Daniel S. Koo is a Deaf American scholar, psychologist, and academic administrator at Gallaudet University. His research focuses on psycholinguistics, cognition, and deaf studies, examining how deaf signers and cuers process language across modalities and how early language exposure influences neural, cognitive, and linguistic outcomes.
Education and Early Career
Koo earned his Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester in 2003, where he conducted research on phonological processing and reading development in deaf populations [3]. His doctoral dissertation investigated how communication backgrounds, including signed and cued modalities, affect phonological awareness and memory[3]. After completing his doctoral studies, he pursued postdoctoral research at the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University, focusing on the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying language processing[1].
Academic Career
Following his postdoctoral work, Koo joined the Department of Psychology at Gallaudet University, where he has taught courses in cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, research methods, and areas connected to Deaf and Hard of Hearing populations[1]. Over time, he assumed academic leadership roles, serving as School Director and Dean of the Faculty, positions through which he has overseen curriculum, faculty development, and institutional strategy[1].
Koo’s research lies at the intersection of Deaf studies and cognitive psychology, with an emphasis on how modality and language background shape phonological awareness, literacy, and neural development. His work has shown that brain differences between deaf and hearing individuals are strongly influenced by the first language acquired, whether signed, cued, or spoken[1][2]. He has also explored how early language experience impacts literacy skills, short-term memory, and cognitive outcomes for deaf individuals[1][3].
Through publications and collaborative research, Koo has advanced understanding of how visual languages contribute to reading and memory, challenging auditory-centric models of language acquisition. His studies provide evidence that literacy development among deaf individuals is shaped not only by access to phonological forms but also by the modality of early language exposure[2][3].
Contributions and Impact
Koo’s work has had a dual impact: as a researcher, he has contributed to psycholinguistics by demonstrating the role of modality in shaping linguistic and cognitive profiles among deaf individuals; as an administrator, he has influenced academic policy and curriculum at Gallaudet University. His leadership roles have helped align research and teaching with the broader needs of Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities, ensuring that institutional structures reflect the diversity of language experiences among deaf learners[1].
- Gallaudet University. (n.d.). Daniel Koo.
- Google Scholar. (n.d.). Daniel S. Koo – Citations.
- Koo, D., Crain, K., LaSasso, C., & Eden, G. F. (2008). Phonological awareness and short‐term memory in hearing and deaf individuals of different communication backgrounds. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1145(1), 83-99.
