Julie A. Hochgesang is a Deaf linguist and professor of Linguistics at Gallaudet University. Her research focuses on sign language phonetics and phonology, language documentation, corpus linguistics, and making linguistic tools and practices accessible to Deaf communities.
Early Life and Education
Hochgesang identifies as Deaf, having grown up in a hearing family, and has been using American Sign Language (ASL) from early childhood[1]. Her background includes engagement with multiple signed language communities and fieldwork, including work outside the United States in language documentation projects[1].
She completed her PhD in Linguistics at Gallaudet University in 2013, her dissertation examined how hand configurations are represented in notation systems within the context of child language acquisition in ASL[1][2].
Academic Career
After earning her doctorate, Hochgesang joined Gallaudet University’s Department of Linguistics, where she advanced to the rank of associate professor (and, as of fall 2022, professor)[1][2]. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses such as Phonology, Field Methods, Language Documentation, Corpus Linguistics, and Linguistic Data Management. [2]
She is co-editor (with Emily Shaw) of the Gallaudet University Press Sociolinguistics Series, and serves as one of the linguistic editors for the Journal of ASL and Literature and on the editorial board of Sign Language Studies[2].
Hochgesang also maintains and manages linguistic infrastructure and resources, such as the ASL Signbank (developed under the SLAAASh project), and provides consultancy for language documentation, ELAN training, and Deaf community linguistic projects[1][2].
Research Interests
Hochgesang’s scholarly work spans several interrelated areas:
- Sign language phonetics and phonology.
- Language documentation and corpora.
- Notation systems and data representation.
- Accessible linguistics and community engagement.
Identity, Perspective, and Impact
Hochgesang’s identity as a Deaf linguist is intertwined with her academic mission: she critiques traditional paradigms in linguistic research that marginalize signed language users, and works to reshape methodology, data practice, and dissemination to be more inclusive of Deaf scholars and communities. [1][2][3]
Her outreach in virtual discourse (e.g. Emboxed Discourse) reveals how Deaf communicative practices evolve in mediated environments, demonstrating her reflexive approach to both language and technology. [4] By managing corpora, training in annotation tools, and leading projects that center Deaf perspectives, she helps foster a more equitable infrastructure for sign language linguistics globally.
- Julie A. Hochgesang. (n.d.). Julie A. Hochgesang. www.juliehochgesang.com
- Hochgesang, J. A. (n.d.). Curriculum vitae / Work. www.juliehochgesang.com
- Gallaudet University. (n.d.). Gallaudet Linguistics – Faculty: Julie Hochgesang.
- Hochgesang, J. A. (2025, June 1). Emboxed Discourse. Acadeafic.
