Student News

Doctoral Student Receives Dissertation Fellowship

Award will support Betsy Beckert’s work exploring the ways deaf children use communicative resources

Betsy Beckert, a doctoral candidate in language & literacy education at BU Wheelock, was recently awarded the National Academy of Education’s NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship. Beckert will use her award to support her research on the language and literacy practices of deaf children from hearing families.

Intended for scholars who want to improve the quality of education through rigorous research, the NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship is extremely competitive. Out of hundreds of applicants, only 35 are selected. As a fellow, Beckert will receive a stipend and support from a mentor as she writes her dissertation.

Beckert’s dissertation, “Exploring the Language and Literacy Ecology of a Signing Deaf Adolescent,” is a case study that focuses on how a signing deaf adolescent communicates at home and in his community with people who are not proficient in American Sign Language. Through the evidence found in her study, along with more than 15 years’ experience working with deaf youth, Beckert seeks to shed light on the complex, dynamic ways that deaf children use communicative resources such as text messages, Google Maps, and drawings in their everyday interactions.

“I am honored and excited to be named a 2024 NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellow,” says Beckert. “I look forward to supporting teachers to build from deaf children’s communicative practices to support their literacy development.”