ESU professor appointed to deaf advisory council

[Miss-Delectable]

Jeffrey Weber, assistant professor of public administration at East Stroudsburg University, has been appointed by Gov. Edward G. Rendell to serve on the state Advisory Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The appointment was officially made on July 25.

Weber is one of 17 members on the advisory council. From 2003-2005, Weber served on ACDHH as Sen. Charles D. Lemmond's designee. Since Lemmond is retiring, Rendell has appointed Weber to serve as one of the nine public members on the council, so that he can continue his service. Additionally, the council elected Weber as secretary, and as such, he is part of the council's leadership.

In addition to being a member of the teaching faculty at ESU, Weber is the coordinator of the master of science in management and leadership "" public administration program. He is also a life-time member of the Pennsylvania Society for the Advancement of the Deaf and has been active in advocating for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

He earned his bachelor of arts in history from The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina, a master's degree in public administration from Western Kentucky University, and a doctorate in public administration from Penn State University in 1999.

Weber was instrumental in passing the sign language interpreters state registration law, Act 57 of 2004. He was also presented the Pennsylvania Registry Interpreters for the Deaf service award in 2004 for his advocacy work.

He recently received two research grants, a State System of Higher Education, Faculty Professional Development grant and an ESU Faculty Development and Research grant, for a socio-economic study of the deaf and hard-of-hearing population in Pennsylvania, which will be used by state and local government and non-profit agencies to improve services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

The ACDHH Advisory Council was established by Gov. Dick Thornburgh in 1986. Its mission is to advocate services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing in the areas of public services, job training and placement, health care and education. Additionally, the council serves as a bureau of information for the deaf and hard-of-hearing to state agencies and public institutions providing services to the deaf and hard-of-hearing.