Organising Committee .
The Organising Committee (OC) changes every two years just like the venue of the conference and gets selected by attendees of the DAC in advance. The OC defines the upcoming Deaf Academic and Conference’s theme and is responsible for the following tasks:
- Organising conference venue and programme
- Organising social and cultural programme
- Setting up a conference website
- Selling tickets for the conference
- Ensuring sponsoring
- Cooperating with SC and AC
- Other tasks
The DAC 2023’s Organising Committee is made up of 5 person as well as an extended supporting team, all living and working in Austria. We are dedicated to working transparently guided by mutual appreciation, respect and an exchange as equals.
Who we are:
Vanessa Schügerl, BEd, MA candidate Interdisciplinary Gender Studies
“I first participated at DAC in Iceland three years ago. The gathering of Deaf students and graduates from all over the world inspired me. I am very happy the DAC is now taking place in Vienna. It is an opportunity to meet and exchange and also get to know the beautiful city of Vienna.”
Paulina Spelbrink, BSc, MSc, lecturer at the Medical University of Vienna, expertise: psychology, teaching awareness and communication training
“Deaf Academics Conference seeks to enable an international exchange and network among Deaf scientists, researchers and academics – in sign language. As a member of the organising committee, I am very pleased Vienna is hosting the 11th DAC Conference as the second biggest university city in German speaking countries.”
Mag.a Barbara Hager, PhD candidate Education Science and research project assistant at the University of Vienna, expertise: Sign language education and Deaf Studies
“The scientific exchange of experiences on interdisciplinary topics of Deaf Studies and other topic with people from all over the world is one of my greatest passions. It is a pleasure to organize the Deaf Academics Conference in Vienna in 2023 together with four great colleagues in order to meet many well-known and new faces from everywhere. Through this gathering we all can further evolve in the academic and scientific context and mediate empowerment.”
Clara Kutsch, BA, MA, PhD candidate and research assistant at the University of Vienna, expertise: applied linguistics (research focus: Critical Discourse Analysis, History of Medicine)
“Co-organising DAC 2023 has once again highlighted the critical importance of this event for me. I am looking forward to three days of international, scientific and cultural exchange in our beautiful capital!“
Bernadette Auersperg, BA, MA: communication trainer at job.com in Linz and student at “Dolmetschen und Übersetzen für österreichische Gebärdensprache, Deutsch und International Sign” (Interpreting and Translating for Austrian Sign Language, German and International Sign) in Salzburg
“As I love international, cultural and academic conferences and congresses, I feel honoured to organise a three day congress in traditional Vienna with four wonderful ladies.”
Supporting Team .
Caroline Obermaier
Guideline
Katrin Marquetant
Organization
Nikolaus R. Kankkonen, BA Ing.
Guideline, Technology
Advisory Committee .
The Advisory Committee is the umbrella team of the DAC and exchanges on a regular basis to discuss issues that arose during conferences and develop sustainable strategies to solve these problems. What is more, the AC supports planning and realization of the DAC by
- Continuously advising OC and SC
- Supporting decision-making
- Sharing advice for various concerns
- Helping to include and integrate different points of views into one’s own considerations
Lina Hou, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Equity Inclusion and Diversity Advocate, University of California
Dr Annelies Kusters, Associate Professor in Sign Language and Intercultural Research, Heriot Watt University
Dr Mette Sommer, Assistant Professor, Languages and Intercultural studies, Heriot-Watt University
Alicia Wooten, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology & COVID Public Health & Safety, Gallaudet University