The Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology The Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology

MOUTH ‘N’ EARMOUTH ‘N’ EARMOUTH N EARMOUTH N EARhttp://spa.wvu.edu/ Department Newsletter Fall 2011

Our Newest Program: The Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders

In response to the growing demand for teacher‐scholars, the WVU Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology  is pleased to announce the availability of its newest program, the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Communication Sciences and Disorders.  This program has been designed to provide a rigorous course of study along with mentored research and teaching experiences to enable current audiologists and speech‐language pathologists to become high‐quality researchers and serve effectively as leaders in the discipline. Graduates of the program are expected to assume careers as researchers and scholars at universities, hospitals, industrial settings, and research facilities. 

Some of what’s inside:

DENNIS RUSCELLO RECOGNIZED

BY ASHA FOR HIS SPECIAL

CONTRIBUTIONS TO

H E 2SPA graduates have long been recognized for the quality of their pre‐professional preparation and professional education in audiology and speech‐language pathology, but according to Department Chair Robert Orlikoff, “it’s unfortunate that our nationally and internationally recognized faculty have not had the opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise with advanced graduate students who seek similar careers in academia, as well as in health care and industry ”

HIGHER EDUCATION, p. 2

LINDA SHUSTER RECEIVES

NIH GRANT TO STUDY

APRAXIA OF SPEECH, p. 3

NEW UNDERGRADUATE STUDY

ABROAD OPPORTUNITY p 3care and industry. ABROAD OPPORTUNITY, p. 3

AUDIOLOGY STUDENTS GET

COATED, p. 4

KEN ST. LOUIS STUDIES

INTERNATIONAL ATTITUDES

TOWARD STUTTERING, p. 6

Orlikoff added that the future of the professions depends critically on the strength of its teacher‐scholars, noting that the WVU Ph.D. program will allow the SPA faculty “to not only establish a personal legacy, but to influence the education of

comments.?

O S U G, p. 6

CAROLYN ATKINS HELPS

STUDENT-VETERANS SPEAK

OUT, p. 6

but to influence the education of pre‐professional and professional students regionally, nationally, and internationally.” In this vein, the program includes specific knowledge, experience, and skill in teaching and supervision,as well as in cultural diversity

Volume 2, Number 1

Contact us at MouthNEar@yahoo.com

comments.as well as in cultural diversity 

Continued on page 2

Dr. Ruscello Receives 2011 ASHA Award for Special Contributions in Higher Education

The Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology congratulates Dr. Dennis M. Ruscello for being named the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s 2011 award recipient for Special Contributions in Higher Education. This recognition is due to his distinguished and long-standing achievements in university classroom teaching as well as in clinical teaching and mentorship. Professor Ruscello teaches one undergraduate course and five graduate courses in the Department. He has consistently received outstanding evaluations from his students and recognition by his colleagues through numerous teaching awards.

D R ll i C Di t f th Dr. Ruscello is Co-Director of the WVU Cleft Palate Clinic and a co-investigator on the Project LEND grant that provides funding for the Feeding and Swallowing Clinic at the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities. His involvement offers students an opportunity to serve as

Dr. Dennis Ruscello flanked by SPA students following his invitedpresentation on children with cleft palate at the 2nd Annual MountainState Speech and Hearing Conference in April of this year.

students an opportunity to serve as members of an interdisciplinary team at weekly meetings as well as to serve as funded graduate assistants. Beyondthis, he has assisted students by editing the recent book, Review Questions for the Speech-Language Pathology Praxis Examination.

A popular and well-recognized expert, Dr. Ruscello serves as a role model, not only for students, but for faculty, colleagues, and professionals in the field. In addition, he is readily and tirelessly available to assist colleagues and continually responds to weekly emails and phone calls from former students seeking professional guidance. Faculty, students, and clients benefit from his wealth of knowledge, strong work ethic, passion for the field, sense of humor, and engaging interpersonal skills. This award is well-deserved.

Examination.

and global initiatives. However, because the discipline of communication sciences and disorders supports two professions, Ph.D. students pursue an area of emphasis in either Speech and Language Sciences and Disorders or

New Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Continued from page 1

professions, Ph.D. students pursue an area of emphasis in either Speech and Language Sciences and Disorders or in Hearing Science and Disorders. It is then expected that—through customized study, scholarship, and mentorship—these students will develop deep expertise in a specific topic within their chosen area of emphasis.

The inauguration of the Ph.D. program coincides with the recent establishment of the Grace Clements Speech Pathology and Audiology Research Endowment to support scientific research in the Department. The College has also provided several graduate teaching and research assistantships that will help students pursue this full-time program, in addition to several fellowships that are available to doctoral students through the WVU Office of Graduate Education

d Lif

22

and Life.

The deadline for applications for Fall 2012 admission to the Ph.D. program is January 15. A more detailed description of the program, application procedure, and requirements is available online at: http://spa.wvu.edu/home/doc_philosophy

Dr. Shuster Receives NIH Grant Award

Dr. Linda I. Shuster, a Professor and long-ti f lt b i th D t t f

New Undergraduate SPA Courses

time faculty member in the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, was recently awarded a prestigious two-year grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Titled “Recovery of Speech in Apraxia of Speech,” the purpose of the grant is to investigate recovery of speech

In an attempt to expand the undergraduate course offerings, SPA has developed several new classes that are now available. SPA 388, International Experience in Communication Sciences & Disorders, will provide of the grant is to investigate recovery of speech

following stroke. In particular, Dr. Shuster will be looking at focal lesions in three areas of the brain that have been argued to cause apraxia of speech when lesioned. Study participants are individuals who have suffered a stroke in any one of these three areas. They will be followed at 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month intervals for scanning and behavioral testing with attention to changes in speech and in patterns of

faculty-led study-abroad opportunities for students who wish to explore professional practices and perspectives related to communication sciences and disorders in foreign countries and cultures. Depending on faculty behavioral testing with attention to changes in speech and in patterns of

brain activation over the course of recovery.

Dr. Shuster states that following a stroke, patients have a strong desire to talk again. While understanding and other areas of language may improve post-stroke, speech seems to not return readily. Patients may be highly motivated and work hard to regain speech with little to no recovery. Dr. Shuster will be looking at site of lesion and recovery in an attempt

p g yavailability and student interest, efforts are underway to offer experiences in such countries as Turkey, India, China, and France.

Another new course is SPA 280, Communication Disorders in

to begin to understand why speech often remains impaired despite treat-ment and hard work on the part of the patient.

The grant supports two undergraduate student researchers and is expected to foster increased student interest in research. Undergraduate students in Speech Pathology and Audiology and Psychology have been hired to assist. Dr. Shuster currently serves as the Associate Coordinator for ASHA Special Interest Group 2: Neurophysiology and Neurogenic

Film. Recent movies such as “The King’s Speech” have sparked an interest in how portrayals of communication disorders in films influence popular attitudes about speech, hearing, and language problems, and therefore affect for ASHA Special Interest Group 2: Neurophysiology and Neurogenic

Speech and Language Disorders.

p ,public policy and advocacy efforts. The films to be shown will cover a diversity of styles and genres from the 1920s to the present.

Congratulations to Professor Linda Shuster on her 25th anniversary as a member of the WVU faculty and to Professor Ken St. Louis for his 35th WVU anniversary.

Special congratulations to Clinical Assistant Professor Karen Haines on the birth of her granddaughter Baby mother and grandmother

33

on the birth of her granddaughter. Baby, mother, and grandmother are doing fine.

Doctor of Audiology Students Recognized at Fourth Annual White Coat Ceremony

Student Academy of Audiology

On October 15, 2011, first-year Au.D. students Shayna Goode, Sonia Hamidi, Allison Martinelli, Hope Middlemas, Brianna Robertson, and Rachel Szepelak received their personalized “white coats” to symbolize their entry into the profession of audiology. Held in the Fukushima Auditorium before fellow doctoral students, faculty, friends, and family, the ceremony included addresses by Elizabeth Dooley, interim dean of the

Throughout the year, the Student Academy of Audiology (SAA) has been committed to providing service to WVU, the community, and the state. In April, WVU SAA joined forces with WVU NSSHLA h h 2 d A l College of Human Resources and Education, Robert Orlikoff, chair of the NSSHLA to host the 2nd Annual Mountain State Speech and Hearing Conference and to raise funds for the WVU Relay for Life. On June 4, SAA sponsored the “Healthy Hearing” program at the West Virginia Special

Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Kazunari Koike, adjunct professor and director of

Olympic Games held in Charleston, WV. A total of 81 athletes were given free hearing screenings and were provided educational materials about hearing health, noise exposure, and hearing loss. Volunteers for

audiology for the Physician Office Center, and Conrad Lundeen, associate professor and coordinator of the Doctor of Au.D. students reciting an oath to practice audiology in

this event included undergraduate and graduate students in audiology and speech-language pathology, faculty supervisors, and community members.

One of SAA’s primary goals for

Audiology program.

Organized by assistant professor Ashleigh Callahan and the WVU chapter of the Student Academy of Audiology, the student initiates recited an oath affirming their intent to practice in a professional and ethical manner. As noted in the program, the white

Au.D. students reciting an oath to practice audiology inan ethical and professional manner.

coat is meant to “imply a the 2011-12 academic year is to raise funds for a patient account which has been established, with the assistance of the College of Human Resources and Educa-tion, to aid patients experiencing financial limitations who are seen

coat is meant to imply a purely professional interest” and to “convey to even the most anxious a sense of seriousness and purpose that helps provide reassurance and confidence that his/her complaints will be dealt with

Dr. Ashleigh Callahan (left) helps first‐year Au.D. student Allison Martinelli tryon her new professional attire at the

in the WVU Hearing and/or Speech Centers. Our 2nd annual MountainEAR 5K will be held to benefit this fund in mid-March of 2012. For further information about the race or other SAA activities please visit the SAA

complaints will be dealt with competently and seriously… it is a cloak of compassion.”

After thanking family members present for their support, there was a brief reception and open house at the WVU Hearing

44

pWVU Student Academy of AudiologyWhite Coat Ceremony.

activities please visit the SAA website at: http://saa.studentorgs.wvu.edu/events.

house at the WVU Hearing Center.

Around Morgantown: WVU Health Fair

The WVU Hearing Center and Speech Center, in conjunction with the Student Academy of Audiology, participated in the WVU Health Fair, held at the Morgantown Mall on September 16 2011 Clinical faculty members 16, 2011. Clinical faculty members Gayle Neldon, Karen Haines, Leslie Graebe, and Janet Petitteassisted several graduate students who were on hand to discuss the prevention and identification of communication disorders. Au.D. students answered questions about students answered questions about hearing health concerns, hearing evaluation, and amplification from several community members.

WVU students and clinic directors Gayle Neldon and Karen Haines at the WVUHealth Fair held at the Morgantown Mall in September.

Many students in the M.S. in speech pathology program provided literature and answered questions about the prevention and early identification of speech, language, and swallowing disorders. Our thanks to Widex, Phonak, and Siemens for providing items that were given to attendees who stopped by.

The Hearing Clinic has been operating Mondays

Hearing Center Update

through Thursdays throughout this semester. The current 2nd-year Doctor of Audiology graduate students have been gaining clinical ex-perience in several areas including hearing evaluations, auditory processing evaluations, hearing aid evaluations and an occasional Auditory Brainstem Response evaluation. These students have been participating in the closed

Au.D. students Lindsey Goodman (left) and LindsayYurisko (right) were two of many SPA undergraduateand graduate students who participated in the“Healthy Hearing” program held at the West VirginiaSpecial Olympics in Charleston on June 4, 2011. Inaddition to hearing screenings, the students also

d d d h d l lThese students have been participating in the closed AuD blog, sharing their clinical experiences with the current 3rd- and 4th-year students.

55

provided attendees with educational materials onhearing health.

Carolyn Atkins Helps Student-Veterans Speak Out

Ken St. Louis Explores Public Attitudes Toward Stuttering

Speak Out

Modeled on her popular course Speaking to Communities, in which WVU student athletes develop skill in public speaking, while sharing their inspirational stories of

A great deal of research has documented that the general public has negative or biased attitudes and beliefs about people who stutter. For example, many believe that if a person stutters, he or she must be introverted, shy, weak, or psychologically affected. This so-called “stuttering stereotype” and other beliefs (e.g., that people who stutter cannot hold certain jobs) are simply not true. p

personal struggle and triumph, Carolyn Atkins has special section of the course specifically for student veterans. On November 8, 2011, nine students who had served in the U.S. Army, Marines, and the Army

Ken St. Louis continues his long-standing research to document these negative, stigmatizing attitudes toward stuttering in order to understand why the nonstuttering majority feels and believes what it does. For the last 12 years, Professor St. Louis has been involved in the International Project on Attitudes Toward Human Attributes (IPATHA), an initiative to develop a standard measure of public opinion (attitudes) toward U S y, , d y

National Guard, presented their speeches at the Jerry West Mountaineer room of the WVU Coliseum. Several had been deployed oversees, some decorated for their service. Their talks covered not only their personal

(Continued on next page)

covered not only their personal experiences, but also their perspectives on several topical issues. The speeches were very well received, and several can be heard at http://wvutoday.wvu.edu.

Professor Atkins has certainly not yabandoned her efforts with WVU’s athletes, however. On November 10, eleven student-athletes from football, basketball, volleyball, and wrestling shared their stories of motivation and perseverance at this semester’s Student Athletes Speak

Every summer since 2005, WVU Speech-Language Pathology graduate students have participated in a unique practicum experience in Romney, semester s Student Athletes Speak

Out program. Before a large audience that included several coaches, Athletic Director Oliver Luck, and WVU President James Clements, the students spoke well and, at times, visibly moved those in attendance Please visit

WV. Camp Gizmo is a five-day hands-on camp where parents, professionals and students learn how assistive technology can help young children (birth-8 years) with significant and multiple developmental needs.

In July of this year, WVU Speech Center Director Karen Haines and students in the M.S. in speech pathology program provided evaluations for many children with need for augmentative and assistive communication (AAC). Once the evaluations were completed, most of the children were

66

in attendance. Please visit http://spa.wvu.edu for links to the athletes’ speeches.

able to use various forms of AAC to communicate during camp activities.

Stuttering AttitudesContinued from page 6

stuttering that can be used anywhere in the world. He developed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S), a survey instrument that has been tested in nearly 60 different studies

Just email

in nearly 60 different studies. As of February of this year, 3751 respondents from 12 different countries had filled out the POSHA-S in eight different languages.

“With the only standard

MouthNEar@yahoo.com

ymeasure of public opinion and growing database of research-based samples, we now have the capability to compare attitudes toward stuttering from populations all around the world,” said Professor St. Louis,

HR&E Alumni Association

The College of Human Resources and Education sponsors a college-based Alumni Association. This organization provides a network of connections for graduating students, outreach activities, and sponsors programs to recognize alumni, students, and faculty. For more

To assist the mission of WVU, the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology strives, through its programs of instruction, research efforts, clinical services and outreach initiatives to make a meaningful

world, said Professor St. Louis, having a “standard measure will also be extremely helpful in determining which strategies designed to change or improve attitudes are effective and which ones are not.”

Your Support Makes a Difference

programs to recognize alumni, students, and faculty. For more information, please visit http://alumni.hre.wvu.edu/

clinical services, and outreach initiatives, to make a meaningful contribution “to the development and enhancement of West Virginia’s economic, educational, social, and health status.” Please consider helping us in this goal by making a contribution to the College of Human Resources and Education Annual fund, earmarked for the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology or the Speech and Hearing Clinic Improvement Fund. Just go to http://hre.wvu.edu and click on ‘Donation ’

Recently, he and student collaborator, Amy Rogers, addressed the predictors of such attitudes. They found that “experience with stuttering and other undesired human attributes fosters more positive, Donation.

For more information on ways you can help, please contact:

Jack Aylor, Director of DevelopmentOffice of the Dean, College of Human Resources & EducationWest Virginia UniversityPO Box 6122M WV 26506 6122

attributes fosters more positive, understanding, and empathetic opinions about stuttering and those who stutter than lack of this kind of experience.” None-theless, they advise caution in attempting to generalize their findings to all groups of people

77

Morgantown, WV 26506-6122

Jack.Aylor@mail.wvu.edu (304) 293-3261

findings to all groups of people.

Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology

P.O. Box 6122, Morgantown, WV 26506-6122

Non‐Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage Paid

Morgantown, WVPermit No. 34

WebV11-29-11

Department of Speech Pathology and AudiologyDepartment of Speech Pathology and AudiologyWest Virginia UniversityWest Virginia University

Degree ProgramsDegree Programs

B.S. in Speech Pathology and AudiologyB.S. in Speech Pathology and AudiologyM.S. in SpeechM.S. in Speech--Language Pathology*Language Pathology*Doctor of Audiology (Doctor of Audiology (Au.DAu.D.)*.)*

Cli i l F ili iCli i l F ili iClinical FacilitiesClinical Facilities

WVU Hearing Center, 350 Percival HallWVU Hearing Center, 350 Percival HallWVU Speech Center, 804 Allen HallWVU Speech Center, 804 Allen Hall

**Accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) Accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA)

of the American Speechof the American Speech--LanguageLanguage--Hearing AssociationHearing Association