Since its inception in 1994, the Department of American Sign Language and Interpreter Training has developed into an Exemplary Status Program, as ranked by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, under the inspired direction of Department Chairperson Lauri Metcalf.
Lauri, the oldest child of Deaf parents, grew up in Denver, Colorado and is a graduate of Colorado State University. She majored in Deaf Education as a graduate student at the University of Northern Colorado and is certified at the State and National level.
Her enthusiastic leadership and innovative prowess was noticeably evident when in 1973, in Denver, Colorado, she established the first multi-handicapped deaf program as well as a bilingual/bi-cultural preschool program serving both Deaf and hearing children of Deaf parents. Her dedication to the Deaf community and culture persevered and followed her to Seattle, Washington, in 1983, when Lauri moved there with family and took on the position of Coordinator of a Parent Infant Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children.
Lauri’s quest to promote awareness and understanding of the culture and language of persons who are Deaf led her to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1985 where she worked as an interpreter at Los Alamos National Labs coupled with private practice interpreting. She continued her mission between 1990 and 1993, first to Dallas, Texas, where she continued her private practice interpreter profession and teaching at the Plano Regional Day School Program. In 1993, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia where she taught at the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf.
Before coming to San Antonio College, Lauri taught at the University of Denver, Metropolitan State University, Texas Womans University and DeKalb College. She has served as Chairperson for more than 11 years and has been a member of the Texas Board for Evaluation of Interpreters since 1995. She is a member of the panel of experts for the new test development for the certification of interpreters in Texas and has traveled throughout Texas presenting workshops and training for Interpreters.