Roberta Cordano

Roberta J. “Bobbi” Cordano is the 11th president of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. She is the fourth deaf president and the first deaf female president in the university’s history. She has prioritized early acquisition of sign language for all children, and particularly for deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind children. She is the first president to define and highlight Gallaudet’s economic contribution to our nation’s GDP by recognizing Gallaudet’s unique role in building a multi-billion dollar sign language economy in the United States. She is leading major anti-racism, bilingualism, and innovation imperatives that touch every aspect of the university. She has built the first majority deaf and diverse executive team in Gallaudet’s history, which has catapulted the university's leadership in bilingual hybrid learning. Cordano is a child of deaf parents, both proud Gallaudet alumni. She and her spouse have two children and she is fluent in American Sign Language and English.