Dr. Laurie Shaffer has shared her expertise and passion for American Sign Language/English interpretation with students since joining the UNH Manchester faculty in January 2017. An active practitioner of ASL/English interpreting for nearly three decades, Shaffer has been an educator in post-secondary classrooms as well as professional development venues.
Shaffer has designed several mentoring programs with colleagues, including the Peer Mentoring Model and Mentoring for Educational Interpreters, a program that was showcased in 2014 as a chapter in “Mentorship in sign language interpreting.”
Shaffer holds a Ph.D. in Interpreting Studies from Gallaudet University, where her dissertation examined the influence of social institutional forces on the work of interpreters in the medical environment. She also holds an M.S. in Education of the Deaf from Syracuse University and a B.A. in Fine Arts from Hamilton College.
What do you like best about your job?
I enjoy my time with students. UNH Manchester draws engaged, persistent, and resilient students. I also am very appreciative of the collegial feel here – no matter if you are a lecturer or the dean, you are talked to and seen as a colleague. It’s a respectful and encouraging learning and teaching environment.
Tell us your favorite:
- Manchester restaurant: Café Momo
- New Hampshire destination: Peterborough
- Book: Listening Now by Anjana Appachana
- Movie: Crash, Babel, and The Game
- Childhood book: The Secret Garden
What are your hobbies?
I do various arts – painting, multi-media, beaded jewelry. I love to read, spend time with my partner, play the ukulele, and I love movies.
Best vacation ever?
Ten days spent interpreting and touring Guatemala.
We’d be surprised to know that…
I have a tattoo.
Which 3 famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party?
Maya Angelou, Ben Franklin, and Frida Kahlo.
As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up?
An artist.