Sheri Wells-Jensen

Wells-Jensen-Sheri-Cropped

Sheri Wells-Jensen

  • Position: Professor
    Director, T/ESOL and Linguistics Minor Programs
  • Phone: 419-372-8935
  • Email: swellsj@bgsu.edu
  • Address: 338 East Hall
Degrees and Institutions
  • Ph.D. Linguistics, State University of New York, University of Buffalo
  • M.A. Spanish and Applied Linguistics, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
  • B.A. Psychology and Sociology, Adrian College

Area: ESOL, TESOL, and Linguistics

Research Interests: Disability and inclusion in space exploration, astrobiology, disability studies, linguistics, TESOL, Braille

Memberships

  • NASA DARES Committee: 2026

  • Academy of Blind Scientists 2026

  • NASA/Library of Congress Blumberg Chair in Astrobiology: 2023

  • Institute for Culture and Society Fellow: Spring 2018

  • Member of Advisory Board: Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence International

  • Member at Large: Social and Cultural Issues in Astrobiology

  • Consultant ELPA21: Assisted with creation of Braille ESOL test for blind and visually impaired children

  • Discussant: International Symposium on Braille Research: Rice University.

  • Institute for Culture and Society Fellow: Spring 2018

Courses Taught

  • ENG 2900: Language Study

  • ENG 3810: Grammar & Writing

  • ENG 5100: TESOL Methods

  • LING 6150: Intro to Linguistics

  • HNRS2000: Disability and Space

Select Recent Publications

Wells-Jensen, Sheri., and Glen Tiede. Forthcoming. Alternative sensory perception and scientific discovery: How would blind aliens build a radio telescope? In Douglas Vakoch (Ed.). Communication and Cognition. Oxford University Press.

Molaro, Jamie. Ann Kapusta, Sheri Wells-Jensen, et al. 2024. Disability and space flight: The 2021 and 2022 AstroAccess results. Acta Astronautica.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.02.012

Wells-Jensen, Sheri, and S.J. Beard. 2023. Disabled people as a crucial resource in mitigating global risk. In A science of global risk. Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge.

Wells-Jensen, Sheri. 2023. Welcoming disability as necessary in space travel. In Charles S. Cockell (Ed.). The institutions of extraterrestrial liberty. Oxford University Press.

Wells-Jensen, Sheri. 2023. Cognition, sensory input, and linguistics : A possible language for blind aliens. In Douglas Vakoch and Jeffrey Punske (Eds.). Xenolinguistics: Toward a science of extraterrestrial language. Routledge.

Wells-Jensen, Sheri. 2023. The science of xenolinguistics. In Lucas K Law and Julie Nováková (Eds.). Life beyond us: An original anthology of SF stories and science essays. European Astrolobiology Institute.

Schwartz, James S.J., Sheri Wells-Jensen, John W. Traphagan, Deana L. Weibel, and Kelly C. Smith. 2021. What do we need to ask before settling space? Journal of the British Interplanetary Society V74 #4.

Wells-Jensen, Sheri, and Alyssa Zuber. 2020. Models of disability as models of first contact. Religions. V11 #12.

Smith, Kelly C., et al. 2019. The Great Colonization Debate. Futures Vol. 110.

Wells-Jensen, Sheri B., Joshua A. Miele, and Brandie L. Bohney. 2019. An alternate vision for colonization. Futures Vol. 110: 50-53.

Wells-Jensen, Sheri B. 2018. The case for disabled astronauts. Scientific American: Observations. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-case-for-disabled-astronauts/Wells-Jensen, S. B. (2019). How Do You Get Around? There’s No One Strategy to Get There. The Braille Monitor.

Wells-Jensen, S. B., Miele, J. A., & Bohney, B. (2019). An Alternate Vision for Colonization. Futures.

Wells-Jensen, S. B., et al. (2019). The Great Colonization Debate. Futures.

Wells-Jensen, S. B. (2018). The Case for Disabled Astronauts. Scientific American.

Wells-Jensen, S. B. (2018). An Ordinary Stranger. Rejoinder (An Online Journal Published by the Institute for Research on Women at Rutgers University).

Wells-Jensen, S. B. (2018). The Daily Accidents of Life: Consequence of Blindness? Or Being Human? The Braille Monitor.

Select Recent Presentations:

Wells-Jensen, S. B. (2019, June). We Have the Right to Wonder: All the Way to the Stars. SciAccess Conference. Columbus, OH: Center of Science and Industry.

Wells-Jensen, S. B. (2019, May). Preparing to Survive: The Case for Disabled Astronauts and Colonists. FISO Teleconference.

Wells-Jensen, S. B., Kryzhanivska, A., & Hunter, L. (2019, April). Blind Rage, Blind Copies, and Blind Dates: A Cross-Linguistic Analysis of Ableist Collocations. Society for Disability Studies Conference. Columbus, OH.

Wells-Jensen, S. B., & Orchard, R. (2018, May). Spinning the Golden Record: Interstellar Miscommunication at 16-2/3 RPM. International Space Development Conference. Los Angeles, CA: National Space Society.

Wells-Jensen, S. B., & Meile, J. (2018, May). Inclusion of Disabled People in Early Colonization: A Case for Improved Survival. International Space Development Conference. Los Angeles, CA: National Space Society.

Wells-Jensen, S. B. (2018, April). How Would Blind Scientists Discover the Stars? Reimagining Basic Scientific Progress. Society for Disability Studies Conference.

Wells-Jensen, S. B. (2018, April). Things You Didn’t See because You Were Looking: Blind Aliens, Science and Interspecies Miscommunication. Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology (SoCia) Conference. University of Nevada, Reno.

Wells-Jensen, S. B. (2018, March). Imagining Life on other Planets; Reimagining Life on Earth. ICS Fellows Lecture. BGSU Planetarium: Institute for the Study of Culture and Society (ICS).

Select Recent Media References

“How Could We Decode a Message from Extraterrestrials?” Forbes by Elizabeth Fernandez, July 21, 2019

“They Learned a New Language – And then Discovered a Whole New World Online” MEL by Quinn Myers, June 2019

“It’s Time to Rethink Who’s Best Suited for Space Travel” Wired by Rose Eveleth, Jan. 27, 2019

 “Why Kids May Be the Key to Communicating with Alien Life” Slate by Kate Morgan, July 12, 2018

“How to Talk with Aliens” Science Friday Podcast Interview with Christopher Intagliata, Apr. 13, 2018

“What ‘Arrival’ Got Right about Communicating with Space Aliens” NBC MACH interview with Denise Chow, July 6, 2018

“How to Communicate with Aliens” Smithsonian’s Air & Space by Dirk Schulze-Makuch, May 31, 2018

“NASA’s Golden Record May Baffle Alien Life, Say Researchers” The Guardian by Ian Sample, May 26, 2018

“What Linguistics Can Tell Us about Talking to Aliens” Scientific American by Adam Mann, Oct. 9, 2018

Updated: 06/29/2026 02:56PM