SECD faculty, students present at annual ASHA convention

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Eleven faculty and 16 students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders were contributing authors on 20 presentations during the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) annual convention, which was held Nov. 17-19 in Philadelphia.

Assistant professor Angela Dietsch was a presenting author on four different presentations during the ASHA convention. In addition, she was honored with ASHA’s 2016 Early Career Contributions in Research Award, which recognizes significant scientific accomplishments by individuals beyond the dissertation and within five years of receiving their doctoral or other terminal degree.

“It was rewarding to be able to share several aspects of our current work at ASHA 2016, and even more thrilling to engage with clinicians and researchers who are eager to learn and share what’s on the cutting edge of our field,” Dietsch said. “Maintaining those connections inspires new ideas and keeps my research and teaching relevant.”

Dietsch was among the eight faculty members and two students from Nebraska who attended the convention as presenters. The topics covered by Nebraska’s faculty and students addressed research about swallowing, traumatic brain injuries, aphasia, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), infant communication, speech and language issues with children born preterm, and memory education and training for aging individuals.

Alicia Davis and Diane Farrand, both lecturers in the speech-language pathology program also had a poster presentation about their study abroad trip and work in Costa Rica to help individuals enhance their English language skills.

Cynthia Cress, the Alan T. Seagren Associate Professor of Education, agreed with Dietsch that the ASHA convention is not only a great place for sharing current research, but also allows individuals to make connections that help them further their professional growth.

“More than learning and presenting research and clinical information, ASHA is a way to connect with people to build avenues of growth in every aspect of my work,” Cress said. “I connected with prospective master’s and doctoral students, learned and shared teaching strategies, prepared to become an editor in our professional journals, met with existing collaborators to draft sections of an upcoming grant, recruited new collaborators on grant projects, developed new potential lines of research with other researchers, and established working procedures with international sites for research collaboration in four countries.”