About the Instructor:
Dr. Lisalee D. Egbert's research intermingles early elementary and special education (specifically Deaf Education) with a focus on bilingual-bicultural (American Sign Language/English) education as it relates to early literacy. Her work explores the inter-development of language, literacy, and cognition within the framework of social justice and equality. She is a professor and coordinator for the ASL program at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Her research has been published in journals and periodicals as well. She served as associate editor for 6 peer-reviewed journals whose focus is predominantly literacy and language. She began my teaching career (1993) in the classroom (ages 0 – 21) in public schools. After teaching high school for special education (Deaf Education) students in Texas, Dr. Egbert relocated to California where she worked in one of the largest districts in the United States: Los Angeles Unified School District. Teaching in the Los Angles California area (TRIPOD) afforded her wonderful opportunity to work with highly diverse and multilingual parents and Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children. In the Parent, Infant, Toddler program (Special Education: PIT program ages 0 -3 years old) children and their families. As a teacher, she not only taught in the classroom, but also, went on home visits to work directly with children and their families. Dr. Egbert has worked as an expert witness for Deaf and Hard of Hearing related to educational issues and is often called upon by both state and federal courts to testify and/or serve. She serves on several state and national boards which focus Deaf and Hard of Hearing children’s right to language – especially American Sign Language - in education and other services.
The Governor of Texas appointed Dr. Egbert to the state advisory board for the Texas School for the Deaf. Honored by the Governor of Maryland for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, she was bestowed a Civic Engagement Award for her service to the state regarding social justice, diversity, and equality. Moreover, she has been awarded California Legislature with certificate of recognition and commendation by the California Legislature and the City of Los Angeles.
Addressing her Native American heritage and her first sign language, Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL), she contributed to an eBook: “Native Americans in Texas: A Look at Four Texas Tribes Before the European Arrival.” Dr. Egbert, a bilingual person herself, has served as keynote speaker for Conferences in Deaf Education/Deaf Studies in the United States, and Canada and has presented break-out sessions at numerous conferences related to education, language, culture, and social justice.
