Naomi Caselli
Scholarly Accomplishments September 2025
BU Wheelock presents the following faculty publications, presentations, and awards for September 2025. Awards Anthony Abraham Jack 2025 Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) Gold Medal for Current Events I (Political/Economic/Foreign Affairs) for Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality and Students Pay the Price Elena Forzani Albert J. Harris award from the International Literacy Association for the […]
Why Continued Federal Research Matters
Education research plays a vital role in shaping innovation, information, and equity. Federally funded studies drive real-world change in classrooms, communities, and policymaking. But as uncertainty around federal funding grows, it’s more essential than ever to understand how this research is making a difference. For this Conversations with the Dean, Dean Penny Bishop is joined […]
How AI Will Change Education
The growth of AI signals some positive opportunities for both students and teachers, including automating tasks such as grading and providing greater access to resources. At the same time, it’s not without significant concerns, including the potential the students will use AI to cheat on assignments or tests. Finding the balance between innovation and ethical […]
New Center Promotes Universal Sign Language Access
One of the cool things about sign language, says Naomi Caselli, is that in order to listen to it, you have to be looking at it. “It’s unlike spoken languages, where we don’t have any overt signals of whether a kid, for example, is paying attention to what they’re hearing,” says Caselli, an associate professor […]
Five BU Wheelock Faculty Promoted
Five faculty members were recently promoted for their significant contributions to BU Wheelock and Boston University. Naomi Caselli and Christina Dobbs received the rank of associate professor with tenure. Pipier Smith-Mumford was promoted to master lecturer, and Lindsey Chapman and William Rodriguez to senior lecturer. Together, these five faculty members represent BU Wheelock’s Deaf Studies, […]
Challenging the Anti-ASL Actions of the ACLU of Delaware
The American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware (ACLU-DE) filed a complaint arguing that too many Deaf children have the opportunity to attend a bilingual school where they can learn both ASL and English. Yes, reread that sentence. We were as surprised as you are. This complaint, if successful, has the potential to cause significant harm […]
The Machines Are Coming
lgorithm-informed machines learn what we like to buy and look at on the internet, feeding us more of that. Smart “assistants” greet us on our favorite websites to answer questions and point us in the right direction. Robots assemble almost everything we own, from our cars to our televisions to our clothing. Artificial intelligence (AI) […]
The Complex Relationship between AI and Education
Alongside her colleagues across Boston University, Naomi Caselli is tackling some of the thorniest questions about the relationship between artificial intelligence and education. Caselli, an assistant professor of Deaf education at BU Wheelock, is co-director of the AI & Education Initiative, a research initiative led by a coalition of faculty from across the University, including BU Wheelock, the […]
Global Conference on Sign Language Explores Acquisition and Accessibility
Researchers and practitioners—including teachers of the deaf, sign language specialists, and early intervention providers—will come together for the 4th International Conference on Sign Language Acquisition. Hosted this year by BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, the conference will be held remotely from June 23-25, 2022, with access in American Sign Language (ASL), International […]
How Do Deaf Children Learn Sign Language at Home?
Naomi Caselli is an assistant professor in Deaf studies at BU Wheelock. Her research focuses on how early language experience affects vocabulary acquisition and processing in American Sign Language. She and her team are preparing to release an online ASL vocabulary test for children younger than five and have received a new grant from the […]