Dr. Allen is acknowledged for her outstanding accomplishments in education and as a representative for the black deaf community.
TEXAS CITY, TX, September 28, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to name Dr. Shirley Jeanne Allen a Lifetime Achiever. An accomplished listee, Dr. Allen celebrates many years' experience in her professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes she has accrued in her field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Dr. Allen is acknowledged for her outstanding accomplishments in education and as a representative for the black deaf community. She graduated from the University of Rochester in 1992 with a doctoral degree in education. She received a Master of Arts from Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1972 and a Bachelor of Arts from Gallaudet University in 1966. She began her career in academia in 1968 as an instructor and dormitory supervisor at Gallaudet University, serving the institution for five years. She then became a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology (New York) in 1973, and served there until she retired in 2001. Dr. Allen also worked as an editorial clerk for the Internal Revenue Service in Washington in 1967.
Dr. Allen was majoring in music in her senior year at Jarvis Christian College when she lost her hearing from a high fever. She transferred to Gallaudet University, a school founded to provide higher education to deaf and hard of hearing students. As a student during the civil rights movement, Dr. Allen struggled through both racial discrimination and communication barriers as one of a few minority students at the institution. She found herself working in a 400 student college with only 11 Black students, and in her own dorm, there were only six Black students. She wanted to help represent the needs of deaf black students and turned her experience into an educational opportunity for all parties involved. Her civic engagements include her work as a volunteer, teacher, advisor, counselor, and advocate for the black deaf community. She is most proud of her work and advocacy on panels, in meetings, at conferences, and in helping her students become successful in their fields of interest.
Dr. Allen is the first black deaf woman to earn a doctoral degree. She comes from a family dedicated to public service and education. She is the daughter of Ralph Carnell and Theressa Gunzell Allen. Her parents, grandmothers, grandfather, aunts and uncles have all been an inspiration to her and her academic and professional career.
Dr. Allen has served her community as a visiting board member of the Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, TX, since 2000. She is also a member of the Council of American Instructors of the Deaf, the National Black Deaf Advocates, and the National Association of the Deaf. She has been featured in a cover story in Jarvisonian Magazine in 2005. Dr. Allen was named to the Pioneer Hall of Fame at the Jarvis Christian College in 1992, and she has also been featured in the 26th to the 28th editions of Who's Who of American Women.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to her profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Dr. Allen has been featured on the Marquis Who's Who Lifetime Achievers website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
About Marquis Who's Who :
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America , Marquis Who's Who has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
# # #