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Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine

Speech and Hearing Sciences

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Speech and Hearing News

NATIVE AMERICAN SCHOLARSHIP REACHES ENDOWMENT LEVEL

A scholarship for Native American students in Washington State University’s Speech and Hearing Sciences program has reached the endowment level and will create a lasting legacy for its namesake — the late J. Richard Franks, Ph.D., a former professor and leader in the department.

Franks saw that Native Americans were vastly under-represented in the field and took action to change that. He secured U.S. Department of Education funding in the 1980s which established the foundation for WSU’s Native American professional preparation program in speech-language pathology and audiology.

Over a 25-year period, Franks was actively involved in the department’s efforts to recruit and graduate Native American students with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Gail Chermak, Ph.D., chair of the program, called Franks a visionary.

“Many of our Native American alumni have returned to serve their communities and have assumed professional leadership roles thanks to Dr. Franks,” Chermak said. “We all owe Dick Franks a huge debt of gratitude as we see the impact and contribution of his former students, as well as current and future Native Americans who might not have considered attending WSU had we not established a reputation for supporting Native American students to success.”

To make a contribution, please contact Nancy Fike at nancy.fike@wswu.edu or 509-358-7616.

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Publications and Presentations

  • Chermak, G.D., Musiek, F.E., & Weihing, J. (2017). Beyond controversies: The science behind central auditory processing disorder. The Hearing Review, 24(5), 20-24.
  • Inglebret, E., Bailey*, S., Clothiaux*, J. A., Skinder-Meredith, A., Monson^, K., & Cleveland, L. (2017, August). Reporting of socioeconomic status in pediatric language research. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 26, 1042-1052. (*former graduate students; ^current graduate student)
  • Lynch, G. T., James, S.M., VanDam, M., & Hyslop, R. (2017, May). Preliminary findings in adolescents with ASD: pupil diameter as a proxy for cognitive load during passive viewing of facial expression stimuli. Poster session presented at the meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, San Francisco, CA. (Hyslop, current graduate student)
  • Anderson, A. Smith, E. Chowdhry, F., Thurm, A., Condy, E., Swineford, L.,….. Gandjbakhcke, A.  (in press). Prefrontal hemodynamics in toddlers at rest:  A pilot study of developmental variability. Frontiers in Neuroscience.
  • Henry, L., Farmer, C., Swineford, L., Manwaring, S., & Thurm, A. (2017, May). Trajectories of cognitive development in toddlers at-risk for autism due to language delays. Poster presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research, San Francisco, CA.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Assistant Professor Lauren Swineford was an invited facilitator at the Early Career Workshop at the International Meeting for Autism Research, San Francisco, CA, May 10, 2017.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Associate Professor Ella Inglebret and Co-Director of the WSU Native American Clearinghouse on Native Teaching and Learning Susan Rae Banks discussed honoring tribal legacies through differentiated instruction before the Native American Advisory Board to President Kirk Schulz on March 31, 2017.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Seniors Sarah Beatty, Ellen Benetti, and Melissa Joseph, and EWU undergraduate Jenna Anderst presented an analysis of a very large database of natural speech using machine and human methods at the WSU Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) on March 27, 2017; Assistant Professor Mark VanDam, faculty advisor.
  • Filippini, R., Weihing, J., Chermak, G.D., & Musiek, F.E. (in press). Current issues in the diagnosis and treatment of central auditory processing disorder in children. In D. Geffner & D. Swain. Auditory processing disorders: Assessment, management, and treatment (3rd ed.). San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group.
  • Chermak, G.D., Bamiou, D-E, Iliadou, V., & Musiek, F.E. (2017). Practical guidelines to minimize language and cognitive confounds in the diagnosis of CAPD: A brief tutorial. International Journal of Audiology, 56(7), 499-506
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Assistant Professor Mark VanDam, along with masters students Carsen Jessup and Tracy Tully, presented “Fathers’ and mothers’ differential talk to sons and daughters with hearing loss” at the 172nd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the 5th Joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Acoustical Society of Japan, Honolulu, HI.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Undergraduate Academic Coordinator Anna Brown delivered an online webinar titled “Helping Students Clarify their Dreams: Advising the Foreclosed Student” for the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).
  • Lynch, G. (2017). EBP & teaching non-verbal pragmatics to adolescents with ASD: lessons learned from brain research. Perspectives on Language Learning and Education, Special Interest Group 1, American Speech-Language Hearing Association, 2, Part 1, 47-55.
  • Musiek, F.E., Shinn, J., Chermak, G.D., & Bamiou, D-E. (2017). Perspectives on the pure tone audiogram. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. 28(7), 655-671
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Assistant Professor Mark VanDam delivered a series of lectures on the fundamentals of speech production and automatic speech recognition to the Department of Computer Science at Gonzaga University (October 31 – November 2, 2016).
  • Clinical Professor Amy Meredith received the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation’s 2016 Clinical Achievement Award for the State of Washington at the annual convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in Philadelphia, PA, November 18.
  • Associate Professor Ella Inglebret and graduate student Megan Brendal participated on a panel discussing challenges in appropriately identifying American Indian/Alaska Native children who are English-Language Learners for special education and culturally-responsive guidelines for speech-language assessment.
  • Associate Professor Ella Inglebret, Clinical Professor Meredith, and post-baccalaureate student Kayla Monson presented a poster on the reporting of participants’ socioeconomic status in published research involving prevention, assessment and treatment of pediatric hearing loss.
  • Assistant Professor Georgina Lynch and alumnus Ming-Yeh Hsieh presented a poster comparing intervention techniques for autism spectrum disorder in the United States and Taiwan.
  • Professor Gail Chermak served as a subject matter expert consultant on central auditory processing disorder for the Practice Portal Project of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
  • Brenneman, L., Cash, E., Chermak, G.D., Guenette, L., Masters, G., Musiek, F.E., Brown, M., Ceruti, J., Fitzegerald, K., Geissler, K., Gonzalez, J., & Weihing, J. (in press).The relationship between central auditory processing, language, and cognition in children being evaluated for central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). Journal of the American Academy of Audiology.

Community Outreach and Engagement

  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Clinical Professor Amy Meredith provided interactive presentations for junior high school students from the YMCA on the field of speech language pathology and audiology on July 19, 2017. Clinical Professor Amy Meredith also was one of many ESFCOM faculty who met with Iraqi students over lunch to discuss health care practice and training on July 24, 2017.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Clinical Professor Leslie Power and her colleagues in the Eastern Washington University departments of communication sciences and disorders, physical therapy, and occupational therapy offered an interprofessional workshop on motivational interviewing for community professionals and faculty on the WSU Health Sciences Spokane campus on May 12-13, 2017
  • Mark VanDam organized and hosted the second bi-annual Spokane Innovator NEtwork, the SINE f(2). The networking event for university and eastern Washington innovators and entrepreneurs was held on April 19, 2017 on campus at WSU in Spokane, drawing about 50 participants and presentations from five WSU innovators.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Graduate Student Megan Brendal received a 2017 President’s Award for Leadership in recognition of her leadership and service to the university and the community.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Clinical Professor Amy Meredith provided continuing education on childhood apraxia of speech for speech-language pathologists in New York and New Jersey, March 27-29, 2017.
  • WSU Spokane Chancellor Lisa Brown writes about her trip to Guatemala with health sciences students from Spokane and Pullman, including some Speech and Hearing Sciences students and faculty.
  • For the seventh consecutive year (2017), Clinical Professor Amy Meredith led undergraduate and graduate students to Guatemala in conjunction with a Hearts in Motion mission to assist children and their families before and after cleft palate surgeries. Meredith and her students provided speech, language, and feeding therapy and nutrition services to approximately 50 families.
  • The local chapter of the National Student Speech-Hearing-Language Association comprised of students of the WSU Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences (SHS) and EWU’s Communication Sciences and Disorders department held an Autism (ASD) Awareness event on the WSU Health Sciences campus on March 9, 2017, which included a slide show, an overview of ASD resources, a panel of three individuals with ASD, and a panel of professionals and a parent (SHS Assistant Professor Lauren Swineford, Northwest Autism Center Board Certified Behavior Analyst Dana Stevens,  and Tom Weddle, educational consultant with Spokane Public Schools and parent of two young women with ASD) sharing their perspectives and their roles in ASD. The event engaged students across campus, including Speech and Hearing Sciences, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Dental Hygiene. NSSLHA officers Madison Zinsli (EWU), Zara Wells (EWU), Sarah Beatty (WSU), Mickell Rigsby (WSU), Ellen Bennetti (WSU), and Rebekah Nelson (WSU) organized the event.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Professor Gail Chermak was interviewed for “Ask Dr. Universe” a science-education project based out of Washington State University and University Communications. The interview about How The Ear Workswas published in February 2017.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Assistant Professor Mark VanDam’s research with a biofeedback assistive device for Parkinson’s patients was featured in the Seattle Times. (Published February 15, 2017)
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Assistant Professor Mark VanDam delivered a series of lectures on the fundamentals of speech production and automatic speech recognition to the Department of Computer Science at Gonzaga University (October 31 – November 2, 2016).
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Associate Professor Nancy Potter and Clinical Professor Amy Meredith organized the 2nd annual Dystonia Forum held on the WSU Spokane campus on October 25, 2016. Following Jason Aldred’s overview of dystonia and research update, a panel of individuals with dystonia discussed their experiences. Students and faculty from all health professions represented on the Spokane campus attended, as well as members of the community.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences graduate students Kelli Raines and Breanna Schnetter along with EWU Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate students organized a Career Fair on the WSU Spokane campus on November 4, 2016. Eighteen agencies representing healthcare and educational organizations from Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Utah participated.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Undergraduate Academic Coordinator Anna Brown and senior Natalie Hoogner organized student and faculty participation in the Community Health and Resource Fair held at the East Central Community Center on October 29, 2016. Hoogner was joined by seniors Jessica Sauve, Rylee Hull, and Sarah Beatty, and Professor Amy Meredith. Information sessions were provided on prevention of traumatic brain injury, stroke and related communication disorders, and dysphagia. Beatty provided free hearing screenings.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences seniors Rylee Hull and Katie Dowling participated on a panel fielding questions about a career in speech-language pathology at the EWU Area Health Education Center’s exploration of health sciences event for high school students on October 28, 2016.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences senior Sierra Alexander-Wu participated in a roundtable discussion for 50 pre-health professions students from Pullman on Nov. 4. The students were on the WSU Spokane campus for the day exploring health sciences majors offered by WSU. Haille Heid, first year graduate student, led this group of students on a tour of the Hearing and Speech Clinic and faculty labs
  • Entrepreneurial Faculty Ambassador and Speech and Hearing Sciences Assistant Professor Mark VanDam hosted the September 29, 2016 SINE Function (Spokane Innovator NEtwork). This networking event connects WSU faculty and regional innovators in the health sciences, technology, and entrepreneurial community.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences students and faculty participated in several charitable events during the October 1, 2016 weekend: a walk for Alzheimer’s, a walk for apraxia, “Hoedown for HOPE”, and a conference by the Stuttering Foundation during the weekend of October 1, 2016.
  • Amy Meredith provided a full day workshop on September 30, 2016 on assessment and management of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) for Educational School District (ESD) 105 in Yakima, WA. Local speech-language pathologists (SLP), SLP Assistants, and related health care professionals attended. An underserved region, the Yakima Valley is in dire need of more SLPs and continuing education opportunities. Preliminary conversations ensued regarding expansion of Meredith’s Camp Candoo summer camp model to Yakima.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Undergraduate Academic Coordinator Anna Brown exhibited and distributed earplugs at the WSU Spokane Annual Campus Health Fair on October 12, 2016.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Undergraduate Academic Coordinator Anna Brown staffed the department’s exhibit at the 8th Annual Health Careers Expo held on the WSU Pullman campus on October 17, 2016.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences (SHS) Assistant Professor Georgina Lynch co-chaired the conference “Autism All Grown Up,” held on the WSU Spokane campus on October 14, 2016, in partnership with adjunct SHS faculty and Northwest Autism Center Executive Director Dawn Sidell and SHS Assistant Professor Lauren Swineford.  The conference addressed issues related to serving adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Chancellor Lisa Brown gave opening remarks followed by a keynote presentation from Gary Stobbe, MD, a neurologist with the University of Washington’s Children’s Hospital.  Participants (138) included community members, individuals with ASD, health care professionals, families, and SHS graduate students.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences (SHS) Seniors, Jessica Sauve and Rylee Hull, led the department’s showcase event at the WSU Spokane Fall Health Sciences Preview on October 7, 2016. They introduced the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology to a group of 20 high school students from area schools and engaged the students in a discussion on traumatic brain injury and the importance of wearing helmets while biking. Undergraduate Academic Coordinator Anna Brown organized the department’s participation.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Clinical Professor Amy Meredith provided a three-hour in-service for Spokane School District speech-language pathologists on treatment of children with childhood apraxia of speech on January 27, 2017.
  • Speech and Hearing Sciences Assistant Professor Laurie Swineford provided a three-hour in-service January 27, 2017 for the Spokane School District speech-language pathologists on current screening, diagnostic, and treatment models for children with autism spectrum disorder.
Elson S. Floyd College of MedicineSpeech and Hearing SciencesNews