The American Academy of Audiology (AAA) announced that Christine Yoshinaga-Itano, Ph.D., received the Jerger Career Award for Research in Audiology.  She will be honored at the Academy Honors and Awards Banquet in April during the Audiology NOW! Conference to be held in Anaheim, CA.

The Jerger Award "is given to a senior level audiologist with a distinguished career in audiology. Candidates must be members of the Academy, have at least 25 years of research productivity in audiology, as well as have made significant contributions to the practice and/or teaching of audiology."  

According the their website, "The AAA was founded in January of 1988 when a group of audiology leaders met at the invitation of Dr. James Jerger at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. The purpose of the study group was to establish an independent, freestanding national organization run by and for audiologists."

As of Fall 2012, Christie is serving as interim Chair of SLHS while Dr. Gail Ramsberger is on sabbatical leave. In addition to her Professorship in Audiology at SLHS, Christie also serves the Institute of Cognitive Science and the Center for Neurosciences at CU. She also teaches at the Dept. of Otolaryngology & Audiology at the CU-Denver campus and is involved in research at the Marion Downs Center. Her current special projects include working in early screening and intervention for children with autism and deafness and working with audiology students on infant speech discrimination.  

Staff and faculty at SLHS recently gathered to celebrate Brenda Dowell's 30 years of solid service to SLHS.

Brenda is currently the Assistant to the SLHS Chair. She began in 1982 and continues to provide valuable assistance to this day, not to mention that she probably has more historical knowledge of the department than most. She has seen legions of students, faculty, and clients pass through the department doors. She processes all payroll and accounting for the department and handles any issues related to faculty, including appointment, promotion, and tenure. Brenda was a recipient of the CU Chancellor’s Employee of the Year award (2005).

Brenda's hometown is Longmont, CO. She graduated from Niwot High School and went on to study accounting at Front Range Community College.  She currently lives in Erie, CO and is a proud wife, mother of 2 daughters and grandmother to grandson Jordan. 

CONGRATULATIONS BRENDA! We wish you many more satisfying years to come!

(update) Tonight our own Becky Roser, '75 receives a CU Alumni Recognition Award!

Becky is a CU alumni and former CU SLHS (CDSS) Department Clinical Supervisor and Director. She served on multiple advisory boards & committees at CU for the past three decades. Becky provided services in Denver, Adams, and El Paso Counties (DPS) from 1967 to 1974, then became a Doctoral student/Speech-Language trainee at the VA Medical Center for a year. She served as Chair for the Political Action Committee of the Colorado Speech-Language-Hearing Association and volunteer lobbyist at the Colorado Legislature in 1975. For her good work, she received an Outstanding Service Award from the Colorado Speech-Language-Hearing Association that same year.

From 1975 to 1978 Becky was Director of Speech and Hearing Services at the Mercy Medical Center in Denver and then became Clinical supervisor and Director of Clinical Services at the University of Colorado Boulder – Communication Disorders and Speech Science (then CDSS) from 1978 to 1988. Her responsibilities included budgeting and fund-raising for the comprehensive Speech and Hearing clinic on the Boulder Campus. She established a fifteen member citizen advisory board; coordinated or supervised graduate students in clinical practicum both on and off-campus and taught courses and supervised students in diagnostic and treatment services. With her husband Jim Roser, Becky helped to conceive and oversee the Roser Visiting Artist Program at CU. The Rosers also provided major support for the Alliance for Technology, Learning and Society Program (ATLAS) where Becky serves as a board member. 

Becky will be honored at the 83rd Annual Alumni Association Awards Ceremony Thursday, November 1, 2012 when the CU Alumni Association will showcase this year's winners and honor all previous award winners during the Back to Boulder Weekend/Homecoming Celebration. 

Congratulations Becky!

Recently our own Dr. Nicole Davis, '06, was appointed Associate Director of the Vanderbilt Reading Clinic, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The clinic serves students in grades K – 8, who are behind in reading or have learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, or intellectual disabilities. Nikki also serves as Research Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences; and Associate Director of the Education and Brain Sciences Lab. “Nikki has a tremendous passion for children with reading difficulties and their families stemming from her experiences with members of her family,” said Laurie Cutting, Ph.D., (Patricia And Rodes Hart Associate Professor of Special Education and Associate Professor of Psychology, Radiology, and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt). “This passion, combined with clinical and educational background, provides her with the outstanding knowledge necessary to ensure that the Clinic will continue to grow in capabilities and services to our community. Nikki comes to us with a wealth of knowledge about child development and Vanderbilt.” 

More about Nikki and her work in our current SLHS Alumni Spotlights 

Pro-Ed has just released a new book by Patty (Ogrodnick) Walton titled Fun with Fluency for the School-Age Child. It is focused on students ages 7- 12 and provides a step-by-step treatment process for clinicians. 

From Pro-Ed:

Congratulations Patty!

Congratulations to our 2012, Colorado Scottish Rite Scholarship recipients, Ms. Madison Atkins and Ms. Cheryl Schaller, both graduate scholars in their second year as MA-SLP scholars in SLHS. We are so very grateful to the Scottish Rite Foundation of Colorado that has provided this $5,000 award to selected SLHS graduate students each year since 2005, in the name and memory of Dwight A. Hamilton, a former Sovereign Grand Inspector General and President of the Foundation. 

Former alumni who have received this scholarship include:

Joni M. Oldroyd University of Colorado 2005

Rachael E. Glustrom University of Colorado 2005

Amy M. Mulligan University of Colorado 2006

Laura M. Wilson University of Colorado 2006

Danielle K. Cavallaro University of Colorado 2007

Amanda Vargo University of Colorado, 2007

Jennifer M. Leggette University of Colorado, 2008

Kimberly A. Turner University of Colorado 2009

Meghan K. Fitzgerald University of Colorado 2009

Rebecca L. McNeil University of Colorado 2010

Hannah L. Shippey University of Colorado 2010

Jocelyn R. Essler University of Colorado 2011

Loriann Schwartz University of Colorado, 2011

Ms. Melissa Klaer, another SLP graduate student has also been recognized as a Hilburn Scholar, a national scholarship in speech-language pathology offered by the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern Jurisdiction. This scholarship is known as the Sam and Millie Hilburn Scholarship in the field of Childhood Language Disorders.

Rebecca L. McNeil University of Colorado 2010

Christina D. Wilkins University of Colorado, 2010

These students were chosen from an applicant pool of exemplary students because they have excelled in scholarship and demonstrate excellence and promise in clinical practice and they want to work with children with communication challenges in Colorado. Each will receive recognition at the Scottish Rite Temple on September 17^th, 2012.

CSHA Foundation News: Congratulations to Ms. Cheryl Schaller who was recently awarded the Elizabeth Jancocek Scholarship Award from the Colorado Speech Language and Hearing Foundation. We are so excited that one of our own received this recognition, given Betty is a beloved member of our faculty whose main concern now is enjoying her grandchildren and traveling the world given her retirement from SLHS. This award is given in recognition of excellence from the Foundation in Dr. Jancocek’s name. Congratulations Cheryl!  

In addition to traditional news and updates, CU Boulder's group Facebook page has been reaching out to citizens who may have been affected by the Colorado fires or the recent shooting disaster.

Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano's notice appeared yesterday "...we extend our thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims of the shootings in Aurora. We are offering counseling resources to those in our campus community who might be impacted by this tragedy through our Office of Victim Assistance at 303-492-8855 or assist@colorado.edu and through Wardenburg Health Center on the campus at 303-492-5654 or at healthcenter@colorado.edu"

For other notices and updates visit the CU-Boulder Facebook site.

CSHA recently announced that Colorado House Bill 1303 was signed into law by Governor John Hickenlooper. See the actual bill HERE. You can also see a timeline of the bill from it's initial proposal to signing by the Governor. The Voting Record of the State House and Senate is also online.

According to CSHA, the law requires speech-language pathologists practicing outside of the public school system to obtain state certification in order to practice speech-language pathology in Colorado.  Minimal requirements for state certification include: 1) Masters degree or higher in communication sciences and disorders, 2) successful completion of a clinical fellowship and 3) passage of the national exam in speech-language pathology.

 Over the summer, members of CSHA's BOD will meet with representatives from the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) regarding the drafting of rules, next steps and timelines for implementation. See a photo of the bill signing HERE or visit CSHA's Facebook site for more information. 

Recently I had the distinct pleasure of revisiting the SLHS Department. As usual, the place was humming! I was greeted by SLHS Chair Gail Ramsberger and she accompanied me through areas of the building familiar and renewing to me. She had some exciting updates: 

Gail: It’s been another extraordinary year in SLHS. Recently nearly 100 students graduated with their BA, MA, AUD or PHD degrees. This includes the largest undergraduate class in SLHS history! Undergraduates are certainly drawn to the discipline because of the employment prospects, but I also think SLHS faculty have been doing an amazing job teaching our undergraduate students. Students selected Assistant Professor Neeraja Sadagopan (for the third time in four years) as the 2012 SLHS Faculty Member of the Year. She is truly an amazing teacher and she teaches one of the most challenging undergraduate courses in the curriculum. It’s wonderful that students appreciate good teaching even when they must work really hard. Its teachers like Professor Sadagopan who are attracting and retaining students to the SLHS major. 

SLHS will undergo University Program Review next year and reaccreditation by ASHA’s Council on Academic Accreditation in the following year.  These two processes help to determine future resource allocations, as well as provide faculty with justification for maintaining and changing specific aspects of our academic programs.  As part of both review processes, it is very valuable to have letters from alumni that address the strengths (and weaknesses) of their academic experience.  Letters from alumni who completed their SLHS degree within the last 5 years or so are especially appreciated. Letters should be addressed to Gail Ramsberger, Sc.D., Chair and Associate Professor, UCB 409, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0409.   

< In the clinic reception area, students were enthusiastically greeting visitors and clients. I was impressed with their energy and assistance. Many thanks to Ryan Armstrong (left), Clinic Center Assistant, for nabbing and maintaining a parking spot for me. 

Traveling around to the north hall, we found Susan Moore (right) diligently working on a grant (one of "thousands" she has written, many successfully granted). Sue is Director of Clinical Education and Services, directs the Speech, Language and Hearing Center and is a member of the graduate faculty. She shared a message for all alumni: I hope all of your are well and thriving--Come back and visit us!  >

< Heading up to Gail’s office I saw a very familiar face, Chair Assistant Brenda Dowell, (left) who was busy managing her office. She has been with SLHS/CDSS for 30-plus years serving faculty and students well!  She received a well-deserved Chancellor's Employee of the Year Award in 2005.

I wandered down to the CLC, my old stomping ground (director from 1982-1986). I found Amy Thrasher,  Clinical Assistant Professor, and her staff busily engaged with the children…a good place to be when you want your spirits raised! I was greeted by a young man (right) and found Amy in the midst of children, parents and student clinicians doing what they do best....interacting with children in an array of language activities, reading, singing, learning language indoors and out...I was there for less than 30 minutes and the variety was impressive!

Summer 2012 clinical activities will include family education and coaching for families of children with Down syndrome ages birth to 3 to support interaction and communication development. Family meetings on Friday mornings will include discussion and practice in communication enhancing strategies, coaching through the review of video of interactions at home, and information about local resources and opportunities. (Children are not present during family meetings.) Scottish Rite Funding is available for families. 

Here's photographic evidence of the high energy one always finds in the Child Language Center--a welcome deja vue! 

CLC IN FULL TILT!

< I walked upstairs looking for new "subjects" and ran into Amy Dodd, (left) M.A., CCC-SLP, a Professional Research Assistant who has been working in SLHS since January of 1993. Research projects she's currently involved with are Speech and Language Development in the Deaf Child of Hearing Parents and the National Early Childhood Assessment Project.

I also met faculty member Willie Moers (right), who has taught all levels of American Sign Language for over a decade at SLHS including an anthropological course titled Ethnography of the American Deaf Community. Willie graduated from Gallaudet University and brings a rich background and knowledge base from the deaf community to SLHS. >

< It was a treat to see Peter Ramig (left) who was in the Department when I worked there. Peter related that he is paring down on activities. He is working on a couple of invited book chapters and presenting workshops to professionals on the treatment and research of stuttering in children and adults. If that's "paring down" you can imagine the level of his productivity over his years at SLHS/CDSS. His writings include numerous research articles and chapters on stuttering including The Child and Adolescent Stuttering Treatment  and Activity Resource Guide, co-authored with Darrell Dodge, and Practical Therapy Strategies for Working More Effectively with Children and Teens Who Stutter.  He has also been involved with a team of researchers-clinicians from various universities that developed numerous professional training videos and DVD's on stuttering treatment.  

< While in an upstairs hallway, I was pleasantly surprised when a student approached me to find out what I was doing. I loved Leslie Grush's curiosity and the opportunity to visit with her. Leslie (right) is a degree candidate in audiology and filled me in on the Student Academy of Audiology (SAA). The SAA is a national student organization that advances the rights, interests, and welfare of audiology students and the public they serve. Amy will serve as SAA Treasurer next year. She showed me a map (left) showing SAA's international membership. For more information check out SAA's about us page. Thanks Leslie, it was a pleasure to meet you! Good luck with your SAA duties next year.

Anne Hyde-Smith (right) was in her office, another familiar space to me. Anne is Director of the Child Learning Center and will be taking a leave of absence to provide assistance to her mother. As an experienced preschool teacher and specialist in language assessment and intervention, Anne brings needed expertise to the CLC. Last year she published an article titled Pathways to the Assessment of Learning: A Family-Centered Culturally Responsive Approach to Transdisciplinary Assessment in Early Childhood with Susan Moore, Camilla Pratt and Rosemary McKnight in an ASHA Special Interest Group Journal, Perspectives on Language Learning & Education.

< I was fortunate to bump into Brenda Schick, who invited me to visit her class in the early afternoon. Dr. Schick studies the development of signed and spoken languages as well as its' relationship to cognition in deaf children. She was teaching a doctoral graduate course in audiology that afternoon and the students tolerated my interruption with a wave to the camera! 

< I worked my way back to bottom floor to see some individual therapy sessions that Kathy Hardin '04 had graciously invited me to observe. Kathy is a Clinical Assistant  Professor who oversees clinical services to older adolescents and adults with neurogenic disorders. Her areas of specialization include post-concussive syndrome, moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, stroke, dementia, and the cognitive changes associated with cancer.

Student Clinicians Megan Findley and Mary Ervin were working with Jim who has aphasia. Jim was enthusiastically engaged with his clinicians and didn't mind the presence of the camera whatsoever. Jim and his clinicians' energy was contagious! >

< In another therapy room down the hall, student clinician Molly Madison, also supervised by Kathy Hardin, was working with an equally enthusiastic client, Sheryl. They were engaged in a well planned session designed to help Sheryl's language and recall in her post-stroke therapy.