As an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist for the past thirty-four years, I have actively served families and children nationwide and in Canada as a clinical pediatric and school-based speech-language pathologist. In 2011, I earned my Administrative-Supervisory credential and completed my Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction in 2018 from Utah State University. My doctoral studies emphasized Special Education, Program Evaluation, and School Administration. Additionally, I hold a Master of Science in speech-language pathology from Utah State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics from the University of Utah.

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I am an Assistant Professor in the Speech, Hearing, and Rehabilitation Services Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato. I am also an affiliated faculty member with The Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® of Minnesota Center for Rural Behavioral Health. My experience and expertise encompass stuttering, early childhood, school-age language disorders, phonological and motor-speech disorders, pediatric brain injury, and social-pragmatic communication. My focus extends to children with neurodevelopmental issues such as autism and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

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I actively teach courses in Introduction to Communication Disorders, speech-language development, and child-language disorders at the undergraduate level. At the graduate level, I instruct classes in stuttering, speech-sound disorders, School Age Language Assessment and Intervention, and clinical practicums within speech-language pathology. As a clinical supervisor in MNSU’s Center for Communication Sciences and Disorders, I primarily support graduate students working with individuals who stutter, have complex speech sound disorders, have autism, have social communication disorders, language-literacy disorders, and have augmentative-alternative communication needs.

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"When I teach, I see myself as a speech and language coach, creating and maintaining an active learning environment where students feel supported and encouraged." (Strong, 2018)

 

I design scaffolded exercises and practices to guide students from understanding fundamental concepts to applying their knowledge in clinical settings. I aim to ensure that students grasp what they are learning, understand why it matters, and know how to approach it in real-world applications. With high professional expectations, I challenge my students to strive for excellence in clinical service delivery, focusing on evidence-based practices and deepening their understanding of individuals who stutter, those with speech-language-learning disorders, and those from multicultural or neurodiverse backgrounds.