Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Phone: 828-227-3279
Email: hambrecht@wcu.edu
Office Address: HHS 103
Education:
- Ph.D., Kent State University, 1982
- M.A., Western Illinois University, 1975
- B.S., Bowling Green State University, 1974
Biography:
I am a professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Western. I so enjoy living in the mountains. Prior to coming to North Carolina, I spent 52 years living “flat.” I was born and raised in Ohio. I started out near the Cleveland zoo and spent some time in Medina and Hinckley (known for its buzzards).
I did my undergraduate degree at Bowling Green State University and my doctorate at Kent State University. I strayed from Ohio for my masters at Western Illinois University and took my first job as a county SLP in an area education agency in Creston, Iowa.
I have spent over 30 years doing university teaching first at Indiana State University and more recently here at W.C.U. I teach a variety of classes. On the undergraduate level I enjoy helping students learn to transcribe phonetically (CSD 370), obtain an introduction to speech-language disorders in children (CSD 477), and examine measurement procedures (CSD 421). At the graduate level I teach Articulation and Phonology (CSD 662), Language Disorders – School Aged (CSD 448), Research in Communication Disorders (CSD 642), Professional Issues in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD 630), and Seminar II in Severe Disabilities (CSD 794). I strive to make each class a unique teaching-learning experience.
My research interests involve Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), evidence based practice using single-subject design, and assessment and treatment of children including those with a significant dual hearing and vision disorder. I recently co-authored a text book with Dr. Tracie Rice titled Clinical Observation – A Guide for Students in Speech, Language, and Hearing (2011) which allowed us to put many of our clinical suggestions in writing . I also regularly mentor and co-present with students from the program at the American Speech Language and Hearing Association Convention each November.
Western’s campus is a great place to take lunchtime walks and experience the joy
of fresh air and beautiful surroundings. Come join me on my noon trek.