CSD Faculty/Student visit Czech Republic

Dr. David Shapiro and five CSD graduate students traveled to the Czech Republic.  Click here to read story.

CSD WINS PRESTIGIOUS ACADEMIC PROGRAM OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) was selected as the 2010 recipient of WCU’s Academic Program of Excellence Award.  This award was established in 1986 and is given annually to an academic unit in recognition of sustained superior performance.  CSD was selected by a university committee from a field of six nominees.  The award was presented the Chancellor John Bardo who highlighted several CSD achievements over the past decade including two endowed professorships, an outstanding record of expressive scholarship, the receipt of over 2.5 million dollars in external support, and the provision of over 2,700 clinical sessions annually.  The award comes with a $10,000 cash prize.  Congrats to everyone associated with the Department!!

CSD faculty voted in the fall of 2010 to use some of its Academic Award of Excellence to support seed projects currently underway through the WCU Speech and Hearing Clinic.  These include Aphasia and Alzheimer’s treatment/support groups, a literacy camp at Cullowhee Valley School, and a social skills group for children on the autism spectrum.  Look here for updates about how award funds are expanding these and other exciting service activities.

Drs. Georgia Hambrecht and Tracie Rice have a book just published titled Clinical Observation in Speech, Language, and Hearing by Jones and Bartlett.  The book is written for the pre-clinical or early clinical student in speech language pathology.  The text  gives clear direction for guided observations so learners will have a better idea of what they may be observing, why it is relevant, and how observations serve as a building-block to their future role as clinicians.  

Dr. David Shapiro completed his second edition of Stuttering Intervention: A Collaborative Journey to Fluency Freedom.  The first edition of this book (1999) has found a broad national and international audience and is a frequent choice of professors teaching in the area of speech fluency and fluency disorders.  Dr. Shapiro, WCU’s first Robert Lee Madison Distinguished Professor, is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and a world renowned expert in stuttering. 

Ogletree, Hambrecht, and Shapiro Funded to Offer Personnel Preparation in Severe Disabilities

In August of 2008, Drs. Ogletree, Hambrecht, and Shapiro learned that their personnel preparation project in severe disabilities and autism was funded for a four-year cycle beginning January of 2009. The $786,219 award from the U.S. Department of Education will be used to fund students in WCU’s M.S. Program in Communication Sciences and Disorders and practicing speech-language pathologists in the field. Participants will receive stipends to take courses in severe disabilities and autism and will receive specialized clinical training. Appealing aspects of the project include a mentoring component to help participants share what they learn and the involvement of nationally recognized experts as instructors. 

MORE INTERESTING NEWS.....

• Linda Bowers, Clincal Associate Professor, received ASHA's ACE award for her continuing educaton efforts durig the 2010 year.
• Ronica Reid, second year graduate student from Charoltte, recently recieved a minority student fellowship from ASHA.  Her award will allow her to attend this year's ASHA convention in San Diego where she will meet other awardees and participate in a poster session.
• Second year grant students will present a poster session at the ASHA conventin tis fall detailing their work with WCU's Social Skills group for adolescents on the autism spectrum.  This group is led by Julie Ogletree and Jennifer Hinton and involves approximately 10 children.  Ben Stair and Ronica Reid will represent the grant students at the conference and will be assisted by Dr. Georgia Hambrecht.
• Dr. Georgia Hambrecht will be presenting a poster presentation at the ASHA convention in November.
• Bill Ogletree will conduct a two-day workshop for the NC Department of Public Instruction in Greensboro November 1st and 2nd.  He will speak about recommended communication assessment and intervention practices for persons with intellectual disabilities.  Dr. Ogletree will also be the Keynote speaker for the North Carolina Augmentative Communication Association annual meeting in February.
• David Shapiro participated in summer instruction in Utah this year assisting his colleague Dr. Ron Gilliam.  Dr. Shapiro will have an article out this fall and will also be presenting two papers at the ASHA convention in November.
• Emily Riddle, a year graduate student from Asheville, won 3rd place in ASHA's 2011 Student Ethics Contest.  This is the 3rd WCU student to place in this national competition for the past 3 years.