Adjunct Instructional Assistant Professor
Email: nsheneman@uh.edu
Office: Melcher Life Sciences M250H
Curriculum Vitae

Education

• Ph.D., Interpretation, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC
• M.S., Educational Administration, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
• M.A., Teaching and Learning: Bilingual Education (ASL-English), University of California-San Diego, San Diego, CA
• B.A., Psychology, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC

Teaching

• Advanced Techniques and Skills in ASL/English Interpreting (INTN 4335)
• Consecutive Interpreting and Translation (INTN 3430)
• Simultaneous Interpreting I (INTN 3433)
• Simultaneous Interpreting II (INTN 3434)
• History of Interpreting and Translation Profession (INTN 2233)
• Privilege and Equity in ASL Interpreting (INTN 2335)
• Introduction to the Deaf Community for Bilingual Professionals (INTN 1105)

Research Interests

Dr. Sheneman’s research interests reflect the interdisciplinary nature of interpreting research, drawing from the disciplines of linguistics, ethics, teaching and learning, specialized interpreting, disability studies, and social justice. She has published work on national and international interpreting practices, sign language competency assessment practices, Deaf interpreters’ ethical decision-making processes, deaf epistemology in interpreting, cultural humility and ableism among sign language interpreters, and how interpreters earn trust from deaf consumers. Additionally, she has projects in the pipeline that involve applications of cognitive linguistics to interpreting, interpreter-consumer relationships, perceptions of Deaf interpreters, and language attitudes’ influence on interpreting preferences. Although her recent research work has come with emotional labor as a deaf person, it is a resilient form of service to deaf people with the aim of improving the quality and experience of their interpreting services and interactions with interpreters.

Selected Publications

• Sheneman, N. (2026). Constructing meaning through translation: A cognitive linguistic analysis of ASL texts about cancer. Sign Language & Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.1075/sll.24012.she
• Sheneman, N. & Hill, S.G. (2026). Signed language interpreting. International Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics (3rd ed.) https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95504-1.01580-5 
• Sheneman, N., & Robinson, O. E. (2024). Tearing down the bypass, rebuilding the Main Street: Uncovering epistemic injury, violence, and erasure in signed language interpretation. In M. Lomena & E. Monzó-Nebot (Eds.) Critical approaches to institutional translation and interpreting: Challenging epistemologies (pp. 50-74). London: Routledge.
• Sheneman, N., & Robinson, O. E. (2021). Helpers, professional authority, and pathologized bodies: Ableism in interpretation and translation. In E. Monzó-Nebot & O.C. Cortés (Eds.), Translating asymmetry: Rewriting power, (p. 55-75). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
• Sheneman, N. (2016). Deaf interpreters’ ethics: Reflections on training and decision-making. Journal of Interpretation, 25(1), Article 8. https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/joi/vol25/iss1/8/ 

Honors

• Excellence in Research Award, Conference of Interpreter Trainers, 2022
• Outstanding BA in Interpretation Mentor Award, Gallaudet University Department of Interpretation and Translation, 2019
• Distinguished Achievement in Teaching in the Linguistics Language Program, University of California-San Diego, 2004

Professional Activities

• Work with federal and state grants to provide educational consultation, development of resources, and evaluations
• Evaluation Team Member, Federal grant program, National Deaf Center
• Consultant, Interpreter education programs on how to incorporate training specific for Deaf interpreters