When she is not busy with scholarly activities, she is also volunteering in professional organizations. She has been an active volunteer for several committees at the Academy including the Publications Committee, Political Action Committee, chair of the Quality Measures sub-committee, and most recently Public Relations and Outreach Committees. She has also been an active member and is currently serving on the board of the American Balance Society.

She told us she stays in touch will fellow alumni,  “Absolutely!, she told us, I try to stay in touch with Al, Mel, Becky, and Denise as often as I can – definitely not as often as I’d like since we’re practicing in different states. We do get the chance to meet up at conventions and they’re always quick to help out on a tough case.”

What about Jamie’s next pursuits? “So many things!, Jamie replied, “My main focus is in vestibular research, specifically related to the gravity reflex pathways. Better understanding these reflexes is important for many conditions, but especially for those with motion sensitivity and central vestibulopathies such as migraine and concussion.” 

We asked Jamie about her passions. There were many,  “I am fortunate to have a wonderful work life that gives me the ability to practice clinically, develop research lines, and educate student clinicians. Balancing work and “play” is important though, and I do have hobbies to keep me occupied when not at work. When I can, I enjoy traveling, crocheting, and playing with my puppy.” 

Browse through Jamie's photos below, a wonderful reflection of that balance.

"Annual AAS gathering with some of my favorite people:

Annette Mazevski (Sam’s baby), myself, Samantha Kleindienst, Chris Zalewski"

"CU reunion at Mel’s wedding:

Allison Cunningham Smith, Melissa Garafalo Culmer, Becky Nelson Awad, myself"

"What else should you do with a used poster?

Sumit Dhar, Niall Klyn, Samantha Kleindienst, myself, Don Nielsen"

Emily Nauman graduated from SLHS with a Bachelor's degree in December of 2012 and earned her Master's in May of 2015. Emily had always been interested in pursuing a degree and profession that helps people. She credits her studies at SLHS for her solid foundation and experience in our field: 

I was provided with rigorous but relevant academic courses, projects, assessments and clinical experiences. One of the best and most challenging learning experiences for me was going through oral and written comprehensive exams. We were presented with 4 case studies, each containing a past history and diagnostic scores from various assessments. In our exams, we were to determine a diagnosis based on the provided scores and develop an evidence based treatment plan. We picked one case study to write about and then orally defend to a panel of 4 professors, but we also had to know about the other 3 other case studies as our panel could ask any question they liked about diagnosis and treatment plan for them. While this process was intense, it truly reflected knowledge and skills an SLP needs in every day situations. We must gather information about a patient's background and past medical history, we must select the appropriate assessments to gain the right information needed to make an accurate diagnosis. We must then interpret the scores of the assessment and develop an evidence based treatment plan. No matter what setting an SLP works in, these are the foundational elements to every day patient care. 

As an undergrad, I completed the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant SLPA internship program. This program is what made me decide to pursue my Master's Degree in speech language pathology. While I had learned foundational knowledge needed to understand speech and language disorders in the classroom, it was during my SLPA internship that I saw my learning come alive. I experienced first-hand how a SLP could so tangibly help people of all ages in the basic right of communication.

Emily is currently a speech language pathologist at National Jewish Health (NJH) in Rehabilitation Services.

As a member of a team at NJH, one area I'm truly passionate about is researching and creating innovative assessment and treatment for Exercise Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (EILO), also known as exercise induced Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion (PVFM). For those who may not be familiar, EILO is s a common condition characterized by the throat paradoxically closing during exercise. EILO can dramatically increase breathing difficulty and diminish athletic performance. I have the opportunity to work alongside amazing SLPs (many whom are CU graduates) and doctors at National Jewish Health in Denver, CO. Working together, we are researching this disease and developing more effective diagnostics and novel treatment techniques to treat this disease. It is so exciting to be a part of groundbreaking research and treatment in this area of speech pathology. 

Emily observes that EILO is not well understood. She and her team want to change that.

What we are finding in our research at NJH is that many patients who have EILO do not get better with traditional treatment methods. Traditional treatment methods can include pursed lip breathing techniques, vocal exercises and relaxation techniques, /s/, /f/ or /sh/ breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, etc. Many patients who trigger during high intensity exercise do not experience any benefit with these methods and therefore are prone to being left untreated. This not only leads patients to frustration over their untreated condition, but also clinicians. As SLPs, we want the best for our patients. We want our patients to get better, so the question we are attempting to answer is "What do you do when your patient isn't getting better?" Dr. Olin at NJH has developed a new breathing technique called The Olin EILOBI Breathing Technique. EILOBI stands for exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction biphasic inspiration. 

The EILOBI is a breathing technique patient's can use during high intensity exercise to prevent and/or manage EILO. In our research study, we had 64 subjects who failed conventional therapy. Most of these patients competed at the high school varsity level evaluated our techniques and teaching process. We found that about 80% of the subjects positively evaluated the teaching process and were able to use the techniques during their activity of choice, and about 2/3rds of the subjects perceived clinical effectiveness by using the technique. While this technique is innovative and appears to be a promising therapy approach, it is very complex to learn because the techniques are not intuitive or natural. Only by multiple sessions of intensive learning with providers can patients learn and breathe comfortably during high intensity exercise. 

Focused research and passion has led Emily to publish and present research articles with co-workers, some who are also CU graduates.

This year I had the opportunity to co-author a research article with a few of my fabulous co-workers titled The Olin EILOBI Breathing Techniques: Description and Initial Case Series of Novel Respiratory Retraining Strategies for Athletes with Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction. Lead author Kristina Johnston, a fellow CU grad has been an incredible mentor for me throughout my clinical fellowship and career. Kristina has been working closely with Dr. Tod Olin in this area alongside another co-author and CU grad, Heather Hodges. 

Recently CBS News Denver featured a story (link) on the team's work. Their plan to make EILO better understood is working and Emily is not finished with her pursuits. She tells us that the team will continue to research and run trials of the innovative breathing technique with the patients they see at NJH. In addition, Emily was provided with an opportunity to present their new research and innovative breathing technique at the 2017 Fall Voice Conference in Washington D.C . "This conference is primarily held for speech language pathologists and laryngologists throughout the United States. It was a great honor to be able to present this new information to fellow clinicians and nationally known laryngologists." Emily and the team plans to extend their research on EILOBI breathing technique by adding a novel method of using direct visualization of the larynx during exercise as a means of biofeedback. They hope to teach other SLPs around the nation about this breathing technique so they can start helping their patients who are not responding to traditional therapy for EILO. Emily tells us, “Stay tuned for more exciting developments!” 

Our CU alumni are well represented at NJH and Emily is happy to continue relationships will fellow alumnae Kristina Johnston and Heather (Gustafson) Hodges (photo left: Kristina, Heather and Emily are pictured right and former NJ employees and CU graduates Julie Bergquist in the middle and Hillary Ligon (Lisi) on left. Emily tells us that she has many other CU friends who are in the schools and other hospitals in Denver, such as Craig Hospital. SLHS is well represented in our state! 

Outside of work, Emily loves to spend time with friends and family. “I greatly enjoy running, hiking and fly fishing. I often spend my weekends in the mountains with my husband finding new streams to fish or hiking trails to wander. I also enjoy a good book and a glass of wine.” 

                                          Much continued success in all of your pursuits, Emily!

As we feature CU SLHS/CDSS graduates in our Inspiration Series, innovation and entrepreneurship are characteristic of our Alumni. Megan Berg ('15) is no exception. 

Megan spent 8 years as a polar science communicator before she walked into her first level SLHS class in 2012.

By Ally Carrillo, SLP 

When I graduated in 2014, I was lucky enough to have a position with fellow alumna, Marla Moore, and her Denver-based early intervention practice, Talking Together, Inc. During my time at CU Boulder, I loved forming relationships and bonds with clients and their families, and knew early on that I wanted to work directly with families. As graduation approached, I knew that Early Intervention (EI) was where I would thrive and be happiest as a new SLP. As it turned out, I would soon have an even closer connection to EI than I ever imagined.

My daughter, Nora, was born at 37 weeks in January of 2016, and appeared to be totally healthy and typical. Then, at 2 weeks old, during a 3 AM feeding, I noticed that she was breathing very fast. The next morning, Nora’s breathing rate hadn’t slowed, so we took her to Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. It turned out that her oxygen levels were very low, and we were admitted to the pediatric floor. Eighteen days later, after countless tests and procedures, Nora left the hospital with a Nissen fundoplication due to severe GERD, a g-tube due to aspiration, and on full-time oxygen due to lung disease from aspiration and central/obstructive apnea.  It was, needless to say, not expected, and a complete shock to our entire family. 

Thankfully, my amazing colleagues rallied around us, and we’ve had a truly wonderful experience as the recipients of EI services in our home. Our therapists (who include an outstanding occupational therapist, and an incredible infant mental health specialist), have not only provided concrete therapy strategies to help us meet our goals, but have also been pillars of support, kindness, and understanding for our family. As a result, Nora has healed, thrived, and continues to amaze us everyday. Additionally, my experience as a parent in EI has shifted how I conduct therapy in the home, and specifically how I support families.

For one, I no longer tell parents, “That’s really common,” when they tell me a concern or worry that they have that is typical for that age or for a certain delay or diagnosis. I always said this as a way to alleviate and reassure them, and although I still think knowing that you’re not alone can be very helpful and comforting, I also now know how dismissive those words can come across. Whenever a doctor or nurse would tell me that one of Nora’s problems was “very common,” I felt like my worries and fears weren’t being validated. Now, when I’m working with families, and they share something that I see a lot of other children and families struggle with, I’ll say “That’s really common, but that doesn’t make it easy.” I’ve had parents look at me, nod, and say, “Right? I’m glad it’s not unusual, but it’s so hard!” I never want a family to feel like their feelings and worries aren’t valid or important, like I did.

Also, I now try to acknowledge and be aware of how hard seemingly normal or everyday parenting activities and tasks can be for the families I work with. Whether it’s due to “only” an expressive language delay, or a more complex array of problems like Nora had, there is an intense and constant weight that comes with having a child with any kind of special need. Taking my baby anywhere required a very heavy backpack with oxygen, a backpack with a feeding pump, extra medical supplies, and everything else that a new mom carries around for a newborn! It was exhausting, and, when I did get the courage and energy to leave the house, I had more than one experience with strangers staring and/or saying hurtful things to us. A more recent task that reminded me how hard this still is: the simple act of filling out paperwork at Nora’s first dentist appointment.  Having to list her medical history, and her delays, and not having enough room to fit it all in the provided space… it was mentally and emotionally draining.  Even now, after Nora has made tremendous progress, and is off of her feeding tube (!!), she still has delays in gross motor and speech. When we go out to the playground or library, I dread other caregivers asking me, “How old is your baby?”  Oftentimes, Nora will be sitting quietly, or crawling around on hands and knees, while the other kids are running and labeling all that they see, and others will assume that my daughter is younger than their child.  In actuality, she’s either the same age, or even a month (or several months) older. The awkward silence that so often follows this exchange, or the caregiver patting my shoulder and saying, “Well, all kids develop at their own pace,” can ruin a perfectly nice visit to the park.I never really considered these situations and interactions, or the emotional toll they can take on a parent, when I was an EI therapist before Nora, especially for my clients who were “just late talkers.” So I now make sure to check-in with caregivers more often about how they’re feeling, and how it is being a family in early intervention. I don’t assume that every caregiver feels the same weight as me, but I’m now more mindful about giving families a safe space to share any struggles or feelings they’re having, if they choose.

 At 19 months old, Nora is now a happy, silly, and hilarious toddler. She’s a new, slightly unsteady walker, and she’s getting more and more confident each day. She’s using almost 70 signs, and is trying new words and sounds on a regular basis. She eats and drinks everything by mouth, and loves hemp milk (such a Colorado girl), grapes, watermelon, yogurt, peas, and crackers. Her best friend is her giraffe lovey, Norman, and she will have him give you high-fives if given the chance. Sleeping alone is NOT a current strength of hers, but all things considered, we’re ok accommodating that challenge right now.  I hope to bring the same comfort, hope, and support to the families I work with that our own EI therapists have given to us. Although I never thought this would be my journey, it has taught, and continues to teach me, how to be the best SLP, and mama, I can be.  

Thank you for your outstanding inspiration, Ally and Nora! 

Here's a perfect Spring story for the second in our Alumni Inspiration Series. We're pleased to introduce two CDSS [SLHS] alumni who met and fell in love in our favorite building on our favorite hill overlooking our favorite campus. Meet Ben and Janet Gleason. We have their story straight from one-half of the lucky union, fellow alum Janet (Blessinger) Gleason, '97. 

"I have found my calling." This is how Julie Bergquist feels about her current service to families as a dedicated SLP and DONA  International (Doula Organization of North America) Certified postpartum doula. Julie graduated in 2006 from SLHS with an MA. In her previous work, she primarily served voice and swallowing patients for 8 years at National Jewish Health. Prior to that, she worked in the public schools for 3 years. After experiencing a wide age-range, her passion for newborns and families emerged. 

Julie currently provides restorative postpartum care, education, referrals and support to families of newborns. She related to us that she is "...currently going into the home setting, working with families during the postpartum period, supporting infant feeding, both in lactation and alternate feeding methods including syringe, cup, and bottle feeding." 

Julie explained what truly inspires her work: "I support mamas who are struggling to feed multiples using both breast and/or bottle, mamas who are having breast health issues and/or supply issues, guide families through their babies' tethered oral tissue challenges, teach paced bottle feeding, connect these families to other local professionals including IBCLCs (International Board Certified Lactation Consultants), mental health providers, pediatric dentists, feeding therapists, etc. to support their feeding challenges that go beyond my expertise, and the list goes on.  

It was time for another visit to SLHS on behalf of fellow alumni for an annual update. Rest assured, fellow alumni, that the Department continues to make us proud! Currently, Professor Anu Sharma, PhD in Audiology, is serving as Interim Department Chair. She follows Dr. Gail Ramsberger as chair. Gail continues her work in adult neurogenic disorders of communication in addition to her teaching positions. Both professors have held watch over exciting developments in the Department during their time as Chair. 

Last year, interior upgrades were done to the clinic entrance and the clinic is very welcoming upon arrival. You can see a portion of the Departments faculty and staff on our lovely campus trees in autumn.

After checking in and greeting one of my favorite familiar faces, Brenda Dowell, Assistant to the SLHS Chair, I headed downstairs to a favorite place, the Child Learning Center. Affectionately known as the CLC, the Center has been a resource for our community for over forty years, providing intervention services for children with needs along with their typical peers in a play-based educational setting. Before joining the staff and kids outside, I went back upstairs and managed to catch Amy Thrasher (left) in her office. Currently on break, Amy serves as clinical faculty in the Toddler Group and Preschool programs of the Child Learning Center. She developed a program for young children with autism focusing on joint attention and peer interaction through the use of storybook reading and video modeling, Story of Friendship. In collaboration with the Temple Grandin School, Amy also developed a social communication intervention program for adolescents with autism and similar learning profiles using coaching and video self-review, Perspectives. Amy also leads a family education and support group during the summers for families of young children with Down syndrome, Early Circles as part of CLC services. 

Amy encouraged me to meet new CLC staff including Early Childhood Specialist and current CLC Director, LJ Werner, along with another familiar face from INREAL days …Janine Randol, Clinical Faculty who skillfully manages the Toddler group. Jenny Koslowski is another able member of the CLC staff. Also present was OT, Kathy Keith who regularly consults with the SLPs. It was a treat to join the children and teachers in the back yard and as you can see by the photos below, the CLC was in full action mode.

We like to celebrate SLHS faculty as well as alumni by occasionally putting their work and goals in the spotlight. Anne Whitney took time from a busy transition to tell us about her current journey. Ask Anne about her retirement and you’ll find a renaissance in the making, a combination of professional and personal goals that relate to her passions.

Anne was at CU from 1992 on. She first came as a summer replacement supervisor and at the end of summer, Susan Moore asked her to stay on. Anne took a year’s leave of absence from Thompson R2-J School District and commuted from Ft. Collins for that year. She then stayed on the following summer and beyond. Anne tells us that she took a 2-year departure to work in the publishing world, but when that was over, Susan hired me back and I even had the same office and phone number.  

Anne made many valuable connections with community agencies in the area. Fortunately, some will continue. She gave us some background.

"While at CU, I developed a relationship with the Odyssey School at Centennial Peaks Psychiatric Hospital and we did all their academic and language evaluations for them for 7 years. We realized that 64% of the students (ages 8-16) had a never previously diagnosed language disorder and of that cohort, 81% had poor phonemic awareness and reading difficulties.  So, I began looking for a curriculum that could help them. I attended a Reading in the Rockies conference in Vail around 1995 where Jane Fell Greene spoke of her new curriculum called LANGUAGE ! that was for 4th-12th grade students with language and literacy issues. That started my passion for scientifically based reading interventions that continues to this day.  My stint in publishing was actually co-writing the 2nd edition of the LANGUAGE ! Curriculum. I was fortunate to meet some of the best movers and shakers in the world of dyslexia at that time and that launched me into working with Dr. Louisa Moats and becoming one of her national trainers for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS).  This is a professional development series of courses that I’ve trained in several states to both general education teachers and special education teachers. I’ve worked with Dr. Moats in writing LANGUAGE ! Live, the newest version of Jane Fell Greene’s original curriculum. Currently, I’m working with Dr. Moats in writing the 3rd Edition of LETRS.  I’ll continue with LETRS trainings during my retirement."

Looking back at her experience in the SLHS Department, Anne has some encouraging views.

Over the years of working in SLHS, I’ve seen the dichotomy between the academic faculty and the clinical faculty narrow. I believe that Dr. Ramsberger’s work to achieve recognition of clinical faculty with a career ladder of assistant, associate, and full professor certainly did a lot to help narrow the gap. I also appreciate the new young faculty members who have joined the department and their acceptance of clinical faculty as parallel peers.  Among the clinical faculty, I’ve appreciated the friendships and the caring we have for each other. This is a group who always has each other’s backs. Overall, the department has continued to develop a solid footing in the College of Arts & Sciences and the work of our researchers and clinic has been recognized internationally, nationally, and locally.

When asked about specific memories or stories, Anne tells us that, for her, they come down to her students and the enrichment they brought to her life. Anne’s creativity and connection with students is well known. 

I’m proud of our students and happy to maintain lifelong relationships with many of them. One memory I have is of the fall semester several years ago when the second year students were scrambling to turn in their Passion Papers, then the major part of the comprehensive examination. They had clinic, classes with midterms, and this paper all due around the same time in mid-October.  Stress levels were high. So, to break the stress, I arranged to take all the 2nd year students to a Corn Maze and then out to dinner. Letting loose in the cornfield was just what the students needed. I think there were a few that had trouble finding their way out again, but when it came time to head for dinner, they managed to appear. After a delicious Mexican food dinner and the appropriate beverages to go with Mexican food, the stress levels were reduced dramatically. That was a super fun time.

Another fun memory was the year that I had my usual Language Learning Disability diagnostic teams. Back in the day, the students would bring snacks for the clients and some of us to share in the observation room. This particular year, we had an incoming class of 39 so each team had 6 members. My two teams started to get competitive with each other on who could bring the best snacks. One team went with a little kid theme and make triangle peanut butter sandwiches, ants on a log, and juice boxes to drink. A second team went for a home baked theme. I can’t even remember what all they brought. But the winner for the year was the team that had a Mexican theme. They had a serape draped over the table, a large sombrero in the middle, guac and chips and other Mexican delights, but to top it off, they had fake margarita glasses and margaritas (virgin, of course)

A more recent memory was my last Salad Bar. At the end of each semester, on the last day of clinic, tradition dictates that we have a salad bar lunch together to celebrate the survival of the semester.  So, unbeknownst to me, at my last Salad Bar lunch this past spring, the students put on a fashion show for me.  You see, everyone else has CCCs that represent the Certificate of Clinical Competence. Mine, however, is for Color Coordinated Codependent. So my fashion show consisted of an array of students, both male and female, dressed from head to toe in each of the colors of the rainbow. They even carried matching purses or books that were in the same color family. How great was that?

In terms of inspiration, I’d have to say the many children and adults who have come back to tell our students and me how the work we did on reading changed their lives. One young man with dyslexia ended up going into the seminary, a field he wouldn’t have chosen were it not for his improved reading skills. Another young man started at SLHC when he was 14, had been homeschooled but was unable to read “cat, fat, sat.” He worked diligently with our students and was able to finally re-enter public school, was admitted to a vocational school, and finally started junior college. There are many, many more stories to tell, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell the best story of all, the story of Ian Weber (name used with permission). Many who read this will remember Ian from his early days in CLC all the way to his current lessons at SLHC on reading. Ian is an inspiration not only to me but also to every student who has worked with him. His constant cheerful mood, ‘can do’ attitude, ‘never give up’ spirit are qualities that inspire each student who has worked with him over the years. He makes slow but steady progress and is able to read at a low 2nd grade level now, a skill he’s proud of and proclaims, “That’s easy.” after mastering!  Ian gives back more than he knows and each year, when students write their Essential Learning Experiences for their portfolios, I look forward to reading how Ian has touched the lives of our students - because each year, his clinician chooses Ian to write about.

We wanted to know about Anne’s plans for the future. Here’s where we see that retirement equates with new exploration and opportunities. 

Probably the thing I’m most excited about in relation to literacy and dyslexia is the calming of the Reading Wars and more acceptance of code-based reading instruction as a necessary approach to reading for all students but especially for students with language learning disabilities and dyslexia. There’s more work to be done, but many states are now adopting dyslexia laws and have approved lists of curricula from which districts may choose. The professional development is improving as well. The focus on morphology that is the newest swing of the pendulum is very exciting and one I’ve been waiting for since the late 90s.

We learned that one of the things that drives Anne in our field are the career choices we have. “The beauty of this field is that it’s so diverse. There are so many avenues and career changes possible all without leaving the field that there’s no reason to ever get bored. Fortunately, this motivates her to stay connected to our field, “I’ll continue to write and to train teachers about literacy and struggling readers, writers, and spellers. I’ll probably do some diagnostics in my private practice. As for leisure time Anne told us that she hopes “to spend more time on the golf course and heavens knows, my game needs more practice. And I’d love to travel to see animals and take pictures of them in the wild.”

Many alumni know Anne in some capacity from her past 24 years at SLHS. She was recently honored by the department in a celebration at the CU Koenig Alumni Center.

Join us in congratulating Anne as she “retires” while continuing to be a vital part of our field as author, curriculum developer, practitioner, and respected colleague. 

There was standing room only at the ASHA 2015 CO/WYO reception, held at the Tivoli Student Center on the Auraria Campus. The event was planned and sponsored by our very own SLHS, along with Metropolitan State University of Denver SLHS, Audiology and Speech Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado, Division of Communication Disorders at the University of Wyoming, the Colorado Speech Language Association, and the Wyoming Speech Language Association. Lively conversation among faculty, students, and alumni was the order of the evening. Dr. Gail Ramsburger and other sponsoring administrators, including CU Alumni Mark Guilberson, now Director and Associate Professor of Early Childhood Language at the U. of Wyoming. SLHS Chair, Gail Ramsberger, who coordinated planning for the event and looks forward to more collaboration, said, It was great to see so many colleagues from Colorado and Wyoming and wonderful to hear how life has developed for our alums since leaving CU.  Denver seemed to be an outstanding venue for ASHA and I hope they bring it back so we can have a repeat of the Open House event in the not so distant future. 

WE AGREE....MANY THANKS TO ALL COLLABORATORS!

Congratulations to Dr. Rosemary J McKnight and Hannah Cuviello, students in the MA-SLP program in SLHS. Both been selected to receive very prestigious Graduate Student Scholarships from the American Speech Language Hearing Foundation.  Hannah and Rosemary will receive their awards at the ASHFoundation Founder’s Breakfast that takes place during the ASHA Convention in November

You are invited to an open house during ASHA. Join us!