Department
ASL and Deaf Studies

Office Location
  Sorenson Language and Communication Center- SLCC 1218

Email Address
benjamin.bahan@gallaudet.edu

Benjamin James Bahan was born and raised in New Jersey. He went to the Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf, and then graduated from Gallaudet University in 1978 with a B.S. in Biology. After graduation, he researched ASL linguistics and acquisition at The Salk Institute.

In 1981, he moved to the Bay Area to join a fellow Gallaudet graduate in setting up their own business. Later, he received his masters at Boston University and stayed there to become a faculty member and coordinator of the Deaf Studies program-while pursuing his doctorate in Applied Linguistics. In 1996, he returned to Gallaudet.

Ben is a renowned storyteller, author, researcher, professor, and presenter on issues related to Deaf Studies. Among the various books and videotapes he's authored, one popular book was co-authored with
Harlan Lane and Robert Hoffmeister, A Journey into the DEAF-WORLD. His latest book published in 2000 was The Syntax of American Sign Language: Functional Categories and Hierarchical Structure (co-authored with Carol Neidle, Judy Kegl, Dawn MacLaughlin, and Robert Lee). And latest DVD he co-wrote and co-directed with Dirksen Bauman: Audism Unveiled.

He lives in Frederick, MD with his wife, Sue Burnes, and their children, David and Juliana.

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