://blogs.und.edu/und-today/2019/04/global-fluency/

“Expanding access to education for the deaf in Ghana”, TVAfrica, Accra, Ghana “Morning breakfast show,” July 31, 2018.

“The Genesis of 60 years of deaf education in Ghana” Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, July 15, 2018. https://www.gbcghana.com/1.11659512

“In Ghana, the deaf live in isolation” Al Jazerra, June 17, 2018 https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/ghana-deaf-live-isolation-180617180707102.html

“Deaf tourism growing and Sandals is listening” Jamaica Observer, December 16, 2013. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Deaf-tourism-growing-and-Sandals-is- listening_15642163

Professional References

Marcus Weaver-Hightower Associate Professor, School of Education, Virginia Polytechnical Institution and State University (Virginia Tech) [email protected] , (540) 231-1802

Chu Yee Han Fellowship Coordinator, Academic Affairs Division University of North Dakota [email protected] (701) 777-4436

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Tiece M. Ruffin Associate Professor, Coordinator of K-12 Special Education University of North Carolina at Asheville [email protected], 828-250-2361

Edmund Abaka Associate Professor, Director of Africana Studies University of Miami [email protected] (305) 284-3702

Maya Parker Cultural Affairs Specialist U.S. Embassy/Ghana, Public Affairs Section [email protected], +233 24 304 4454

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