A Transition at CSUN

Transitions are always bittersweet events. So it is with leadership changes at the National Center on Deafness at Cal State Northridge. After 42 years in deaf education, current director Herb Larson is retiring. Last week, his replacement was announced: a 32-year-old who has worked in the U.S. Department of Education and taught at Gallaudet University, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious school for the deaf.

Merri C. Pearson, who is hearing-impaired and can sign fluently, will oversee a large staff and manage a budget of $2 million. She will also be at the center of a debate over how best to educate hearing-impaired students. Schools such as Gallaudet emphasize deaf culture and teach entirely in sign language. Some educators argue that hearing-impaired students should be part of mainstream education. Founded in 1972, the Center of Deafness allows hearing-impaired students to take regular-session classes at CSUN.

Larson’s leadership helped guide the center to national prominence, and he will be missed. But change can be good, and Pearson’s experience in fundraising and national contacts should help expand the center’s reach and raise its profile.