Marc Marschark is a Professor at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, a college of Rochester Institute of Technology, where he directs the Center for Education Research Partnerships. His primary interest is in relations among language, learning, and cognition. His current research focuses on such relations among deaf children and adults in formal and informal educational settings. He is co-Editor of the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education.

Patricia Elizabeth Spencer is Professor Emerita of Social Work at Gallaudet University. As a Research Scientist at Gallaudet's Center for Studies in Education and Human Development, she had conducted research on early cognitive and communication/language development of deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Her on-going interest in communication and language development grew from her hands-on experiences as a teacher, assessment specialist, and educational advocate for deaf and hard-of-hearing students as well as those with multiple learning challenges.