River M. Frank

River M. Frank is a Deaf faculty member whose work centers on American Sign Language, media studies and film. With a deep interest in how visual storytelling shapes cultural understanding of Deafness, they explore representation, accessibility and the evolving ways Deaf communities communicate in modern media spaces. Their teaching style emphasizes curiosity, cultural humility, and building meaningful bridges between Deaf and hearing students.

At CU Boulder, River teaches ASL courses and is developing new courses that expand the program’s engagement with Deaf culture, media and film. Their work highlights visual language acquisition, cultural competency and supporting students in becoming ethical and informed communicators.

River’s commitment to humanitarian work began in elementary school and continued throughout middle and high school as a student ambassador with People to People, sparking a lifelong dedication to global connection and inclusive community building.

Outside of academia, they enjoy volunteering, spending time outdoors, reading and hanging out with their dog, Bumi.