Mentorship can make a world of difference—especially for deaf and hard of hearing students navigating STEM fields. A recent article from Gallaudet University News highlights how the AIBIDS (Accessible and Inclusive Biomedical Informatics and Data Science) internship program is using deaf mentors to not just teach, but to inspire. Their stories offer both proof and promise for what’s possible when representation meets opportunity.

Key Highlights from the Internship Program

  • What is AIBIDS?
    AIBIDS is a 10-week internship co-organized by Gallaudet University and the University of Pittsburgh. It focuses on using AI and data science in biology and medicine. This year, several deaf and hard of hearing students participated, and three of the mentors are deaf.
  • Mentors Who Look Like Students
    Role models play a crucial role. Having deaf mentors allows interns to see someone who not only understands the scientific content, but also understands the communication and cultural challenges they might face.
  • Dreams + Real-World Experience
    Interns worked on meaningful projects, including health literacy, scientific-ASL lexicons, and data analysis. One intern, Ciara Luttrell, attended a UN conference on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as part of her mentorship.
  • Support & Access Built In
    The program ensures accessibility: lectures and meetings have transcripts or recordings, interpreters are provided, and interns can observe interpreting in scientific settings.
  • Looking Forward
    The architects of AIBIDS are committed to expanding deaf mentorship, recruiting more mentors, and transitioning greater leadership roles to deaf scientists. Alumni are also being supported toward graduate school and scientific contributions.

Why This Matters to Our Community

At Global Deaf Research Institute (GDRI), we believe that visibility matters. When deaf students see mentors who share their lived experience, especially in fields like data science and AI, it broadens what they see as possible. This kind of representation can help reduce attrition, build confidence, and fuel academic/career outcomes that might otherwise seem out of reach.

Next Steps & Calls to Action

  • How can local institutions ensure their STEM outreach includes deaf mentors and accessible formats (ASL, captions, etc.)?
  • What partnerships can nonprofits forge with universities to support more deaf-led mentorship programs?
  • How can we feature stories of deaf STEM mentors in our own work—mentors from our region or with shared cultures—to inspire local students?

Read the Full Story

For complete details, interviews, and quotes, see the original Gallaudet article:
Deaf mentors serve as role models for students in science internship program (Gallaudet)

Credits

This summary is based on Gallaudet University News, published July 16, 2025. All paraphrased content is attributed to Victoria Hallett and Gallaudet.