Speech-Language Pathology since 1971
I have been a full-time university professor since 1976. I taught at West Virginia University from 1976-1979, and since 1979 I have been teaching in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. I teach undergraduate courses in Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Speech and Hearing Science. I teach graduate level courses in Neurology and Neuropathologies, Motor Speech Disorders (apraxia, dysarthria, and cerebral palsy), Dysphagia/Swallowing Disorders, Gerontology, and Counseling Skills for Speech-Language Pathologists. I taught Voice Disorders and Cleft Palate for 20 years.
There are about 900 licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologists throughout the United States who have been my graduate students, many of whom work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, private practices, and universities.
In 1999 I received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association for my years of excellence in teaching as well as other contributions to the profession.
An important part of my teaching is the all-day seminars and workshops I have presented in cities throughout the U.S. and in other countries (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore). These seminars and workshops have been well received and provide continuing education for Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Nurses, and Educators.
Most seminars have been on the topic of counseling skills for rehabilitation specialists and nurses, or the relationship between attention deficit disorders and auditory processing disorders. I also have presented workshops on traumatic brain injury, cognitive rehabilitation, and working in skilled nursing facilities. The emphasis of the seminars and workshops is always on practical and functional ways of managing the challenges we face when working with the different disorders and interacting with clients/patients and their family members.
My current writing is The Complete Dictionary and Resource for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (Delmar Learning, available in 2011), and Neuroscience for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (Delmar Learning, available 2013).