About me
David Geeslin, Ed.D
Dr. Geeslin graduated from the Indiana School for the Deaf in 1983. He attended
Gallaudet University for two years, then transferred to Purdue University, where he
received his B.A. in Linguistics in 1989. He received his M.A. in Deaf Education from
Boston University in 1991. After working in education for seven years, Dr. Geeslin
returned to night school at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis to earn his
principal's license. Having rediscovered the power of education, he decided to pursue a
doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at Indiana University while still working full-
time. He completed his Ed.D. degree in August of 2006. Dr. Geeslin was the first Deaf
person to receive a doctoral degree from an Indiana college or university. He was
selected as a 2008 Distinguished Alumnus from Purdue University.
Dr. Geeslin has been active in many policy committees, has served as an expert legal
witness, and has been an active participant and volunteer in several professional and
non-profit community organizations. Some of
these organizations include the Board of
Interpreter Standards, Continuum of Mental Health Services for Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Adolescents/Indiana Department of Health, D.E.A.F. Network, Indianapolis Public
School Cultural Audit Task Force, Educational Interpreters Committee/Indiana
Department of Education, Educational Needs Advisory Group/Indiana Department of
Education, Indiana School for the Deaf and Indiana Blind School Governance Task
Force/Indiana Department of Education, State Advisory Council on the Education of
Children with Disabilities, and Indiana Association of the Deaf. Dr. Geeslin is also a
founding board member of Indiana Deaf Heritage and Indiana Deaf Children
Foundation. In 1994, Dr. Geeslin worked with other Deaf Community leaders to write
and successfully pass a statute recognizing American Sign Language in the state of
Indiana. In 2008, Dr. Geeslin worked with other disabled groups on rewriting the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for Indiana with 511 IAC Article 7
known as Indiana’s Special Education rules.
In his role as Superintendent, he served on the Conference of Educational
Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD) Board and was in the
position of CEASD President for two terms.
Dr. Geeslin has held a variety of positions, including Teacher of the Deaf in Norwell,
Massachusetts, American Sign Language Assessment Consultant for the Boston
Children's Deaf Network at Children's Hospital Boston, and Field Reviewer for
University of Illinois CLAS project. He has worked as a visiting lecturer for Indiana
University, Vincennes
University, Western Maryland College, Boston University and
Purdue University. Dr. Geeslin has also served as a consultant for several Deaf schools
across the country. Over the past thirty-two years, Dr. Geeslin has held different roles at
the Indiana School for the Deaf, including Third Grade Teacher, American Sign
Language Assessment Specialist, Interim Director of Outreach, Elementary Principal,
Outreach Educational Consultant, and CEO/Superintendent.
In addition to his professional and volunteer work, Dr. Geeslin has been married for 35
years and remains actively involved with his two daughters and granddaughter.
