We’re especially excited that two of them are from our Audiology program — Kip Crozier and Hanna Brochinsky! Their stories highlight the passion and dedication our students bring to the field of hearing and speech, and we couldn’t be prouder to see them recognized.

Take a few minutes to watch their journey and be inspired:

]]> https://www.med.unc.edu/healthsciences/sphs/2025/09/promoting-a-culture-of-health-tyrrell-county/ Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:28:35 +0000 https://www.med.unc.edu/healthsciences/sphs/?p=5737 Read more]]> Attention graduate students! Want to make the most of spring break while gaining valuable experience? Consider applying to our Tyrrell County spring trip, where you’ll collaborate with community agencies and residents to promote well-being and reduce health risks in under-resourced communities. This week-long trip includes one course credit for PHYT/SPHS 869.

Interested? Don’t wait! The application deadline is October 13th. For more information, download the PDF of the flyer below or contact Dr. Rachel Donnelly at Rachel_donnelly@med.unc.edu with any questions.

Download Flyer ]]> https://www.med.unc.edu/healthsciences/sphs/2025/07/coming-to-disney-july-9-camp-alec-documentary-featuring-dr-karen-erickson/ Tue, 08 Jul 2025 18:22:18 +0000 https://www.med.unc.edu/healthsciences/sphs/?p=5643 Read more]]>

Karen Erickson, Phd, is featured in a new Disney+ documentary spotlighting Camp ALEC—a unique camp for children with physical disabilities whose primary communication mode is augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

Founded in 2014, and now hosted at Rocky Mountain Village in Colorado, Camp ALEC brings together campers and educators for a week of intensive literacy instruction and joyful camp experiences. Under the direction of Dr. Erickson and Dr. David Koppenhaver, the camp models high-impact, inclusive teaching while empowering children with physical disabilities to grow in independence, confidence, and communication.

Tune in on July 9 to see how literacy, community, and creativity come together at Camp ALEC—and how Erickson’s work is making a lasting impact for students and educators across the country.

Watch the trailer below…..

Listen to the Podcast

But a temporary assignment in a Florida school district in 2014 shifted her focus in a way she never expected. Etkie was assigned to work with a high school student with Rett syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that affects communication andmotor skills, primarily in girls. The student used a speech-generating device controlled with her eyes—technology that opened a new world of communication and sparked Etkie’s deep interest in the condition.

That experience launched more than a decade of work with individuals with Rett syndrome and ultimately led her to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She studied under Dr. Karen Erickson, director of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies and a leading researcher in the field.

“Karen’s writing was just so different from the rest of the literature,” Etkie said. “She showed me that what I was seeing was right—that they were doing things.”

At UNC, Etkie’s research focused on communication and literacy in people with Rett syndrome. In one study, she and her team tracked the visual attention of girls with Rett syndrome during shared reading with their parents.

“We saw that parents could be trained to learn how to read to their children in a really engaging way,” she said. “The girls’ eyes were tracking not just on the pictures of the page, but also on the words.”

Her dissertation explored how three girls under the age of 14 with Rett syndrome viewed themselves as readers, writers and communicators—an approach that centered their voices in a field where they are often overlooked.

While at Carolina, Etkie also helped launch the Rett Syndrome Center of Excellence at UNC Hospitals in February 2024. She worked alongside pediatric neurologists to establish the center’s speech-language pathology program, which now serves as a vital resource for families across the region.

This fall, Etkie will begin a new role as an assistant professor at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama, where she will teach in the online master’s program in speech-language pathology. She also plans to continue her research on Rett syndrome and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

“There’s still so much to learn,” she said. “But I’m committed to making sure these voices are heard.”

The Clinical Aphasiology Conference is an annual event for researchers, clinicians, and students dedicated to understanding and treating aphasia—a language disorder typically caused by brain injury or stroke. This conference has a special focus on clinical aspects of aphasia research including assessment tool construction or treatment development.

As a student fellow, Soomin received a travel grant to attend the conference, along with exclusive opportunities including a mentorship opportunity, a lunch with keynote speakers, and participation in a special poster presentation session. These experiences provided invaluable professional development and networking opportunities.

“It felt so wonderful to see my pre-dissertation project complete and to present it to the world,” Soomin shared. Her research, Agrammatic Feature at the Discourse-Level in People with Different Aphasia Types, was met with enthusiasm and thoughtful discussion from fellow attendees. “I was thrilled to meet and connect with other researchers and students who care about aphasia in diverse research topics.”

The fellowship not only recognized Soomin’s academic excellence but also connected her with a community of professionals who share her passion for improving the lives of individuals with communication disorders. Her participation in the conference reflects a promising future in clinical aphasiology and a commitment to bridging research and practice.

Fueled by a passion for helping singers and other professional voice users, Downey was inspired to apply his expertise in vocal pedagogy to help individuals suffering from voice problems.

“I wanted to be able to help my students by understanding the nuances of voice rehabilitation and found that speech-language pathology was where this work occurred,” Downey explains.

Downey steps into this specialty with outstanding regional support.

Clinically, Downey has demonstrated remarkable training and clinical excellence in voice disorders throughout his M.S. program. In the final semester of the program, he completed a highly competitive clinical externship at neighboring Duke University at the Duke Voice Care Center, where he trained under leading experts in voice and upper airway care. The experience gave him intensive, hands-on exposure to evaluating and treating complex voice disorders, bridging his academic preparation with real-world clinical application. This clinical placement reflects his outstanding clinical skills, interdisciplinary approach, and ability to excel in a specialized medical voice care setting.

Downey plans to continue his voice and upper airway training during his clinical fellowship year at Emerge Pediatric Therapy starting in July. He plans to gain additional hands-on experience with increasing independence refining his clinical skills in both voice evaluation and therapeutic intervention, providing a critical bridge between academic knowledge and real-world application.

“I’m excited because it will give me many clinical skills outside of voice, and I hope to become a well-rounded clinician at Emerge,“ Downey shares. “It will allow me to improve children’s lives throughout the Triangle and work closely with their families.”

Downey’s career journey coincides with major graduate curricular advancements in UNC’s M.S. program in Speech-Language Pathology. The program recently revamped its voice and upper airway disorders coursework. Starting with the incoming cohort, all enrolled graduate students will be required to take a new 3-credit intensive course on these conditions in their first semester. This curricular shift complements the broader ecosystem of voice and upper airway care thriving within the Research Triangle and Triad. With specialized clinical placements in North Carolina for graduate students who are passionate about voice and upper airway disorders, this is an exciting time for these professional networks to grow. Institutions across the region have ample opportunities for future collaborations on cutting-edge basic and clinical research in vocal health and upper airway disorders.

As UNC continues to build momentum in this field, graduates like Ryan Downey, D.M.A., M.S. stand as testament to the region’s strengths in training the next generation of voice-specialized speech-language pathologists. Downey exemplifies the powerful intersection of clinical training and artistic expertise that the Research Triangle and Triad fosters.

The ceremony included recognition of clinical preceptors Shannon Culbertson, AuD and Emory Roper, M.S., CCC-SLP. Followed by the presentation of degree candidates and student reflections.

48 candidates were recognized on Saturday including: 1 candidate for Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Speech Hearing Sciences; 10 candidates for Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) in Clinical Audiology; and 37 candidates for Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech-Language Pathology.

Congratulations to the Class of 2025!

On March 25, the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions announced that 21 members have been selected to participate in its 2025 Leadership Development Program (LDP), including the Director of the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences’ Hannah Siburt, AuD, PhD.

Established in 2005, this program provides a broad spectrum of training opportunities for future Deans and leaders in health professions education. Modules will include management skills, budgeting and conflict resolution, among other administrative topics that are critical for successful leadership.

The 2025 program will be implemented in two phases: Part I is scheduled for April 15-16 in Nashville, TN, focusing on leadership styles and budgeting. Part II will take place October 14-16 in Indianapolis, IN immediately prior to the 2025 ASAHP Annual Conference.

Between the programs in April and October, there will be numerous opportunities for participants to collaborate on team projects that will be based on timely events affecting institutions of higher education. Participants will have the opportunity to pursue issues of interest while also developing personal leadership skills.

“For twenty years, ASAHP’s Leadership Development Program (LDP) has equipped future academic leaders and Deans with top notch leadership skills for success in higher education administration,” said ASAHP President Dr. Craig R. Jackson, MSW, JD, FASAHP, Dean of the School of Allied Health Professions at Loma Linda University. “This year is no exception. With a stellar lineup of speakers, participants will engage in workshops designed to enhance their leadership abilities, foster professional growth, and strengthen their institutions.”

The 2025 Leadership Development Program participants include:
(listed alphabetically by last name)

• Darcy Carter, DHSc, MHA, Department Chair, Weber State University
• Catherine M. Cooper, M.S., Chair, Department of Radiologic Sciences, University of South Alabama
• Ramona Dorough, PhD, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development, UT Southwestern School of Health Professions
• Katie Eliot, PhD, RDN, Associate Professor, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences
• Irina Ellison, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Global Programs, College of Health Professions, Sacred Heart University
• Yvonne Golightly, PT, MS, PhD, Assistant Dean for Research and Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Allied Health Professions
• Ryan Krzyzanowicz, DAT, ATC, Program Director Athletic Training Education and Clinical Associate Professor – University at Buffalo
• Shonda Lawrence, Ph.D., MSW, MS, Assistant Dean/Associate Professor, Governors State University
• Sarah McKinnon, OTD, Interim Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy, MGH Institute of Health Professions
• Kim Mace, DAT, ATC, Interim Chair, Department of Health Science, MGH Institute of Health Professions
• Amy Mattila, PhD, MBA, MS, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Department Chair of Occupational Therapy, Duquesne University
• Patrick Pabian PT, DPT, PhD, Professor & Department Chair, University of Kentucky
• Yovanna Pomarico, Director & Assistant Professor, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
• Oaklee Rogers, PhD, OTR/L, Associate Dean, Northern Arizona University
• Shannon W. Salley, SLP.D., CCC-SLP, Associate Dean, College of Education, Health, and Human Services, Longwood University
• Sara Scholtes, PT, DPT, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Physical Therapy, North Central College
• Bruce Searles, PhD, CCP, Executive Assistant Dean, SUNY Upstate Medical University
• Hannah Siburt, AuD, PhD, Division Director, Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Janet Simon PhD, Associate Dean for Research, Ohio University
• Lesley E. Tomaszewski, PhD, MS, BA, MHA Director, Stony Brook Medicine
• Tracy Wall PT, PhD, Program Director and Professor, Quinnipiac University