Biography

Dr. Staci M. Rensch (she/her/hers) is a native of Maryland.  She is a graduate of Maryland School for the Deaf in Frederick, Maryland, and Gallaudet University in DC, with a BA in History and Government.  Dr. Staci later obtained a MS in Deaf Education from McDaniel College in Westminster, MD and a MA in History with a dual focus in Early Colonial America Period and Chesapeake Studies from Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD.   Dr. Staci taught several subjects in the K-12 school system at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Philadelphia, PA, and at a residential treatment facility in Florida. Dr. Staci also holds a Ph.D. in education specializing in leadership in higher education from Capella University, Minneapolis, MN. In addition to her degrees, Staci is also a certified Professional Life Coach and a trained literacy specialist for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Dr. Staci taught at McDaniel College and is currently a full-time Lecturer with the Deaf Studies Program at Towson University in Towson, Maryland. For fun, Dr. Staci loves learning and would be taking courses here and there.  In her downtime, Staci enjoys reading, and watching British television series and movies.

Research Interests

History research interests: Deaf history, Deaf culture, local Chesapeake history and early Colonial American history with a focus on the women and the laws in the 17th and 18th century Delmarva region.

Education research interests:  multilingual education approach, bilingual education approach, Deaf education, 1^st and 2^nd language acquisition, leadership theories, civic engagement and the Deaf community, diversity and inclusion in higher education, leadership in higher education, and leadership actions in addressing audism in higher education.

Current Research Projects:

Best practices of service-learning partnerships between higher education and the Deaf community

Building Cultural Competence into the Deaf Studies Program (Resources Toolkit Project)

Women and the Laws in 17^th and 18^th Century Delmarva Region

Service

Service- University

2022-2023 Diversity & Inclusion Faculty Fellow https://www.towson.edu/provost/initiatives/diversity/facultyfellow.html

2021- 2022 Service-Learning Faculty Fellow

Service - Department

LLC Interim Library Liaison (2022-2023); FYE Advising (2022 – present); DFST Assessment Coordinator (2023 – present); DFST Internship Coordinator (2023 – present); DFST 101 Coordinator (2021 – present); DFST Major Advisor (2023 – present); DFST Curriculum Coordinator (2023 – present); DFST 2+2 Curriculum Coordinator (2023 – present).