James E. Kilpatrick, Jr., Ph.D. (He/Him/His)

Dean of Deaf Studies

I was the Department Chair and Full Professor of Spanish and Teacher Education at Missouri Southern State University and the Supervisor of Medical Interpreter Interns and student teachers of foreign languages at the University for some 16 years. I am currently a Spanish Instructor at Olathe West High School in the greater Kansas City area. I am also an Adjunct Professor of Sign Language at Minot State University in North Dakota. I worked 8 years as a Tri-lingual Video Relay interpreter of Spanish/ASL/English with Sorenson Video Relay Service, and I continue to be an ASL/English Sign Language interpreter for Sorenson. I am currently a national Instructor/Trainer of Signing Exact English with the S.E.E. (Signing Exact English) Center of California and have worked as an educational sign language interpreter from pre-school level to graduate school for over 20 years. I hold multiple Sign Language certifications, including Advanced Level certification in ASL & PSE/CASE, certification at the Mastery Level in S.E.E., and Spanish certification with the International Berlitz scale at the Mastery Level “C2.” In my role as Dean of Deaf Studies for Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children, my efforts focus on enhancing relationships between the school, the Deaf Community and other agencies working for deaf children and their families. Additionally, I lead the school’s EIPA Success! Program, which is aimed at ensuring exceptional competence of S.E.E. sign interpreters by integrating our American Sign Language skillsets within our S.E.E. signs at our school and around the region. My wife Christy and I are raising triplets in the Kansas City Metro area.

Sign name: “K” like “enter”

Other languages: American Sign Language, Spanish