School for the Deaf alumnus to head Gallaudet University
Inside Bay Area - School for the Deaf alumnus to head Gallaudet University
A "local boy" who graduated from the California School for the Deaf has been named interim president of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the world's leading liberal arts university for deaf people.
Robert Davila will begin his post in January, following the retirement of President I. King Jordan. The interim position will last 18 months, with a possible six-month extension.
The university's board of trustees in the spring had appointed Jane Fernandes, Gallaudet's provost for six years, as president-designate, but many students, faculty members and alumni protested the decision.
They criticized Fernandes as an ineffective leader and said trustees failed to solicit input from all stakeholders before making their decision.
Pressured by the public, the board rescinded its appointment of Fernandes in late October and called another search — this time with input from a committee of stakeholders.
Davila, who is in his mid-70s, ultimately was selected out of 13 people who applied. "He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Gallaudet at a time when the university faces many opportunities, as well as many challenges," board Chairwoman Pamela Holmes said.
Davila spoke Spanish before becoming deaf as a boy and learning American Sign Language and English. He graduated from the California School for the Deaf in 1948, when the campus was in Berkeley, and from Gallaudet in 1953. He earned his doctorate in educational technology from Syracuse University.
Davila worked at Gallaudet from 1972 to 1989 and has served as vice president of its pre-college programs.
"I am honored to once again serve my alma mater," Davila said. "I am fortunate to possess the energy, drive and dedication that will be required to lead our university over the coming months. I will seek to bring support and benefit to all constituent groups on campus and beyond."
Davila also was appointed in 1989 to a four-year term as assistant secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the U.S. Department of Education. It's the highest post held by a deaf person in the United States.
He retired in 2004 after eight years as vice president of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
Identifying Davila as perhaps the most famous alumnus of California School for the Deaf, school Superintendent Henry Klopping said Davila's latest appointment is an inspiration to students at the Fremont campus, where, like Davila, 35 percent of the pupils are Latino.
"What an inspiration for Latino students who are deaf, who attend this school, to know that they, too, can be the same thing," Klopping said. "Our kids can now not only dream about going to Gallaudet, but about becoming the president of Gallaudet."
Tom Holcomb, a professor in the Center for Deaf Studies and Special Services at Ohlone College who has worked with Davila, said the "local boy" will help heal the wounds that resulted during the last appointment process.
"In his acceptance speech, he hit on all the points, and he said all the right things," Holcomb said via a translator. "A lot of people are relieved that he has a good grasp of the challenges ahead of him."
