The official biography below was current at the time of the award. See the organization's website for its latest information.

The Department of Science and Engineering Support (DSES) of the National Technical Institution for the Deaf (NTID) has provided access and educational serves to hearing disabled/impaired students at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) for more than thirty years. Each year the program serves 100 students who receive degrees in science, mathematics, and engineering, and 10-15 underprepared high-school students in a pre-baccalaureate program, as well as 150-200 students who are matriculating in other majors and taking science/mathematics as part of their curricular requirements.

NTID DSES provides mentoring through advising/counseling, tutoring, instruction, note-taking and interpretive services, and as a liaison with host colleges as advocates for students. Those activities are deemed as critical for this population of students who are otherwise ignored or invisible in mainstream education.

Also, it is especially beneficial to the greater population of students who are not hearing impaired, to be mentored in relating to the hearing impaired. This is a positive effect for global society. Programs and networks within the NTID are well planned, carefully documented, and provide a trusted base for participants.