Christopher Tester, PhD, SCL

Experience

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  New Jersey Division on Civil Rights

  Aug 2003 - Apr 2007

  Special Projects Coordinator/Investigator

  Report to Director of statewide civil rights law enforcement agency charged with eradication of discrimination and enforcement of nation’s oldest and most extensive state anti-discrimination law.Created and implemented annual Disability Law Conference on topics regarding the rights of people with hearing loss, vision loss, mental disabilities, and other forms of disability. Specialize in New Jersey Law Against Discrimination training and promote the agency’s services to education institutions, employers, persons with disabilities, GLBT-rights groups, and advocacy organizations; have trained at international, national, and state civil rights, human rights, and legal conferences. Show less

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  Christopher Tester, PhD, SC: L

  Jan 2005 - now

  Consultant, Educator, Interpreter

  Christopher Tester is Deaf and an American and British Sign Language interpreter and disability inclusion consultant. He is certified by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf and holds Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) and Speciality Certificate: Legal (SC:L). He has eight years of professional experience as a former manager / trainer at Sorenson communications and as a special projects coordinator and investigator at the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights. A seasoned presenter, he specializes in workshop and seminar facilitation on topics (not limited to) disability rights and laws, Deaf and hard of hearing awareness, and American Sign Language and interpreting. Chris received his Bachelor’s degree at the College of the Holy Cross and his Professional Certificate from the Interpreter Education Program at LaGuardia Community College. He completed his MSc through the European Masters in Sign Language Interpreting and is currently a PhD student on full scholarship at Heriot-Watt University. He resides in Edinburgh, Scotland Show less

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  NYS Division of Human Rights

  Jan 2007 - Jan 2007

  Human Rights Specialist

  Human Rights Specialist

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  Sorenson Communications

  Sept 2007 - Mar 2011

  Manager/Trainer

  • Supervise and provide support to 70+ Sign Language Interpreters at a Video Relay Service interpreting center • Train newly-hired nationally RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf ) certified interpreters on both Video Relay Service call processing and interpreting protocols as well as the use of Sorenson software • Coordinate Sorenson's Video Interpreter-Provisional (VI-P) mentoring program for pre-certified interpreters to enhance their skills; provide support to the mentors by providing resources and offering guidance on mentoring processes for three interpreting centers in the area • Directed the Eastern Region Retreat planning committee as Co-Chair in spring 2009; oversaw eight individuals on strategic planning and execution for a week long retreat for managers from 15+ interpreting centers. • Represented Sorenson on internal task force groups focusing on improving the quality and efficiency of American Sign Language interpreting • Developed a specialized workshop entitled, "I'm just a Click Away: Teaming in the SVRS Setting" with a team and presented to several interpreting centers on an ongoing basis Show less

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  Mill Neck Family of Organizations

  Jun 2012 - Jan 2017

  Part-time Interpreter Manager
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  CUNY School of Professional Studies

  Jan 2013 - Apr 2020

  Adjunct Lecturer

  Lead instructor for Interpreting I: introduction to interpreting process and Demand-Control Schema; Interpreting V: simultaneous interpreting.

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  Heriot-Watt University

  Jan 2018 - Aug 2021

  PHD Student
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  Gallaudet University

  Aug 2021 - Dec 2022

  Assistant Professor