Vasishta, Madan M.

Born in India. Deafened at age 11 in 1952 from typhoid fever and mumps. Local schools would not accept him, so he tended his family's livestock until finally moving to Delhi and eventually realizing his dream of becoming a photographer. Involvement with the Delhi deaf community led to support from that community and for his family to go to America and attend Gallaudet College, earning B.A. (1971), M.A. (1973) and Ph.D. (1983) degrees from Gallaudet. Had positions at the Texas School for the Deaf and the Illinois School for the Deaf; in 1991, became superintendent of the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf, the first deaf educator to become head of any of the North Carolina schools, and possibly the first foreign-born deaf person to become head of any American school. In 1994, became superintendent of the New Mexico School for the Deaf. Retired from NMSD in 2000; planned to do research (especially on Indian sign language) and teaching; returned to Gallaudet as a part-time lecturer.