News & Events
Alumna Retiring After Distinguished CareerDivision of Speech and Hearing Sciences alumna Margaret Buttross-Brinegar (MS ’76) is retiring after 32 years with the University of Southern Mississippi's Children's Center for Communication and Development. Buttross-Brinegar spent the last 13 years as director of the center, which provides an interdisciplinary team approach to the assessment and treatment of communicatively- and developmentally-delayed children ages birth to five years. The Hattiesburg American published a story about Buttross-Brinegar’s career and retirement in its June 18 edition. Click here to read the full story. Rehab Counseling Rises in U.S. News Rankings
The UNC Chapel Hill Division of Rehabilitation Counseling and Psychology has made a tremendous leap closer to the top of the U.S. News and World Report rankings. The division was ranked 23 out of the 96 RCP programs reviewed in the magazine’s 2012 “America’s Best Graduate Schools” issue. “What a testament to all the excellent work and effort being given by RCP faculty and staff who continue to improve our national visibility during such tough times,” said division director Charles Bernacchio. “We have really shown our competitive Carolina spirit!” Other highly ranked Allied Health Sciences programs include Audiology (6th), Occupational Therapy (5th), Physical Therapy (11th), and Speech Language Pathology (18th). These programs were last evaluated by U.S. News & World Report in 2008. Speech and Hearing Division Awarded $2.1 Million by US Department of EducationThe Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine has been awarded two new grants to prepare doctoral and master’s students in specialized areas of clinical practice. One of the grants, “Preparation of Personnel to Serve Infants and Young Children with Hearing Loss,” will be co-directed by Jackson Roush, PhD, and Melody Harrison, PhD. The grant will provide graduate students in UNC’s Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program and Masters (MS) Speech-Language Pathology Program to work in areas related to newborn hearing screening, diagnosis of hearing loss, selection and fitting of hearing aids and cochlear implants, and therapeutic intervention procedures. The Speech and Hearing Division will work in collaboration with UNC’s Carolina Communicative Disorders Clinic, Department of Otolaryngology, with audiologist Holly Teagle, AuD, and speech-language pathologist, Hannah Eskridge, MS. A second grant titled "Preparing Professionals for Leadership Roles in Translational Research Focused on Children with Disabilities Including High Need Children" focuses on PhD students. This grant will provide nine doctoral students from Speech and Hearing Sciences, Occupational Science, and Early Childhood Special Education with research training targeting at applied research. The disability areas of focus are autism, hearing loss, literacy, and culturally- and family-guided intervention practices. The students will work on research projects, complete coursework, and take part in professional development activities to enhance their skills as academicians and researchers in their specialty areas. Drs. Betsy Crais (Speech and Hearing Sciences) and Harriet Able (from the School of Education) along with faculty members from all three units will direct the project.
Crais Receives Distinguished Alumnus Award from Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University’s Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences presented Elizabeth Crais, PhD, Professor in the UNC-Chapel Hill Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, with the Judith S. Gravel Distinguished Alumnus Award at a ceremony in May. The Judy S. Gravel Award is given annually by the faculty at Vanderbilt University Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences to recognize alumni career excellence. “Of course, we don’t hand out awards lightly here at Vanderbilt,” said Dr. Anne Marie Tharpe, Chair of Vanderbilt’s Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences. “It isn’t enough to only be a leader in one’s field, to steward over $4 million in research and training grants, or to mentor hundreds of students. We expect our awardees to be of great character, and Dr. Crais is no exception.” Dr. Crais has been active within early intervention for over 30 years as a speech-language pathologist, university professor, clinical supervisor, and researcher. She has published a number of articles and book chapters and made numerous presentations dealing with working with young children with special needs and their families. Her current research focuses on the early identification of and intervention with children at risk for autism. She is part of the Program in Early Research, Leadership, and Service (PEARLS), a UNC-Chapel Hill research team that includes Drs. Linda Watson, Grace Baranek, and Steve Reznick. “Betsy Crais’ teaching prowess has been recognized by the University with an Outstanding Teaching Award; her federal research and training awards have brought some of the best and brightest students in the country to UNC-Chapel Hill; her professional leadership has been recognized by her UNC colleagues as well as those around the country as evidenced by her invitations to present workshops, guest lectures, and conference presentations,” said David E. Yoder, Ph.D., Chair and Professor Emeritus with Department of Allied Health Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine. “I am so pleased that she has been recognized with the Speech and Hearing Science Department’s Gravel Distinguished Alumnus Award at Vanderbilt University.” The Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences at UNC, established in 1969, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, are internationally recognized for excellence in education, research, and professional service. One of seven divisions in the Department of Allied Health Sciences, UNC School of Medicine, the Division’s academic degree programs include a master’s (MS) in speech-language pathology and doctoral degrees in audiology (AuD) and speech and hearing sciences (PhD). The audiology and speech-language pathology programs at UNC are among the nation’s top-ranked graduate programs. For more information about Dr. Crais, please contact Kyle Gray at 919.966.3352 or kyle_gray@med.unc.edu. PEARLS Receives $2.5 Million GrantResearchers with the UNC Chapel Hill Program for Early Autism Research, Leadership, and Service (PEARLS) have been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences to study the efficacy of early intervention for one-year-old children who are at risk for autism.
The PEARLS team has been conducting pilot research on the promise of a parent-mediated intervention called Adapted Responsive Teaching for the past three years. The new award from the Institute of Education Sciences will fund a four-year efficacy study involving approximately 116 families of one-year-olds identified as at-risk for a later diagnosis of autism. Toddlers at-risk are initially identified using a parent-completed screening questionnaire called the "First Year Inventory," which was developed by the PEARLS team. Families who consent to enroll in the study will be randomized to the experimental intervention or to a control group. The investigators will study the impact of six months of adapted responsive teaching on developmental outcomes and on the severity of autism-related symptoms. Drs. Linda Watson and Elizabeth Crais serve as co-principal investigators on the new grant, joined by colleagues Drs. Grace Baranek, Lauren Turner Brown, and Steve Reznick. For more information about PEARLS, visit www.med.unc.edu/ahs/pearls/.
PT Students Recognized for Fundraising EffortsThe Foundation for Physical Therapy recognized UNC-Chapel Hill Division of Physical Therapy students for their support of the 2010 Miami-Marquette Challenge at the Foundation’s annual gala, “Putting on the Ritz.” The event took place during the American Physical Therapy Association’s conference at the Sheraton Boston Hotel in June. The annual Marquette Challenge began in 1989 as a grassroots fundraising effort coordinated and carried out by physical therapist and physical therapist assistant students across the country to support the Foundation for Physical Therapy. A total of 62 schools participated in the 2009-10 Miami-Marquette Challenge, setting a new record by raising $260,380. The grand total donated in the past 22 years by the Challenge is $1,810,930. In the latest cycle, the Challenge funded a Promotion of Doctoral Studies (PODS) Scholarship to Meryl Alappattu, PT, DPT, of the University of Florida. Proceeds from the Challenge will also help to fund the $300,000 Clagett Family Research Grant, to be awarded later this year to a multidisciplinary research team investigating interventions for older adults living with multiple chronic conditions. The UNC-Chapel Hill Physical Therapy Division received an Honorable Mention recognition for raising over $3,000. The list of all participating schools can be found on the Foundation’s Web site. The Foundation for Physical Therapy was established in 1979 as a national, independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality and delivery of physical therapy care by providing support for scientifically-based and clinically relevant physical therapy research and doctoral scholarships and fellowships.
Chancellor Visits Audiology Teaching LaboratoryChancellor Holden Thorp had his hearing tested on April 8 in the Division of Speech and Hearing Science’s Audiology Teaching Laboratory. The visit was featured on the front page of the April 14, 2010, edition of The University Gazette. Click here to download a pdf. file of the paper, or visit the paper's Web site. Thorp’s test was administered by third-year doctoral student Ellen Pearce under the supervision of Martha Mundy, audiologist and coordinator of the doctoral program. Afterward, Pearce fitted Thorp for custom musicians’ earplugs designed to reduce noise without distorting sound. The chancellor’s hearing test was scheduled in conjunction with International Noise Awareness Day, which will be celebrated for the 15th year on April 28. Founded by the nonprofit Center for Hearing and Communication, the day was created to promote the awareness of the dangers of long-term exposure to noise. Occupational Science Faculty Member Receives International RecognitionChapel Hill, NC, April 6, 2010 — Susan Coppola, Clinical Associate Professor in Division of Occupational Science in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been elected by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) membership to serve a four year term as the USA Delegate to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT). Professor Coppola was officially bestowed with the honor on April 1, 2010, by Gloria Lucker who is Chairperson of AOTA’s Nominating Committee.
“My decision to seek the position of AOTA Delegate to the WFOT was inspired by my interest in international health and the learning that can take place through cross-cultural exchanges,” said Coppola. "Recently I had the opportunity to work in Thailand on inclusive tourism in the post-tsunami region. This opportunity built connections with international leaders in OT and disability rights. Collaborations in Denmark several years ago led to a National Institutes on Aging funded research grant on preventive home visits for older adults in North Carolina.” This summer Coppola will work in the National Association of Applied Anthropology—Occupational Therapy Field School in Guatemala supervising interns working with older adults. WFOT is the official international organization that represents and promotes occupational therapy. Founded in 1952, WFOT currently has over 50 member associations including AOTA. As the WFOT Delegate, Professor Coppola will work closely with her international colleagues to advance occupational therapy research, education, and practice to better serve the needs of individuals and communities. The Division of Occupational Science is one of seven divisions of the Department of Allied Health Sciences in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The division administers a Master of Science program in Occupational Therapy as well as a PhD in Occupational Science, and conducts multiple research, clinical and service projects through our faculty collaborations. UNC-Chapel Hill’s Division of Occupational Science is ranked 5th out of 81 Master’s in occupational science programs by U.S. News & World Report. ### Media inquiries please contact: North Carolina’s First Master’s Degree in Molecular Diagnostic Science Launched at Celebration Recognizing New Corporate Partners ProgramChapel Hill, NC, June 11, 2009 — The UNC-Chapel Hill Division of Clinical Laboratory Science hosted the first annual lecture and reception on June 11, 2009, from 3:00 to 5:30 PM in Bondurant Hall, Room G30, to celebrate the start of the Division’s new Master’s Degree in Molecular Diagnostic Science (MMDS) and the launch of the MDS Corporate Partners Program. Dr. Thomas K. Huard, Ph.D., Scientific Director of Molecular Diagnostics with Quest Diagnostics, delivered the kick-off lecture focusing on the future of the molecular diagnostic science industry.
"The MDS Corporate Partners Program recognizes the close link between molecular diagnostic testing in the clinical laboratory and the products, services, and technology offered by the private sector,” said Susan Beck, Professor and Director of the Division of Clinical Laboratory Science. "Leaders in the molecular diagnostics industry help to support the MMDS program because of the great need for qualified laboratory professionals who can perform molecular tests, bring new assays into a laboratory, and work with issues related to molecular testing." At the event, Dr. Beck awarded two student scholarships that were made possible by the generous financial support of the MDS Corporate Partners. "We are very excited about showcasing our partnerships with these leading companies in the molecular diagnostic industry and are extremely grateful for their support,” said Dr. Beck. The MDS Corporate Partners Program founding gold partners are Abbott Molecular, Applied Biosystems, BD Molecular Diagnostics, Gen-Probe, McKesson Corporation, Quest Diagnostics, Roche Diagnostics Corporation, and ZeptoMetrix Corporation. "We are proud to be a part of the UNC-Chapel Hill students’ learning experience — helping students prepare for their careers in molecular diagnostic science," said Dr. Andrew Mellin, M.D., Vice President for Advanced Clinical Technologies with McKesson Corporation, which is a founding gold partner. "Like our fellow corporate partners, McKesson is committed to furthering scientific innovation and education to help ensure that health care providers and their patients have broad access to high-quality services." The Division of Clinical Laboratory Science, which is one of seven divisions within the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, prepares health professionals who provide the laboratory information and services needed for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The Division offers a baccalaureate degree in Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) and a new Master’s Degree in Molecular Diagnostic Science (MMDS). Graduates of these programs find rewarding careers as clinical laboratory generalists, specialists, administrators, researchers, quality assurance specialists, technical representatives, and sales representatives. Over 900 students have graduated from the CLS program since it began as a hospital-based program at NC Memorial Hospital in the 1950s. The Division has clinical affiliations with UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, Duke University Medical Center and the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Durham, and Nash Health Care Systems in Rocky Mount. The Division of CLS accepts 20 CLS and six to eight MMDS students each year and is committed to contributing to the knowledge base of clinical laboratory science through research, to transmitting that knowledge to other professionals, and to strengthening the profession through service. Dr. Karen Erickson Appointed First David E. and Dolores J. (Dee) Yoder Distinguished ProfessorDr. Karen Erickson, Director of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies and professor in the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, was selected as the first David E. and Dolores J. (Dee) Yoder Distinguished Professor in Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Allied Health Sciences in the School of Medicine. Professor Erickson’s appointment was celebrated at a brief ceremony at the David E. Yoder Distinguished Symposium on Friday, March 6 at the Carolina Club in the George Watts Hill Alumni Center in Chapel Hill.
"The School of Medicine's strength in the field of communication disorders research is due in large part to the leadership provided by professors Yoder and Erickson," said Dr. William Roper, Dean of the School of Medicine, Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs and CEO, UNC Health Care System. "How fitting it is that we recognize David Yoder and his contributions to and leadership in the field by selecting Karen Erickson as the inaugural Yoder distinguished professor." The Yoder Distinguished Professorship was established through the generosity of Maynard and Carolyn Sauder of Archbold, Ohio, to stand as a perpetual tribute to the dedicated professionalism and skilled teaching and research of David E. Yoder, Ph.D., and the steadfast support of his wife, Dee. "Both Karen and David have been instrumental in initiating and promoting the field of literacy for persons with severe communication disorders. During David's early career as a speech-language pathologist, he became concerned that the majority of persons with significant communication disorders lacked the one skill that would allow them to communicate fully with others – literacy,” said Dr. Lee McLean, Chair of the Department of Allied Health Sciences and Associate Dean School of Medicine. This concern led him to establish the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a move that has sparked Karen’s leadership to help develop a new and significant field of research and practice within the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) arena and the discipline of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Dr. Karen Erickson holds a Ph.D. in Special Education and Literacy Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a former teacher of students with significant disabilities, including many who used augmentative and alternative communication. Knowledgeable in literacy, assistive and instructional technologies, augmentative communication, and the learning characteristics of students with significant disabilities, she presents nationally and internationally and is in great demand as a consultant, researcher, and program developer. Dr. Erickson is the 2004 recipient of the National Down Syndrome Congress Educator Award and the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Distinguished Literacy Lectureship Award. Dr. Erickson directs several research and development efforts addressing the literacy learning and communication needs of persons with disabilities of all ages. Current research efforts involve school-aged students who struggle to read and write, school-aged students with complex communication needs, and children, adolescents, and young adults with multiple disabilities, including deaf-blindness. Her work has been published in numerous journal articles and book chapters. David E. Yoder is professor emeritus of speech and hearing sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill. He recently retired as executive director of the Council for Allied Health in North Carolina. He was chair of the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1986-2000. In 1988 he and Dr. David Koppenhaver co-founded the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies. Dr. Yoder has authored numerous professional articles and book chapters in the area of language disorders with special needs populations. He served as the first journal editor for AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication). He has co-edited five books. He has presented over 500 research papers, professional workshops, and consultations nationwide as well as in Europe, Japan, Taiwan, the Soviet Union, and New Zealand. He has served on numerous committees and boards of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and served as the association's president in 1984. Dr. Yoder is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and was awarded Honors of the association in 1995. He received life membership in 1999. He is a Fellow of the American Association on Mental Retardation and was awarded life membership in 1997 and is a fellow of the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions. Dr. Yoder was the first president of the United States Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC). The Center for Literacy & Disability Studies’ (CLDS) mission is to promote literacy and communication for individuals of all ages with disabilities. It is the belief of the CLDS that disabilities are only one of many factors that influence an individual's ability to learn to read and write and to use print throughout their life and across their living environments. All individuals, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, have the right to an opportunity to learn to read and write in order to increase and enhance their educational opportunities, vocational success, communicative competence, self-empowerment capabilities, and independence. The UNC Medical Bulletin featured an article about Dr. Erickson and the CLDS in its Spring 08 edition. For more information about the CLDS, contact Karen Erickson at karen_erickson@med.unc.edu or 919.966.8566 or visit the CLDS website at www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds. For more information, contact Kyle Gray at 919.966.3352 or kyle_gray@med.unc.edu and check Division of Speech and Hearing Takes Part in $8.9M Study of Childhood Hearing LossMelody F. Harrison, Ph.D., a professor of speech and hearing sciences in the Department of Allied Health Sciences, will participate in a five-year, $8.9-million study aimed at understanding the impact hearing loss can have on children’s ability to communicate, succeed in school, and have good social and psychological development. The co-principal investigator for the UNC component of the project is Patricia A. Roush, Au.D., Director of Pediatric Audiology, UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings Names Cytotechnology Classroom
Roush Receives National Award from American Academy of Audiology
Dr. Jackson Roush, Professor and Director of the University of North Carolina Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, was recipient of the 2007 Presidential Award given by the American Academy of Audiology at its annual convention in Denver, Colorado, on April 19, 2007. The award was presented to Dr. Roush in "grateful appreciation for his significant contributions to the American Academy of Audiology and the audiology profession, and in recognition of his leadership in expanding the quantity and quality of clinical externship sites and preceptors for doctoral students in audiology. Throughout his career, Dr. Roush has worked on behalf of children with hearing loss and their families as a clinician, author, educator, and member of the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing. The Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences at UNC, established in 1969, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, are internationally recognized for excellence in education, research, and professional service. One of seven divisions in the Department of Allied Health Sciences, UNC School of Medicine, the Division’s academic degree programs include a master’s (M.S.) in speech-language pathology and doctoral degrees in audiology (Au.D.), and speech and hearing sciences (Ph.D.). The audiology and speech-language pathology programs at UNC are among the nation’s top-ranked graduate programs. Speech and Hearing Sciences Online Course is First at UNC to Earn National Quality RecognitionThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences and the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) are pleased to announce that the survey course, Special Topics in Speech and Hearing, has earned the Quality Matters designation for meeting educational quality assurance standards. Click here for more information. FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA Donates New Instructional Equipment
FUJIFILM Medical Systems, has donated and installed a computed radiography (CR) system valued at $189,000 in the Division of Radiologic Sciences’ new teaching laboratory in the Burnett-Womack Building at UNC-Chapel Hill. "The FUJIFILM CR system allows our students to learn in a laboratory setting the skills and knowledge required to optimize image quality and reduce patient radiation dose. These skills and knowledge will enhance their clinical practice while in the program and beyond graduation,” said Joy Renner, Associate Professor and Director of the Division. Radiologic science is a health profession concerned with medical imaging for diagnosis and assessment of disease and injury. The Division offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Radiologic Science, a certificate program in Radiography, and a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program for radiologist assistants. Since 1977, the Division has been committed to educating radiologist assistants and radiologic technologists to joint North Carolina's health care workforce with 80% of the Division’s 254 alumni working and residing in the state.
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