Speakers
Glenn B. Anderson, Ph.D., CRC
Dr. Anderson, a native of Chicago, IL, earned his Ph.D. from New York University in 1982. An alumnus of Gallaudet University, he also earned his Master’s degree from the University of Arizona. A graduate of the Chicago Public School system, he attended an elementary day class program for deaf students and a mainstream high school.
He began his professional career in 1970 as a VR counselor in Detroit with Michigan Rehabilitation Services. In 1972 he joined the Deafness Research and Training Center at New York University (NYU). At NYU, he served as Coordinator of the referral and counseling center that provided community services and advocacy to deaf residents from the Metro New York City area. From 1975 to 1982, he worked at LaGuardia Community College of the City University of New York where he helped establish a continuing education program to benefit deaf adults interested in returning to school to further their education and/or to obtain two-year college degrees.
Since 1982, he has been Director of Training at the University of Arkansas Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing located in Little Rock. He is also Professor in the University’s Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources, and Communication Disorders. From 1983 to 2006, he served as coordinator of the M.S. degree program in Rehabilitation Counseling with Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
In addition to his work at the University of Arkansas, he currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of National Black Deaf Advocates and newsletter editor for the Arkansas Association of the Deaf. He has previously served as chair of the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees, second vice-chair of the National Council on Disability, and chair of the State Rehabilitation Council for Arkansas Rehabilitation Services. During 1992, he was inducted into the American Athletic Association of the Deaf Hall of Fame, in 1995, the Gallaudet University Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 2004 the National Hall of Fame for People with Disabilities.
Jeffrey S. Bohrman, Ph.D.
Jeffrey Bohrman, Ph.D. has been the Program Director of the Ohio Deaf-Blind Outreach Program, a statewide program, under the auspices of Columbus Speech and Hearing Center since 1993. He received his doctorate in pharmacology and for many years was a research toxicologist before making the career change. Dr. Bohrman is a strong advocate in the public sector and has been on the board of American Association of the Deaf-Blind in various positions since 1989.
Bobbie Beth Scoggins, Ed.D.
Born deaf within a culturally deaf family, Dr. Bobbie Beth Scoggins graduated from Texas School for the Deaf, attended Gallaudet then transferred to California State University at Northridge for her Masters and obtained her doctoral degree at Pepperdine University. She served as administrator of a drug and alcohol recovery center before relocating to become the Executive Director of the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Dr. Scoggins served as President of the USA Deaf Sports Federation from 1998 to 2005 and is admired nationwide for her career as an actress. Along with her business success, she has been recognized by many professional and philanthropic organizations for her achievements.
She has received many awards from organizations for which she served, but one of her most recent accomplishments was to carry the Olympic flame representing the deaf and hard of hearing community for the 2004 Olympic Games. She served as NAD Region II representative before her election to NAD President in 2006.
Douglas Watson, Ph.D.
Employed by RT-31 since he wrote the initial funding grant and the center began operation in 1982, Dr. Watson holds the rank of Professor and is Director of the Center. Hard-of-hearing all his life, he has 43 years of work experience in deafness rehabilitation.
A rehabilitation counselor and placement specialist early in his career, he was employed at the Hot Springs (Arkansas) Rehabilitation Center and the St. Louis Jewish Employment and Vocational Service on two RSA-funded projects serving low functioning deaf clients. He later served as Director of Training for the Deafness Research and Training Center at New York University (RT-17) prior to assuming the directorship of RT-31.
He has written or edited 34 books or monographs as well as numerous book chapters and journal articles. Dr. Watson has made more than 400 conference and training workshop presentations. He has taught more than 60 graduate and undergraduate courses in all areas of deafness rehabilitation. He specializes in rehabilitation program and policy issues, career preparation and placement, clinical rehabilitation assessment, services for individuals who are low functioning or individuals who are deaf-blind, and he provides leadership to Center efforts in those areas.