Tag: alumni

Threats’ career goal had family inspiration

Oct. 24, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Travis Threats was recently named one of the recipients of the Honors of Association from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Travis Threats had a clear inspiration for what he wanted to study: his brother.

Threats, who earned his master’s degree from the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in 1984, said he first observed speech therapy when he was eight years old.

“My younger brother, three years younger than me, is autistic,” Threats said. “Autism directly affects communication. Now, some people think, when they hear this, that it’s some beautiful inspirational story, and all of the speech therapists were great, and that’s why I wanted to be like them. Well, it’s the opposite. All the speech therapy in its early years was bad. The social work was bad. The teachers were bad. Even though (my brother) didn’t have any overt behavior issues, my parents would go to the doctor’s office, fill out the information, and the (pediatrician’s) nurse would come out to the waiting room, saying ‘He doesn’t see autistic children.’”

That interaction led Threats to the conclusion that “there was a need. All of my work has been with people in their actual lives because I realized there’s been a disconnect between therapists, and what goals they achieved, and what people with disabilities actual lives are like. For me, it’s a clear-cut (reason to study speech pathology).”

For his work and dedication to the profession, Threats—now professor and department chair of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at Saint Louis University—recently earned Honors of Association from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). It is the national organization’s highest honor.

Threats got his undergraduate degree at Kansas State University before coming to the University of Illinois for his master’s. At Illinois, he met a man who would have a profound effect on his career.

“I did decide I wanted to work with adults with acquired disorders,” Threats said. “And the person who taught that wasn’t a researcher: Dr. Robert Simpson. He was a very humane man, and he did talk about aphasia and strokes and all that from that broader viewpoint of what they do to people’s lives.”

Simpson, who died in 2019 at 93, was a professor of speech and hearing science at the University of Illinois and also served as director of the department’s speech and hearing clinic. He served on the facial deformity team at Carle Foundation Hospital and eventually was employed by Carle as a speech pathologist after retiring from the university.

“He wasn’t a researcher in a traditional sense,” Threats said. “But his teachings were very much a positive influence on me.”

The ASHA award Threats received recognizes exceptional contributors whose work has enhanced or altered the course of research in the field of speech, language and hearing sciences. In an association of more than 218,000 professionals, only a select number of individuals each year receive this prestigious award.

He understands its significance.

“Three of my professors at U of I have honors from the association. I do remember—as a Ph.D. student (at) Northwestern—going to the first ASHA conference and going to the awards ceremony. And these were the people who wrote the books that I was studying from. These were some of my alums at Northwestern—three or so of those people eventually got honors, too. My own advisor got honors the year I graduated. … I certainly didn’t at the time think that I would be one of those people.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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Student Spotlight: Kaley Graves, from patient to practitioner

Aug. 22, 2023 | Ethan Simmons

Audiology wasn’t initially Graves’ field of choice—she graduated from University of Illinois Springfield in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology

Third-year audiology doctoral student Kaley Graves is missing the first week of classes this fall, but she has a great excuse.

Thanks to her sterling accomplishments as a budding audiologist, she’s on an all-expenses-paid trip to visit one of the premier hearing aid manufacturers in the world: Oticon’s headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“I had to reread that email six times to make sure it said ‘Denmark’ and not ‘Denver, Colorado,’ or something,” Graves said. It’ll be her first time out of the United States.

Earlier this year, Graves was selected as one of six recipients of the American Academy of Audiology Foundation’s Empowering Student Scholarship, sponsored by Oticon and awarded to students who show “exceptional promise” as future clinical audiologists.

“I have hearing aids in both ears, so I’ve been the patient my entire life,” Graves said. “Now I’m on the other side of the booth and can be the clinician, which I think is so fun.”

Graves grew up in Monticello, Ill., a half-hour drive from the University of Illinois campus. Audiology wasn’t initially her field of choice—she graduated from University of Illinois Springfield in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

That career path didn’t fit, but Graves found her way into intriguing research projects that focused on hearing and visual cues. One of her undergraduate mentors encouraged her to apply for a behavioral neuroscience position at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, also in Springfield, where she studied the development of tinnitus in lab rats.

Graves went on to perform hearing research for a decade, but she craved more human connection on the job. A suggestion from her own doctor set Graves on her current course.

“I was admittedly kind of a pain in the butt to my current audiologist about all the things that she was constantly doing to my hearing aids and all of the things that she would do on a daily basis with her patients,” Graves said.

“And she eventually was like: ‘You should probably just get into this field. You’ve already got the hearing background, go deal with people—it’s more fun.” Graves’ mother was especially encouraging of her daughter’s new career path. When her parents first discovered their child had hearing loss, “it was terrifying,” Graves said.

“[My mom] said for patients, especially families that have young kids who are finding out their child has a hearing loss, it’s going to be huge for them to see their doctor has a hearing loss and can be successful in life.”

Today, Graves keeps busy as president of the Student Academy of Audiology chapter at Illinois. The registered student organization doubles as a networking site for SHS students and an outreach arm for the department.

A few events they’ve taken on: Hearing safety stand-ups at the Urbana’s Market at the Square, free hearing screenings in the SHS building, and recently, cerumen (earwax) removals for the ClarkLindsey Village retirement community.

Especially for older adults, earwax buildups can be a primary cause of muffled hearing, Graves said. Graves and another member of her graduate cohort cleared residents’ ears while a handful of first-year students in the audiology program cleaned their hearing aids.

“Being able to do a minimal amount of work over two hours to improve their quality of life was huge,” Graves said. “So many people left that room super happy.”

Her audiology work extends to Illinois’ student population as well. Graves has booked a hearing safety presentation in the fall for the student bandmates of the Marching Illini.

“The first thing that I’m really going to try and drive home to them is to please wear ear plugs when you’re out and constantly practicing,” Graves said. “We were taught first year what the acceptable levels of noise exposure are over X amount of time. If they’re out practicing for four hours and it’s about 90 decibels, they need to do something to mitigate the effects of those loud noises.”

For now, though, Graves is preparing her Denmark itinerary: visiting Tivoli Gardens, one of the world’s oldest amusement parks, and seeing the Danish Crown Jewels. “I’m super excited to go be a tourist,” she said.

Of course, she’s ready for her Oticon visit. “They do a lot of innovation, they do a lot of workshops, they do a lot of Ph.D. student type-things,” Graves said. “I am just really, really fascinated by what I’m going to see behind the scenes at their research center.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Ethan Simmons, email ecsimmon@illinois.edu.
 

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Student Spotlight: Charlie Nudelman, a trained ear

May 10, 2023 | Ethan Simmons

Nudelman was raised by a speech language pathologist: His mother

Charles Nudelman, right, with adviser Pasquale Bottalico

What comes to mind when you hear “professional voice-user?” Perhaps the image of an opera singer or a sports announcer pops in your head.

Ask Department of Speech and Hearing Science doctoral candidate Charles Nudelman, and he’ll conjure dozens of examples: Canvassers, radio DJs, telemarketers, clergy and lawyers are just a few of the professions who’ve come to him with vocal problems.

“The voice is something I feel like we take for granted—we wake up in the morning and expect everything to go fine,” Nudelman said. “If you’re relying on your voice for your job, hoarseness is going to get worse as you use it. And there’s a lot of costs related to that.”

After spending a year diagnosing voice issues in a clinical setting, 2019 SHS graduate Nudelman has returned to his alma mater to obtain his doctorate, focusing his research on preventing vocal disorders for the near-30 percent of adults who face them.

Nudelman, from Gurnee, Ill., was raised by a speech language pathologist: His mother. But he came to the University of Illinois with his major undeclared, initially hoping to veer from the course she traveled.

“I wanted to carve out my own path, but I ended up loving the classes and loving the faculty of (SHS),” Nudelman said. “That’s what drew me here to the U. of I., knowing regardless of the path I took I would have a really good education. And it was true.”

Under his advisor and friend SHS Associate Professor Pasquale Bottalico, Nudelman has become a decorated student researcher within the department, receiving the Phyllis Ariens Burkhead Memorial Fellowship and the Elaine Paden Award this spring.

And for his presentation at 2023’s “Research Live!,” where graduate students describe their own studies to a judge panel of high school juniors, he came away with the grand prize of $500.

From the start of his undergraduate experience, Nudelman was using his communication skills often, joining student radio and broadcasting Illinois athletics events through Big Ten Network’s Student U.

“It brought me to figure out what exactly is the voice, how does it work, what is this instrument we all have? And how can I make it better while I’m on TV? That’s a wormhole to itself, and I’m still living in it.”

Those questions brought him to SHS 301: General Speech Science, taught by then-first-year Assistant Professor Bottalico. Nudelman sat in the front row every lecture, taking copious notes. He quickly attached to Bottalico’s “distinct” teaching style, and gratefully accepted an invite to his lab.

For the better part of six years, the pair have worked “nonstop” on projects together, even when Nudelman left to obtain his master’s degree from the MGH Institute for Health Professions in Boston. Now back at the Illinois, he’s set to obtain his Ph.D. in 2025.

“The stars aligned, he’s an amazing mentor and friend and person,” Nudelman said. “He’s not only looking to open doors for me but any person who works with him.”

What’s “astonished” Bottalico about his mentee is how Nudelman has responded to escalating expectations with every new research project. Just one year into his Ph.D. program, Nudelman’s research output is already comparable to that of an advanced scholar, Bottalico said.

“I have a very high standard, it’s not easy to surprise me.” Bottalico said. “And Charlie has done it constantly since we met.”

Nudelman’s winning study for Research Live! took a close look at the vocal performance of teachers. He used a virtual reality headset to simulate various classroom environments for 30 schoolteachers, closely monitoring the acoustics of their voices.

What it showed: Teachers who spoke to virtual classrooms fuller with simulated students reported more vocal discomfort and fatigue, Nudelman said, while larger virtual classrooms negatively affected the teachers’ voice quality.

“I think it’s something to think about within classrooms when class sizes are only increasing and we want our teachers to be comfortable,” Nudelman said. “I guess I’m a proponent for smaller class sizes based on this study.”

He has his sights set on a career in academia, “hopefully being a mentor like Dr. Bottalico has been to me to as many students as I can,” he said. But the doctoral student finds fulfillment in making research accessible to the general public as well.

For example: Instead of clearing your throat before speaking, sip on some water. Avoid whispering — it’s worse for your voice than just talking. And if you’re speaking to a large group, use a microphone and take pauses to breathe to avoid hoarseness afterward.

It’s this brand of practical science that made Nudelman feel right at home at AHS.

“It doesn’t matter what AHS major you are, you’re working with people to improve their quality of life,” he said. “Even though we’re all doing different things, the goal is the same, and you can feel that whenever you’re interacting with anyone in this college.

“It’s a great place to come if you’re interested in helping people.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Ethan Simmons, email ecsimmon@illinois.edu.
 

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Serving the profession through mentorship

July 10, 2022 | Anna Flanagan

A CFY pairs a first-year practitioner with an experienced practitioner in a mentoring relationship designed to ease the transition between student and independent provider of clinical services

Theodora Papastratakos completed her master’s degree in 2015 and her CFY during the 2015-2016 school year, her first with Aldrin Elementary School in Schaumburg.
Theodora Papastratakos completed her master’s degree in 2015 and her CFY during the 2015-2016 school year, her first with Aldrin Elementary School in Schaumburg.

When students take on their first professional position after completing their master’s degrees in speech and hearing science with a focus on speech-language pathology, they must also begin what is called a Clinical Fellowship Year, or CFY, required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to earn the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). The CFY pairs a first-year practitioner with an experienced practitioner in a mentoring relationship designed to ease the transition between student and independent provider of clinical services.

Theodora Papastratakos completed her master’s degree in 2015 and her CFY during the 2015-2016 school year, her first with Aldrin Elementary School in Schaumburg.

“You dive right in, which is why you have a clinical fellowship supervisor,” she said. “It’s so different from being in graduate school and doing your clinical externships versus managing your own caseload. It’s a big leap.”

She found her own CFY experience positive, but also knew there were things she would have liked to change. During her first several years of practice at Aldrin Elementary, Theo felt she was still learning so much that she could not supervise a clinical fellowship. In the fall of 2021, the department head reached out to her to see if she’d be willing to supervise a new SLP who would be joining the school part time.

“I’d been practicing for seven years, and I think I realized that I do know a lot,” she said. “I was excited to share some of that knowledge with somebody coming into the field.”

She took the training course offered by ASHA and welcomed May 2021 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign SHS graduate Rachel Deichstetter to Aldrin Elementary as her first mentee. Some of Theo’s role involved just being available to Rachel to answer questions, walk her through district policies and procedures, and give feedback on her ideas.

“I would review her goals and the reports that she was writing and help her as needed,” Theo said. “I watched some of her therapy sessions and gave her feedback throughout the year. If she was experiencing something for the first time, I might help a little bit more. Toward the end of the year, she was practicing independently.”

Theo enjoyed assisting with Rachel’s transition from student to professional and working with someone fresh out of graduate school. “It was fun to see her gain more confidence throughout the year,” she said. “Sometimes when you’ve been practicing for a while, you get stuck in what you’re doing. Rachel brought fresh ideas and new ways of doing things.”

Theo will continue working at Aldrin Elementary while Rachel joins another school in the Schaumburg district for 2022-2023. “I’ll remain a resource for her in the future if she has questions or needs to bounce ideas off someone,” she said. She looks forward to her next opportunity to supervise a clinical fellow and mentor another budding speech-language pathologist into the profession.

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Oversen’s road to a Fulbright grant was paved by family

June 27, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Spanish was spoken in her childhood home

When she completes her Fulbright stay, Amanda Oversen plans on applying for graduate school

Amanda Oversen’s interest in linguistics has a very clear inspiration: her mom.

Oversen, a Speech and Hearing Science major who graduated in December 2021, was recently awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Spain. Her goal is to become a bilingual speech-language pathologist for elementary school-aged students.

That makes sense given her curiosity about languages, which she credits to her mother.

“My mom is from Honduras. She immigrated to the U.S. when she was 16. And interestingly enough, she moved to the U.S. because she wanted to learn English. She also has this curiosity about language, which I think kind of rubbed off on me,” Oversen said.

While in Spain, Oversen plans to learn Spanish Sign Language and connect with the local deaf community. She also is interested in how to cultivate cultural-linguistic diversity in the American school system.

“I think when we learn a different language, it opens up just so many doors,” she said. “You’re able to understand people on a different level. I find that really fascinating. I think a lot of that had to do with my mom growing up bilingual, too.”

Oversen, who is from Highland Park, Ill., served as a teaching assistant in the Child Development Laboratory in SHS, which amplified her desire to work with children.

“I loved how curious kids were, and how everything was new to them, how the tiniest thing—something that comes so commonly to adults—was mind-blowing to kids,” she said. “I just love the fascination that they had with things that adults take for granted. I think it would just be cool to help kids progress, and find confidence in their voice, despite the fact that they may have a speech or a language disorder.”

Picking Spain for her Fulbright application was an easy choice. Spanish was spoken in her childhood home, and she studied abroad in southern Granada during her sophomore year. Teaching in Spain has a family connection as well, as Oversen’s brother went there to teach English.

This time, Oversen will be stationed in the Canary Islands.

“The Canary Islands was never really on my radar, so when I found out I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s going to be quite an experience.’ I’ve never lived on an island before.”

Since graduation, Oversen has been working as an assistant teacher at an early childhood education center in Northbrook, Ill. When she completes her Fulbright stay, she plans on applying for graduate school, with the University of Illinois on the list.

“I’ve made kind of a master list of graduate schools. Almost all the schools are in Illinois, and a few out-of-state options. But I think I’d like to stay close to home, whether that be in Champaign or in Chicago.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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Alumni Spotlight—Megan-Brette Hamilton

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Jan. 05, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Alumni of the College of Applied Health Sciences have myriad career options thanks to the tremendous diversity of programs. We periodically will put the spotlight on an alum to find out what they’re doing now, what experiences they had and what AHS means to them. This week, we talk to Megan-Brette Hamilton, an SHS alum who is now an assistant professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at Auburn University.

Q: Why did you pick SHS?

A: I remember writing my personal statement in 2011 and, as you do, you write the first part as a general statement and then address a specific school for the latter part. As I was writing the latter part of my personal statement for University of Illinois, I realized how much the school aligned with what I was looking for; reputation, professors, university campus setting. It helped that my aunt, someone who had been in the field for decades before me, encouraged me to choose UIUC, and that both of my parents earned degrees from UIUC. Finally, I got advice from a professor at another university to choose my program according to the person I was going to work with for four plus years. And then I found (former SHS Associate Dept. Head) Laura DeThorne. I emailed her, she and I had a phone conversation and I became excited about the work she was doing in her lab and the idea of learning from her. After that, I was convinced I needed to go to AHS/SHS. From day 1, Dr. DeThorne was a strong advocate for me and as a result I received the Graduate College Distinguished Fellowship Award. To be honest, not having to pay for school, that also helped me make my decision.

Q: Which professors had the most impact on you?

A: As I mentioned before, Dr. DeThorne was an advocate for me from day 1. She wasn’t just my advisor, she was someone who valued my clinical background and my prior experience. We eventually formed a very strong friendship and collegial relationship, and we still collaborate. I also was impacted by Dr. Julie Hengst. Not only was she a committee member of mine for 2 of my projects, but because she also had an extensive clinical career before academia, she was able to speak to me in a way that disarmed me about leaving a job where I was a master clinician to re-learning how to be a student. Dr. Robin L. Jarrett was also someone who has had a huge impact on me. I worked in her lab in a different department across campus. In order for me to be the kind of researcher I am today, I needed to learn other ways of doing research from her perspective. The field of CSD often uses quantitative methods and is predominantly White. Working with Dr. Jarrett helped me to learn about qualitative methods from a sociological perspective and understand academia from someone like me, a Black woman, who also was a full professor. Finally, working with Dr. Cynthia Johnson made a long-lasting impact on me. She was a constant source of encouragement as a growing researcher and I learned first-hand from her about how our field and academia had changed throughout the years.

Q: What course did you most enjoy?

A: You have to remember that I earned a degree that allowed/encouraged me to explore classes in other departments. The way I look at my journey at that stage of my life was to take what I knew about my field in the 17 years I’d been in it and then add to it other content areas to enhance the impact I wanted to have on the field of CSD. All that to say, Language, Identity, and the Politics of Schooling taught by Dr. Anne Haas Dyson in the College of Education was a course I really enjoyed. I loved this course because it brought together all of the areas I was passionate about, language, culture, education, and communication. It was a class that wasn’t afraid to talk about race and class and dialects. And it used qualitative methods:) It reminded me why I decided to return to school at the ripe old age of 34, lol.

Q: Did you enter AHS knowing your career path, or did AHS help you decide?

A: As I mentioned earlier, I entered into the PhD program at age 34, after having had a first career as a practicing speech-language pathologist. I entered the program knowing that I was going to have three outcomes; 1) I was going to learn about some amazing content areas that I’d never been privy to, 2) I was going to learn how to do research, and 3) I was going to earn my doctorate. After that, I wasn’t sure what I’d do. I think being in the program prepared me well for my next steps even though I wasn’t sure what they’d be exactly. I ended up going into academia and constantly call myself “the accidental professor,” lol. I also didn’t know where my research focus would end up when I first started. I originally entered the program to study language processing differences with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience and ended up studying cultural-linguistic diversity with a focus on African American English. To be honest, being in the program helped me see a gap in our field that I could fill, so that’s what I’ve been working on ever since.

Q: Did your AHS experience lead to your current job?

A: Yes. I earned a doctorate from a research-intensive university in a department where I was taught how to do research and provided opportunities to teach and supervise. The skills I acquired in the program, including opportunities across departments and disciplines, allowed me to confidently apply for a tenure-track assistant professor position; which is my current job.

Q: What was your favorite on-campus experience?

A: As a daily enjoyment, I really loved working with my PhD classmates. We were from all different backgrounds and studied so many different areas of communication. We learned so much from each other about life and our field. As a one-time kind of experience, I have to say that it was when I ended up working with a wonderful group of doctoral students from the College of Education and being awarded an internal grant. We used it to put on a 2-day workshop aimed at reimagining education for youth in and beyond the classroom. We brought in Drs. Geneva Smitherman, Ana Celia Zentella, H. Samy Alim, and David E. Kirkland. I loved being around all of those intellectual minds and inserting my communication sciences and disorders perspectives into their conversations of education and language.

Q: What does AHS mean to you?

A: I saw AHS as a place that provided me with opportunities to connect with a variety of people and to grow as a researcher and educator. As I said earlier, I originally entered the program to study language processing differences and ended up studying cultural-linguistic diversity. The beauty is that AHS was a place that allowed me to do either. As a result, I was able to become a researcher with a strong interdisciplinary focus who impacts clinical practice within the field of speech-language pathology and beyond.

Dr. Megan-Brette Hamilton is an assistant professor at Auburn University and an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist (SLP)/communication specialist. Prior to academia, Dr. Hamilton worked as an SLP for 10 years in New York City, the largest school district in the U.S., where most of her caseload consisted of African American and Hispanic children. Currently, her research focuses on the classroom/educational and clinical experiences of speakers of other dialects of English, with a particular focus on African American English-speaking children and adults. Her passion lies in exploring the intersection of culture, language/dialect, communication, and literacy. Dr. Hamilton’s work also focuses on the cultural-linguistic competence and perspectives of professionals and students working with culturally-linguistically diverse populations. Through her work, she engages with such professionals by educating them on the importance of recognizing and validating language variations, culture, and identity; thereby raising one’s cultural-linguistic competence. Dr. Hamilton is the host of the Honeybee Connection podcast, author of Successful Strategies for Classroom Communication, and owner of www.meganbrettehamilton.com where she blogs and provides resources. 

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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SHS rising senior Jenna Pryor talks about her internship

July 06, 2021 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the College of Applied Health Sciences have the opportunity to do their internships in a variety of fields. Today, we speak with Jenna Pryor, who is a rising senior in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science, about her internship.

Q: What was your experience with The Autism Program? 

A: I had many different experiences with The Autism Program, which is why I enjoyed it so much! We had observation hours watching an RBT interact with one of their clients. I also had hands-on experience working in the resource room making projects, communicating with other interns/clients, meeting new people, restocking the resource room and so much more! There was some slight research, we had to watch around 40 hours of training videos, those videos presented a great deal of information and expanded my knowledge for the internship and in general.

Q: How did you apply for the internship?

A: I initially heard about the internship through email from my consular. In the email, the application was attached. The instructions stated to fill out the application and then email it to the woman who conducts the interviews, Anne Hall. Later on I had an interview and then got offered the internship!

Q: What did you learn from the internship?

A: There are so many things that I have learned from this internship. I learned how to use different tools such as a laminator, different computer softwares, navigating a library database, answering phone calls, and creating books/stories. I also learned more about professionalism. Being in a resource room and interacting with different clients, interns, and coworkers in that setting gave me a better idea of how to behave as a professional. I also learned how amazing it is to step out of your comfort zone. I am not the most creative person, but I created and designed many different stories. It was great to work on my weaknesses and complete certain tasks that I do not have much experience on.

Q: What was your biggest take away from the experience?

A: My biggest takeaway from this experience is to give you all into everything that you do. I love helping and assisting others, and I got to use this strength of mine for many situations in this internship. It is important to give your all because not only are students/teachers/peers/parents/etc. using the resources that you make for them, a lot of individuals and families are counting on them. I’ve ran into situations where parents feel lost and need a sense of direction for their child. A diagnosis of autism for a parent who has a child with autism or the individual who has autism can be very overwhelming. I feel that The Autism Program helps ease the stress for these families. It is important to go above and beyond for all who come to us for resources/help.

Q: Is this internship closely related to the field you are hoping to work in? 

A: Yes, this internship is closely related to the field I am hoping to work with. I am a speech and hearing science student with a speech-language pathology concentration. When I saw the RBT interact with the child during my observation sessions, this is a similar situation I could be experiencing in the future. Children who have autism also tend to see speech-language pathologists, it was great to learn more about autism. It will help me for my future career getting to know more about different disorders, as they could be my potential future clients.

Q: Would you like to share any other information that might be helpful for future SHS students?

A: If you have any opportunity to apply to an internship or get hands-on experience, do it! These are eye-opening experiences that help you expand your knowledge greatly. It also builds character and puts you in different situations. I have grown academically and emotionally from my first internship. These are experiences that you don’t get from your courses! Be sure to get to know your professors and utilize office hours. Building a relationship with your professors is very important. Professors love when students reach out for help or when students want to get to know them.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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SHS alum Anjali Forber-Pratt named director of NIDILRR

May 24, 2021 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Forber-Pratt’s research is focused on disability identity, inclusion, disability sport, and work related to disability activism

SHS alum Anjali Forber-Pratt named director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research

Anjali Forber-Pratt, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois, has been named as director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

Forber-Pratt, most recently an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University, is an elite wheelchair racer, having won two bronze medals at the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. She also represented Team USA in London at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Her research is focused on disability identity, inclusion, disability sport, and work related to disability activism. Forber-Pratt holds a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences, an M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology, and a Ph.D. in Human Resource Development, all from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

A two-time Paralympian and medalist in the sport of wheelchair racing, Dr. Forber-Pratt has dedicated her life to helping others recognize their potential. Globally, she is involved with disability advocacy efforts related to access to employment, education and sports. She was honored with the inaugural American Psychological Association Citizen Psychologist Award for Advancing Disability as a Human Rights and Social Justice Issue Award in 2020 and was recognized by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education as a 2018 Emerging Scholar. In 2013, she was awarded the American Association of People with Disabilities’ prestigious Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award, given to emerging leaders within the national disability community. Also in 2013, she was named a Champion of Change by the White House and had an opportunity to participate in a roundtable discussion with President Obama about disability policy issues.

“I am extremely honored and humbled by this appointment as well as the opportunity to serve our country,” Forber-Pratt said in a statement. “From my U of I days, I distinctly remember being explicitly taught that we had an obligation as alums to make the world a better place and to be ambassadors, especially for the broader disability community. Dr. Timothy Nugent taught us that, and my coach Adam Bleakney and others reinforced that every day—it was always more than just our athletic journey or just our academic journey. Many of us have found our own unique ways to embody that—I believe serving as Director of the National Institute of Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research is one way that I will continue to try to serve the broader disability community and educate others. I believe my collective training—with two degrees in Speech & Hearing Sciences as well as my PhD in education that taught me the analytic research skills—it truly is the combination of these degrees and U of I experiences and my own lived experiences as a proud disabled alum that position me well to transition into this role.”

Forber-Pratt served as principal investigator for research projects covering a range of disability issues, including training of special education teachers, experiences of students with disabilities at every education level, and identity development. She has authored 33 peer-reviewed journal articles and is the author or co-author of a number of textbook chapters.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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SHS grad student Emma Boat talks about her program, campus and COVID

May 17, 2021 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students are attending college in a unique environment, and that includes students in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois. The AHS communications staff spoke with AHS seniors about online classes, truncated courses and how COVID-19 changed their expectations. Today, we speak with Emma Boat, who is graduating in May with a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology.

Q: Why did you pick SHS?

A: I chose Speech and Hearing Sciences because I love to use communication to connect with people. I want to help people who struggle to communicate to build their speech and language skills so they too can make connections and express their wants and needs.

Q: Which professors had the most impact on you?

A: Every single one of the SHS professors made an impact on me. I feel like I’ve learned from some of the most knowledgeable, passionate people in the field and I’m so grateful for every class. Jennifer Dahman has made a huge impact on me. She has so much passion and love for the field, and she finds a way to make even the driest topics meaningful. If I ever had a day when I was feeling uninspired, a class or client with Jen would always remind me of why I chose speech pathology.

Q: What course did you most enjoy?

A: My favorite course was probably Cognitive Communication Disorders, taught by Dr. Raksha Mudar. The topics were interesting, the class was discussion-based and engaging, and Dr. Mudar is so intelligent and shared so much valuable knowledge and insight with us.

Q: Did you enter SHS knowing your career path, or did SHS help you decide?

A: I came into SHS knowing I want to be a Speech-Language Pathologist, but my experiences in SHS, both within the classroom and in different clinical settings, exposed me to the diverse settings and roles within the field. All these experiences helped me learn what I’m most passionate about and where I want to take my career.

Q: What do you hope to do after you graduate?

A: I hope to work with kids in a private practice or school setting in Chicago.

Q: What was your favorite on-campus experience?

A: Right before COVID, my roommate and I went to a basketball game against Maryland. It was such a blast feeling the energy and cheering on the Illini, and it really made us feel like a part of the university!

Q: What do you miss most because of the pandemic?

A: The thing I miss most is being in class with my cohort. We are a small cohort of about 30 students, so we all became really close before the pandemic. We all would’ve loved to have one more class together in-person before graduation, but I’m thankful for the time we had before the pandemic.

Q: What are the biggest changes on campus, pre and post-COVID?

A: Before COVID, campus was always lively and energetic. People were always out and the energy was so fun. Immediately after COVID, campus lost that energy and became more isolated. Slowly but surely, campus has returned to its pre-COVID state.

Q: What would you say to recommend SHS to a prospective student?

A: When I entered the SHS department, I was coming from a different school and didn’t know anyone in the department. I immediately felt welcomed by the faculty and my new classmates. After just a few weeks, I felt comfortable and supported. In SHS, we all have different interests and goals, but with a shared love of speech and language. It’s a community of kind, open-minded, passionate people, so it’s been a special experience. I would highly recommend SHS to anyone who’s open-minded, ready to work hard and learn, and is interested in the field.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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Alumni Spotlight—Eric Seper

April 20, 2021 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Alumni of the College of Applied Health Sciences have myriad career options thanks to the tremendous diversity of programs. We periodically will put the spotlight on an alum to find out what they’re doing now, what experiences they had and what AHS means to them. This week, we talk to Eric Seper, who graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science, and in 2013 with a Doctor of Audiology degree. He is currently a clinical audiologist at the University of Chicago Medicine.

Q: Why did you pick AHS?

A: I chose AHS because I knew I wanted to be in a healthcare field. The college has a family-like aspect, which was very welcoming. As I began my AHS coursework, I learned that the school was tight-knit and filled with bright individuals working towards a common goal.

Q: Which professors had the most impact on you?

A: Could I say all of them?! My first class in the department was an introduction to communication disorders and was taught by Dr. David Gooler. His teaching style resonated with me and many of my classmates. Dr. Gooler co-chaired my doctoral capstone project along with another influential professor—Dr. Ron Chambers. Dr. Chambers was available to speak with me as I decided upon a doctoral program in Audiology. He helped make the transition into graduate school easy and less intimidating than I anticipated. Our clinical supervisors—Lou Chambers and Carol Parker—taught me countless clinical lessons that I still employ today!

Q: What course did you most enjoy?

A: I completed two semesters of American Sign Language in the department and wish I had started sooner so I could complete the third course while an undergraduate. The instructors were thoughtful and great at understanding what each student needed to work on. Learning another language is powerful, especially when you are able to use that language to communicate with others in everyday situations.

Q: Did you enter AHS knowing your career path, or did AHS help you decide?

A: I entered AHS with the intention of learning more about speech-language pathology and audiology—AHS helped me decide from there. My first course introduced various communication disorders from both fields. Once the audiology portion began, I immediately knew that this was what I wanted to pursue long-term.

Q: Did your AHS experience lead to your current job?

A: Yes! AHS helped craft my professional experience in multiple ways. I developed strong clinical skills under the clinical leadership on campus. I still employ many lessons in the professional clinic today. The smaller, family-like atmosphere in AHS helped make me more comfortable with public speaking; the doctoral capstone project was a major learning process. That project allowed me to feel more comfortable in a research-based position where I authored and co-authored peer-reviewed journal articles. I also felt much more confident speaking at conferences following my experiences in AHS.

Q: What is your current job?

A: I am currently a clinical audiologist at the University of Chicago Medicine. I see mostly adult patients and we are fortunate to offer diagnostic audiology, cochlear implant services, vestibular evaluations, and hearing aid services to our patients. Seeing all these different disciplines—sometimes all in the same day—is a thrill. I am extremely fortunate to work alongside a tremendously skilled team of audiologists, physicians, and speech-language pathologists.

Q: What was your favorite on-campus experience?

A: If I need to pick only one, then graduating from the Doctor of Audiology program was a special day. Everybody graduating (from all programs) put in an amazing amount of work to develop skills and understanding in a particular field. For my Audiology classmates and I, we spent eight years honing our skills. Our hard work was rewarded with degrees and the trust that we will be strong practitioners in the field.

Q: What would you say to recommend AHS to a prospective student?

A: AHS is dedicated towards making sure students feel comfortable in the college. They are interested in developing strong students, but also strong societal contributors. I highly recommend AHS!

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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