Melissa Smith

Experience

Melissa, a professor emeritus and former director of the ASL-English interpreting program at Palomar College (1997–2021), holds a doctorate and master’s in Teaching and Learning from UC San Diego. Her research on interpreters in public schools was published by Gallaudet University Press. With a background in education, language acquisition, and interpreting, she brings a multidimensional perspective to her work. As a parent of a Deaf young adult and former foster parent to Deaf children, her passion for sign language education is deeply personal, driving her commitment to building meaningful connections and accessibility.