Monica Soukup, Ed.D., retired from Augustana University in May 2017 after serving as an Associate Professor in the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 番茄社区 for 18 years. Since retiring, she has been teaching online courses pertaining to Deaf Education and Deaf Culture. She is an alumna of Augustana University, receiving her bachelor's degree with an emphasis in Deaf Education and Elementary Education and her master's degree in Special Education. She received an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Dakota. She taught at the South Dakota School for the Deaf for 23 years. Her life-long involvement with Deaf individuals includes her family, friends, students, and colleagues. She taught a variety of courses at Augustana University: Foundations in American Deaf Culture, ASL 1, ASL 2, Language and Reading Assessment and Instruction of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students, Curriculum and Instruction for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students, Working with Families, Professionals and Deaf Plus Students, and supervision of practicum and student teachers. Her areas of interest include language and literacy development of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students, Deaf and Hard of Hearing students with disabilities, promoting enriching educational environments for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, and addressing the nation-wide shortage of teachers of the Deaf.