Robert R. Davila

Robert Davila (born 1932) is an American educator of deaf students who served as the ninth president of Gallaudet University, the university whose programs and services are designed for deaf and hard of hearing students. Born in southern California to Mexican-American parents, he became deaf at eleven after spinal meningitis and attended the California School for the Deaf. He earned a bachelor's degree in education from Gallaudet in 1953, a master's in special education from Hunter College in 1963 and a doctorate in educational technology from Syracuse University in 1972. His career includes teaching high school mathematics, serving as an assistant principal and as a K-12 superintendent, working as a professor and vice president at Gallaudet, serving as Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the US Department of Education from 1989 to 1993, leading the New York School for the Deaf from 1993 to 1996, and serving as head of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf until 2006. Named Gallaudet president on December 10, 2006, after the Unity for Gallaudet protests, he began the role at the start of 2007, initially as interim president.