Donna M. Mertens
- Gallaudet UniversityDonna M. Mertens is Professor in the Department of Educational Foundations and Research at Gallaudet University. She teaches research methods and program evaluation to deaf and hearing students at the MA and PhD levels. She conducts research and evaluation studies on such topics as improvement of special education services in international settings, planning for the inclusion of students with disabilities in neighborhood schools, enhancing the educational experiences of students with disabilities, preventing sexual abuse in residential schools for deaf students, improving access to the court systems for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, and improving the preparation of teachers of the deaf through appropriate use of instructional technology. Her research focuses on improving methods of inquiry by integrating the perspectives of those who have experienced oppression in our society. She draws on the writings of feminists, minorities, people with disabilities, as well as indigenous peoples who have addressed the issues of power and oppression and their implications for research methodology. Dr. Mertens has made numerous presentations at the meetings of the American Educational Research Association, the American Evaluation Association, the Association for College Educators of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the International Sociological Association, International Mixed Methods Conference, the American Psychological Association, and other organizations that explore these themes. She served as President and Board member of the American Evaluation Association from 1997 to 2002 and as a member of the Board of Trustees for the International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation 2002–2003. She is the co-editor for the Journal of Mixed Methods Research (with Max Bergman).
