Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
- The newly initiated Doctor of Audiology program, which is fully accredited by the Council of Academic Accreditation that is associated with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, has admitted its second cohort of students from a highly competitive pool of applicants.
- The department’s master’s degree program in Speech Pathology has gained re-accreditation from the Council of Academic Accreditation. The re-accreditation has been awarded for the next seven years.
- Dr. Susan Prendergast, an associate professor in the department, is the president of the Educational Audiology Association. The Educational Audiology Association is an international professional organization for audiologists who specialize in the management of hearing and hearing impairment within the educational environment.
- Dr. Joseph Smaldino, professor and chair of the department, is the president of the Illinois Academy of Audiology. The Illinois Academy of Audiology is a professional association of audiologists and serves as “the voice of audiology” in Illinois.
- An enhanced speech and hearing science laboratory has been developed and will begin operation in the fall of 2007.
- Faculty members have submitted several external grant applications in both speech-language pathology and audiology.
