Lewis Honors College Welcomes Virginia Moore as Part of CommuniTeas Series

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 21, 2020) — Tomorrow, the University of Kentucky Lewis Honors College's Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council will welcome Virginia Moore, executive director of the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (KCDHH), as part of its CommuniTeas series.

The event will be held 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, on Zoom. Registration is required.

CommuniTeas guests are asked to describe how they entered into the work they do and offer advice for students who might want to engage in similar professions. The Lewis Honors College Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council was eager to have Moore participate in this event after witnessing the work she has done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear's daily updates to the Commonwealth are accessible to Kentuckians who are deaf and hard of hearing.

“My students and I are thrilled to have Virginia Moore as the guest for the next CommuniTeas," said Lewis Honors College Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Tara Tuttle. "Like many others across the state, I became a big fan of Moore while watching the governor’s daily briefings. When I learned more about her and the work she does off camera, I knew we had to invite her to Lewis Honors College to talk about it. What she does as the executive director of KCDHH and interpreting for Governor Beshear truly embodies the core values of Lewis Honors College and demonstrates a commitment to foster a culture of belonging. She’s an excellent model for our students as someone who uses her intellect and education to contribute to her communities and to improve the Commonwealth.”

During the Zoom event , Moore will discuss her work as executive director of KCDHH and her professional background. Born into a socially active deaf family, she was shaped by the culture and language. Moore graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor of arts degree and holds several interpreter certifications, including National Association of the Deaf Master Certification, Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf CI/CT Certification and a National Interpreter Certification. Since 1995, Moore has been with KCDHH, serving first as the executive director’s interpreter, then as state interpreter administrator before being appointed as executive director in 2009. In addition to her duties as executive director, Moore also coordinates the biennial DeaFestival-Kentucky event, presented by KCDHH and the Knowledge Center on Deafness. She also serves as Governor Beshear’s American Sign Language interpreter during his daily coronavirus briefings.

The event is open to all who are interested. More information can be found on https://www.uky.edu/honors/moore and registration is required.

The purpose of the CommuniTeas series is to provide an intimate setting for guests from across the university and the greater Lexington area to share their research and passions with the Lewis Honors College community. The series aims to highlight individuals who are change-makers in their fields, whose work showcases concepts that are powerful and intersectional. These conversation-style gatherings encourage faculty, students and staff to join in the discussion and further explore ideas that generate thought-provoking conversations and help connect students with individuals making significant contributions to their communities.