Bienvenu, Martina Jo "M.J."

Born deaf at Baton Rouge, LA to deaf parents, including Hazel Estelle Newton Bienvenu (q.v.); graduated the Lousiana School for the Deaf (1969) and Gallaudet College (1974); M.S. from Gallaudet in 1983. Worked in the book department at the National Association of the Deaf and in the Gallaudet College bookstore, then to Kendall Demonstration Elementary School for the Deaf as a communication specialist. Also worked part-time for the National Interpreter Training Consortium and the Gallaudet College Linguistic Research Laboratory while working on her own linguistics master's degree. Has given many workshops on ASL, nonverbal training, and deaf culture. Co-founder of The Bicultural Center in Riverdale, MD 1987-1993. Faculty member in the Gallaudet U. Dept. of ASL and Deaf Studies, 1996 onward; in 2002, was working on her Ph.D. degree in linguistics.