Employee of the Month - December 2022
Katy Calen - Lead Interpreter and American Sign Language and Deaf Cultures (ASLD) Program Coordinator - Linguistic
Awarded Monday, December 12, 2022, via Zoom Virtual celebration. Katy was joined by President Jane Close Conoley, College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Dean Deborah Thien, Linguistics Professor and Department Chair Nancy Hall, CLA Administrative Services Manager Terie Bostic, CLA and campus colleagues, and her mother, Joan.
In the six years that Katy Calen has worked at CSULB, she has made outstanding contributions while serving as the Lead Interpreter and American Sign Language and Deaf Cultures (ASLD) Services Coordinator in the Linguistics and ASLD departments. Katy has wealth of experience with 27 years as an American Sign Language-English interpreter. In addition, she holds three national certifications, including two generalist certifications and one legal certification.
Barbara LeMaster, the previous Director of ASLD and current Anthropology Faculty member, shared, “Katy has been with us since before our ASLD Bachelor of Arts (BA)/BA Option & Minor doors opened in Fall 2017. She walked into an unfurnished office, laughed, and offered to get her folding chair out of her car! That showed us who she is...she is selfless, and willing to ride the beach waves as they go up and down.
“As lead interpreter, she is the voice of the signing ASLD faculty…When she is not interpreting, she does whatever is asked of her - and what we have asked her to do is a lot! She handles technology for ASLD, helps faculty and students with a complete range of issues, she has put together all ASL homework on quizzes with auto-grading to help professors and students in level 1, she puts together every event we have...she found our interpreter loop system and a second one and keeps on top of their functioning (these are used for students who need classes taught in ASL to be interpreted into English)…The rest she does on her ‘down time’ when not interpreting.”
Linguistics Professor and Department Chair Nancy Hall further described Katy: “Katy is the organizational backbone of ASLD, always on top of the myriad responsibilities of administering a complex and rapidly growing program. Her skills, positive attitude, initiative, and resourcefulness are much appreciated.”
“Katy is a roll up her sleeves and get it done kind of person,” noted Terie Bostic, the College of Liberal Arts Administrative Services Manager. “She has worked with me on hiring the Interpreting mentors and supplementing our interpreting needs for faculty – all difficult labor-intensive tasks. But she always perseveres. Her dedication and commitment is truly amazing.”
Katy’s hobbies include painting, crocheting, and spending time with her 15-year-old son who is a scholar-athlete participating in swim and orchestra. Katy also enjoys volunteering for her son’s club swim team by running the snack bar at large events.