Rate My Professor John O’Loughlin

John O’Loughlin serves as Associate Professor of American Sign Language in the Speech and ASL Department at Palomar College, where he also holds the position of ASL Lab and Deaf Studies Coordinator. A passionate Deaf individual and native, fluent user of American Sign Language, O’Loughlin earned a graduate degree in Bilingual Education with an emphasis on American Sign Language and English from the University of California, San Diego. He graduated from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the only higher education institution designated for educating Deaf and hard-of-hearing students. An avid world traveler, he spent significant time studying abroad in Brazil and China, immersing himself in their linguistic and cultural elements, including the differences in their sign languages such as Brazilian Sign Language.

O’Loughlin’s academic interests encompass badge languages like Brazilian Sign Language and Universal Sign Language, as well as Deaf Culture, which he conveys through holistic approaches in the classroom. At Palomar College, he teaches a variety of American Sign Language courses, offered both online and in-person, contributing to one of the largest ASL programs in Southern California. He also instructs American Sign Language levels I, II, and III at the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies. O’Loughlin hosts annual Spring workshops with guest speakers for his ASL classes and collaborated with colleague David Hamilton on a faculty workshop titled “DEAFinitely.” At the 2024 San Diego ASL Immersion Conference, he presented two workshops: “Government & Parliamentary 101,” covering the American political system, vocabulary, dialogues, and activities like translating the Bill of Rights in ASL; and “Financial Literacy 101,” developing basic financial concepts, vocabulary, and operations in ASL for Deaf Culture contexts. He has participated in college committees, including the Distance Education Committee as faculty at-large and hiring committees.