Calvin Farley is a senior lecturer in Deaf Studies in the Department of Theory and Practice in Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Farley began his career in post-secondary education in 2012 as a mentor serving college students who majored in interpreting as their future careers at Maryville College. Farley earned a bachelor’s degree in digital media: visualization from East Tennessee State University which tremendously benefits him as a mentor and instructor. During his two years as a mentor, he gained experience and skills in serving students who seek to be better signers and translators of English to American Sign Language (ASL) and vice versa.

While mentoring, he rediscovered the passion in teaching and developed an additional passion in ASL education that benefits students’ acquisition in and development of teaching skills. He returned to the University of Tennessee to earn a master’s degree in teacher education (ASL) in Spring 2016. Farley has worked as a full-time lecturer of the Deaf Studies program since Fall 2016.

He founded and moderated ASL Pop program – a Deaf-led/ASL event program for college students, the Deaf community, local community colleges and local high schools that offered ASL courses. During Farley’s 9-year leadership, ASL POP received wide media coverage and held more than 50 events and activities including: Deaf Education related-ASL shows, Deaf/hard of hearing children’s’ shows, panelists, Deaf/ASL literature folklore events, recreational activities, and more. ASL POP welcomed hundreds of local Deaf community folks, several thousands students, and 6 different collages in East Tennessee. As a service to the university, Farley worked with the Deaf Studies team to incorporate ASL POP into the Deaf Studies service capabilities and it is now led by other Deaf Studies faculty. This service was one of his most proud in his career achievements.

He serves an advisor of the student organization ASL Club (ASLK) since 2020. He serves as a speaker, and has presented at various seminars and workshops across the United States, Canada, and Hong Kong.

When Calvin is not teaching, he loves to watch good crime & thriller shows and enjoys exercising, backpacking, hiking, and playing games. He enjoys collecting things such as Pokémon cards, Star Wars, and Jeff Gordon memorabilia, as well as jokes, and books!