The inductees and their respective academies are: Interim Dean Matthew Theriot (Social Work), Associate Dean of Research Jennifer Kent-Walsh (Speech-Language Pathology), Department of Health Sciences Chair Gail Kauwell (Nutrition and Dietetics), Director for the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders Ann Eddins (Audiology), Associate Professor Nicole Dawson (Physical Therapy), Clinical Associate Professor Carey Rothschild (Physical Therapy) and Assistant Professor Susanny Beltran (Social Work). The honors were bestowed at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 15.

Prior to his appointment as interim dean, Theriot served as the director of the School of Social Work where he implemented a professional and community education program, grew interprofessional research opportunities, and elevated the school 麻豆精品 S檚 graduate rankings. As the interim dean, he provides leadership to the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the Department of Health Sciences, the School of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, and the School of Social Work. Theriot 麻豆精品 S檚 career includes more than two decades of higher education teaching and research coupled with years of executive leadership roles centered around implementing strategic initiatives. He previously worked as a school social worker, mobile crisis counselor and child welfare worker. Theriot is active in professional service on a national level, chairing the Council on Social Work Education 麻豆精品 S檚 Commission on Membership and Professional Development.

Kent-Walsh is a Pegasus Professor and the associate dean of research and faculty excellence within CHPS, the director of the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology Center and leads the Assistive Technology Center Lab. Kent-Walsh has earned more than two dozen awards and accolades for excellence in teaching, service, research and innovation during her more than 20-year career in higher education and has worked extensively in interdisciplinary teaching and clinical roles. A highly accomplished researcher, she has secured millions in funding to further her research which focuses on aided language development and augmentative and alternative communication, has presented her work extensively nationally and internationally, and has led a variety of initiatives in the college to advance interdisciplinary research and practice.

An experienced educator, researcher and registered dietician nutritionist with more than four decades of experience in academia focused on nutrition and dietetics education and practice, Kauwell has served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Sciences for the last six years. Her mentoring skills and passion for educating future healthcare professionals have been recognized with multiple awards for teaching and mentoring excellence. Her research record, which focuses on folate and vitamin B12, has been published in top-ranked journals with findings translated into materials for healthcare professionals and consumers. Kauwell most recently spearheaded the development of the department 麻豆精品 S檚 first graduate program, the master 麻豆精品 S檚 in health promotion and behavioral sciences.

Eddins, a professor and the director of the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, has more than 30 years of academic and leadership experience in the field. She is a clinical audiologist and classically trained neuroscientist who has centered her clinical and research interests on neural encoding, neural plasticity aging and rehabilitative intervention 麻豆精品 S� working to better understand the neural bases of auditory perception in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired individuals. Her research has been continuously funded by the NIH, NSF, private industry and foundations. Eddins is also a leader on a national level, serving as past President of the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences & Disorders and on the Board of Directors and journal editor for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Dawson has been involved with interprofessional education, practice and research throughout her 22-year career. An associate professor in the Division of Physical Therapy and director of the Aging and Longevity Initiatives for Vitality & Enrichment Lab, Dawson 麻豆精品 S檚 clinical work and research has centered around healthy aging and improving the quality of life for seniors. She is a Board Certified Geriatric Physical Therapist Emeritus who has been recognized by both the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy and the American Physical Therapy Association for her outstanding work as an educator. She holds an appointment with UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Faculty Cluster Initiative in Disability, Aging and Technology, an interdisciplinary collaboration that explores innovations to better support aging populations.

A clinical associate professor in the Division of Physical Therapy, Rothschild is a board-certified clinical specialist in sports physical therapy and orthopedic physical therapy, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and a Menopause Society certified practitioner. Her areas of interest are determining best practices for the assessment and treatment of persistent pain to improve the health of patients. Rothschild has more than 25 years of clinical practice experience, collaborating with interprofessional and intraprofessional teams to deliver cost-effective, collaborative and patient-centered care to those with chronic pain. She has been recognized nationally for her teaching excellence, and recently helped lead the implementation of a new Women 麻豆精品 S檚 Health Physical Therapy Residency program in conjunction with Orlando Health. She also serves as editor in chief of the prominent publication Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Practice.

Beltran, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work and a co-director of the Center for Behavioral Health Research and Training is committed to fostering interdisciplinary education and research in social change and development. Her expertise is in gerontological social work and her research concentrates on end-of-life care, advance care planning and challenges that may come with working in hospice and nursing home settings. Beltran aims to enhance collaborative practice in the care of older adults and improve access and navigation of end-of-life care for older adults while preparing social workers for effective practice in interdisciplinary settings.

The NAP Academies also include dentistry, nursing, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, psychology, respiratory care and veterinary medicine.

These faculty members join four CHPS faculty previously inducted into the NAP. In 2023, 听补苍诲听, and in 2024, Clinical Associate Professors Laurie Neely and Jennifer Tucker 麻豆精品 S�23 were inducted in physical therapy.

麻豆精品 S淏oth the scientific findings and, more importantly, the feedback from the families of children using AAC and their service-providers, have shown us the incredible power assistive technology can hold for children with significant speech impairments when combined with customized language therapy, 麻豆精品 S� says Jennifer Kent-Walsh, founder of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Assistive Technology Center and a Pegasus Professor in the College of Health Professions and Sciences. 麻豆精品 S淭his new round of NIH funding means we can expand our work to provide clinicians with more evidence-based assessment and intervention options to help children develop language skills through use of AAC technologies. 麻豆精品 S�

The NIH can clearly see from data that children with significant speech impairments and genetic conditions like Down syndrome and cerebral palsy are communicating at higher levels. They can also look at the flurry of activity and engagement among the children, families, service providers, UCF students, community clinicians, caregivers and researchers at the center. Thousands of people have come for workshops, individualized training and therapy, and to borrow assistive technologies to help those struggling with language development, communication and a wide range of other needs.

麻豆精品 S淲e are fortunate to have had support at UCF to align the critical stakeholder groups required to simultaneously advance science and practice 麻豆精品 S� community, clinical, academic, research, industry, and the next generation of speech-language pathologists and related service-providers, 麻豆精品 S� Kent-Walsh says. 麻豆精品 S淭wo key aspects of the study this new funding will support relate to the critical need to design interventions that are implementable in real-life contexts for clinicians and accessible to as many children as possible for sustained periods of time in community settings. 麻豆精品 S�

Kent-Walsh argues that engineering great technologies and even designing effective interventions can still miss the mark of meaningful scientific advancement in healthcare without implementation. This new funding will allow Kent-Walsh 麻豆精品 S檚 team to focus on validating interventions that are designed with and for clinicians supporting children using assistive technology to communicate. 聽The fact that the NIH is funding this work is a sign of the significant and practical progress that 麻豆精品 S檚 been two decades in the making.

Kent-Walsh is the cornerstone of this classic from-the-ground-up story. She came to UCF as an assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders in 2003. As a teacher and speech-language pathologist in Canada and England, she had witnessed first-hand the life setbacks that speech and language disorders can cause for children. At UCF, she would have the freedom to explore meaningful solutions, including technology-based ideas, to address these challenges. 麻豆精品 S淭he university always had an openness for innovation 麻豆精品 S� particularly in areas relating to engineering and technology, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淔or me, it was exciting to have the opportunity to develop a program of assistive technology research in an environment already primed for technology development and with an emerging focus on health and wellness. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淐ommunication is a basic human right which can, and must, be supported for all. 麻豆精品 S�

During her time at UCF, Kent-Walsh has secured millions of dollars in funding from local, state and federal sources to expand research and optimize assistive technology service-delivery. In 2023, after being named a Pegasus Professor, Kent-Walsh saw a banner hung in her honor with the words that have driven her from day one:

麻豆精品 S淐ommunication is a basic human right which can, and must, be supported for all, 麻豆精品 S� Kent-Walsh says.

When any of this is brought up 麻豆精品 S� the research, the scientific findings and the successes 麻豆精品 S� Kent-Walsh shifts the focus to the power of people working together.

麻豆精品 S淲e have been able to learn and accomplish as much as we have to this point through true team science, 麻豆精品 S� she says.

Cathy Binger at the University of New Mexico (UNM) has been Kent-Walsh 麻豆精品 S檚 primary research collaborator for the past two decades and she serves as the other principal investigator for this new grant. Their decades long partnership has afforded invaluable cross-institutional learning and funded training experiences for both UCF and UNM students through clinical trial investigations like this one. Professor John Heilman, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, recently joined the research team as a language measurement expert. Other key team members include Professor Debbie Hahs-Vaughn from UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 College of Community Innovation and Education, who serves as biostatistician for the project, and associate clinical instructor Nancy Harrington who serves as project director for this multi-site clinical trial investigation. 聽And then there is the project team 麻豆精品 S� with additional clinical and academic connections for the project facilitated by the broader village of collaborators in the FAAST Center and AAC Lab, including associate clinical instructor Carolyn Buchanan and clinical instructor Punam Desormes.

麻豆精品 S淲hen we involve students and our community at large, the network of advocates expands to ensure that any child can gain access to assistive technology services, 麻豆精品 S� Kent-Walsh says. 麻豆精品 S淭hey know, and NIH knows, that there is a growing body of findings indicating that the use of AAC technologies, combined with tailored language intervention, is where the magic happens. 麻豆精品 S�

The team 麻豆精品 S檚 overall goal is to reach as many children as possible in as many healthcare settings as possible, and ultimately, to improve lives.

Pegasus Professors are selected by the president and provost and are recognized for excellence in the teaching, research and service. This year 麻豆精品 S檚 honorees include innovative researchers who have not only made a difference at UCF, but nationally and internationally.

Stephen Fiore 麻豆精品 S檚 classrooms and cognitive science gatherings have birthed hundreds of ideas for dissertations, publications, research projects and even apps, in settings he calls 麻豆精品 S渁nti-disciplinarian. 麻豆精品 S�

Jane Gibson is a medical geneticist and molecular pathologist who uses genomic technology to improve patient diagnostics and treatment, and shares a career of knowledge with the next generation of medical professionals.

Jennifer Kent-Walsh built a center from the ground up at UCF to help people of all ages who live with barriers caused by communication disorders.

Marianna Pensky opened new doors 28 years ago as the first woman faculty in UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Department of Mathematics, and has influenced the field through research and mentorship.

The four professors will be recognized Wednesday during the Founders’ Day Faculty Honors Celebration from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Student Union Pegasus Ballroom.

Stephen Fiore

Professor, cognitive sciences
Director, ,
,

Few people know: He spent so much time working in restaurants during college that he once considered a career in the restaurant business.

Stephen Fiore arrives 30 minutes early to move the furniture for the classes he leads. A handwritten note sometimes greets him. 麻豆精品 S淧lease put the chairs where you found them when you 麻豆精品 S檙e finished. 麻豆精品 S�

Fiore is half-tempted to ask, 麻豆精品 S淲hy? 麻豆精品 S�

The circular format he employs has proven to open the gates to some of the most constructive conversations about some of the strangest questions you can imagine. Do dogs think about the future? What does a tick experience when landing on a person 麻豆精品 S檚 flesh?

If the topics sound odd, that 麻豆精品 S檚 perfect.

麻豆精品 S淭he best ideas across every discipline start with a little mind wandering, 麻豆精品 S� Fiore says. 麻豆精品 S淭hen we move from wandering to actual ideas. The best discussions lead to the most important phase: how to do something with the idea. 麻豆精品 S�

His students have done plenty with their off-the-wall questions over the years. They 麻豆精品 S檝e pursued research projects, published papers and written dissertations. Two students recently joined Fiore 麻豆精品 S檚 Cognitive Science Lab, helping work on grants studying social cognition in human-robot interaction and how AI affects teamwork.

The common denominator is the questions that no one would dare ask out loud anywhere other than Fiore 麻豆精品 S檚 group settings. He calls his classes 麻豆精品 S済atherings. 麻豆精品 S� He says they are 麻豆精品 S渁nti-disciplinary. 麻豆精品 S� He never lectures.

麻豆精品 S淢y role is to create the right environment for conversation, 麻豆精品 S� he says, 麻豆精品 S渁nd then I shut up and listen. 麻豆精品 S�

The computer scientist learns perspectives from the anthropologist. The sociology graduate listens to the biology graduate. Together, they dig deeper than they could ever dig within their own colleges or own heads.

Does the ocean have a memory? The question could, and has, led to ideas to study beach erosion. How about ants 麻豆精品 S� does the shape of their nests alter social behavior? This one has spawned theories about architecture.

麻豆精品 S淲hen we 麻豆精品 S檙e specialists in a field, we might not see the big picture, what I call 麻豆精品 S榙isciplinary myopia, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Fiore says. 麻豆精品 S淥r we might look down on ideas from other fields, what I call 麻豆精品 S榙isciplinary disdain. 麻豆精品 S� I try to help others avoid these see me practicing what I preach. 麻豆精品 S�

Fiore 麻豆精品 S檚 methods are so intriguing that he 麻豆精品 S檚 been invited to give more than 120 presentations around the world and co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed papers. He 麻豆精品 S檚 played a role in securing more than $30 million in grants. One question, however, causes him to stumble when it comes up: 麻豆精品 S淗ow did he get here? 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 not so easy to answer, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

To summarize, Fiore attended junior college out of high school 麻豆精品 S渇or the heck of it. 麻豆精品 S� He realized he enjoyed learning and studied at the University of Maryland before moving to the beach with two degrees and a craving for fun.

麻豆精品 S淚 experienced the retirement life at 21 years old, 麻豆精品 S� he says, 麻豆精品 S渁nd got tired of it pretty quickly. It was time to find a real job. 麻豆精品 S�

Fiore happened to pick up a brochure describing a seminar on the brain. A little more research led him to a field called 麻豆精品 S渃ognitive psychology. 麻豆精品 S� He quit his job and went back to school to study how people think, remember, and solve problems. He also volunteered in labs where he worked with researchers from all fields of expertise.

麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 where I learned how productive we can be when we work across disciplines, 麻豆精品 S� Fiore says, 麻豆精品 S渂ecause no one is afraid to ask the 麻豆精品 S榦ut there 麻豆精品 S� questions. 麻豆精品 S�

Like, what new knowledge can be created from the collisions of ideas from people with vastly different perspectives?

麻豆精品 S淵ou know the saying, 麻豆精品 S楳any hands lighten the load? 麻豆精品 S� It works with minds, too. We need to invite more of it. 麻豆精品 S�

Jane Gibson

Professor, pathology
Chair,
Associate dean for Faculty Affairs
Director, Molecular Diagnostics

Few people know: She was a candidate for the astronaut program in the 1990s before realizing claustrophobia 麻豆精品 S減robably wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 bode well in a spaceship. 麻豆精品 S�

As one of the foremost researchers and clinicians in medical genomics and genetics, Gibson knows the literal definition of 麻豆精品 S済roundbreaking. 麻豆精品 S� In fact, 15 years ago she could have taken her expertise anywhere in the country. She 麻豆精品 S檇 already set up the genetics program for Orlando Health and directed another for Ameripath (before it became Quest Diagnostics). But in 2008 she chose to take all her expertise 聽to an empty field in Lake Nona.

麻豆精品 S淭here was nothing but dirt, bulldozers and cows, 麻豆精品 S� Gibson says of the site that would become UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 College of Medicine. 麻豆精品 S淲e didn 麻豆精品 S檛 even have running water. But that 麻豆精品 S檚 what excited us: we had a blank slate to create something extraordinary. 麻豆精品 S�

Gibson 麻豆精品 S檚 mother always encouraged her to 麻豆精品 S渟hoot for the stars, 麻豆精品 S� to look beyond what is and see what could be. Instead of seeing a field of cows and the shell of a building, Gibson and half a dozen other doctors envisioned the home of a world-class medical center. There would be a hospital, labs and freedom to extend the boundaries of medical science. Most important, there would be students with equally big dreams.

麻豆精品 S淚t comes down to this: We want to expose them to the latest discoveries and technologies of a precision medicine and genomics era and then send them into the world to make lives better, 麻豆精品 S� Gibson says.

She doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 simply talk about discoveries in genomics and precision medicine. She makes them. Her dad did the same thing as a plant geneticist. Gibson would watch him crossbreed vegetables to find more resilient varieties in his greenhouses. Early in her career, Gibson attended a conference in Colorado and happened to sit around a campfire with Mary-Claire King, who said she 麻豆精品 S檇 been researching how breast cancer and ovarian cancer ran in families. Her groundbreaking research is now legendary: A mutation of the gene called BRCA1, which causes hereditary breast cancer and is now tested along with other genes as a standard of patient care

麻豆精品 S淭he genetic cause of cancer was mostly unproven at the time, 麻豆精品 S� Gibson says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut right after that, the field just exploded. Now we use the genomic testing every day in patient care. I 麻豆精品 S檓 blessed to have been on the leading edge of it. 麻豆精品 S�

It all fits her decision to choose a pasture over an established institution 15 years ago. 麻豆精品 S淭o whom much is given, much is expected, 麻豆精品 S� she says, quoting a verse that directs her life. Gibson and her colleagues consider the College of Medicine a gift to the Orlando community. From it, more than 1,000 graduates have gone out to advance research and to care for patients who need something more tangible than a ray of hope: they need smart practitioners.

A week before learning she had been selected as a 2023 Pegasus Professor, Gibson went to a doctor 麻豆精品 S檚 appointment 麻豆精品 S� this time as a patient. In the office, she saw a reminder of why she chose this path: a former student, now a doctor, making lives better in our community.

麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 what we envisioned when we entered uncharted waters, 麻豆精品 S� Gibson says, 麻豆精品 S渁nd it still inspires me every day. 麻豆精品 S�

Jennifer Kent-Walsh

Professor, communication sciences and disorders
Founder and director,

Associate dean of Research,

Few people know: She was a Highland dancer and traveled across Canada and to Scotland to compete and perform in festivals representing her Scottish heritage.

Before she dove into speech-language pathology as her calling and before she developed the FAAST Assistive Technology Center at UCF from scratch, Jennifer Kent-Walsh learned to pay attention. She grew up in communities on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, where people expected an honest answer when asked, 麻豆精品 S淗ow are you? 麻豆精品 S� And they 麻豆精品 S檇 listen.

麻豆精品 S淧eople looked out for one another, 麻豆精品 S� Kent-Walsh says.

Her father was a minister, and her mother was a teacher and vice principal. Not surprisingly, Kent-Walsh started her career in classrooms, teaching in England and Canada. Something kept grabbing her attention.

麻豆精品 S淭he students, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淪ome had communication disorders that created barriers to the power of education. In math, for example, the numbers weren 麻豆精品 S檛 necessarily the problem. It was often the words and understanding the language that caused students challenges. 麻豆精品 S�

Her interest shifted to speech-language pathology for her graduate education. During a clinical placement, she met a young woman who completely lost the ability to speak due to complications during a routine surgery. Kent-Walsh saw it as another example of the profound impact communication disorders can have on patients and their families.

麻豆精品 S淲hen a person is unable to effectively communicate, it affects everything in life. I realized that I wanted to be involved in research so I could help find meaningful solutions to provide every person with effective ways of communicating, whether or not they have functional speech. 麻豆精品 S�

Turns out, Kent-Walsh would build a place to do just that at UCF, where she was offered the opportunity to create an advanced research and educational center focused on assistive technology.

麻豆精品 S淭he university had an openness to innovating and developing new curriculum and clinical experiences for students. For me, it was exciting and intimidating at the same time, 麻豆精品 S� she says.

With encouragement from the department chair, Jane Lieberman, Kent-Walsh wrote the first research and service-delivery grants to get things started. She pulled together clinical faculty, academic faculty, students and community stakeholders, and together they began to work with clients and families to help break communication barriers experienced by adults and children with significant speech impairments. Along with her primary research collaborator at the University of New Mexico, Cathy Binger, the UCF team paired language therapy with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies to support clients, their loved ones, and service providers. Since then, Kent-Walsh and her team have secured millions of dollars in funding from local, state and federal sources to advance their research and service-delivery missions.

麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e been intentional about leveraging the power of AAC technologies by employing both direct language interventions with clients and indirect interventions with the other significant people in their lives from day one, 麻豆精品 S� Kent-Walsh says. 麻豆精品 S淧arents of the children who participate in our research often tell us their kids are speaking more and they 麻豆精品 S檙e excited to use technology as one of many modes of communication 麻豆精品 S� whether it 麻豆精品 S檚 a high-tech device like an iPad with a speech output application, picture symbols in a communication book, or gestures. 麻豆精品 S�

Twenty years ago, Kent-Walsh had to convince others, one by one, to give these ideas a chance. Today, professionals from around the world access the published findings and contact her team of collaborators to learn how to apply them and to report the positive outcomes they have seen from implementing the AAC interventions developed at UCF. Thousands of undergraduate and graduate students have taken what they 麻豆精品 S檝e learned into their own work. Some of them have returned to UCF after practicing clinically to join Kent-Walsh and her team to advance research.

麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e light-years ahead of where we were, not because of me, but because so many people have invested themselves in this mission to ensure every person is able to communicate effectively. 麻豆精品 S� And there is still much more work to be done to ensure every person enjoys the right to communicate and to achieve their full potential, 麻豆精品 S� she says.

Marianna Pensky

Professor, mathematics
,

Few people know: She 麻豆精品 S檚 only had one job interview in her life 麻豆精品 S� at UCF.

In 1995, Marianna Pensky, a single mother from Russia with two sons, interviewed at a university in Orlando she 麻豆精品 S檇 never heard of. Pensky was a good match for the Department of Mathematics since they needed redeveloping of the probability and statistics sequence for the newly approved mathematics Ph.D. program, and she was an expert. The job was hers if she wanted it. At the urging of her sons, Pensky accepted it.

麻豆精品 S淚 had only four days to sign the offer commit to immigrating and be completely on my own with children. I was scared to death, 麻豆精品 S� Pensky says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut everything worked very well. 麻豆精品 S�

Pensky 麻豆精品 S檚 hiring is a milestone in UCF history, as she 麻豆精品 S檚 the first woman faculty in the mathematics department.

麻豆精品 S淚t is a huge mistake that many girls think that they have to choose between career and family, or that they cannot succeed in sciences, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淏oys are not any better at sciences than girls. 麻豆精品 S�

Pensky says the culture at UCF helped her to explore and experiment with her research. She 麻豆精品 S檚 authored more than 100 publications, including a major work on reliability theory and journal articles about statistical inverse problems, Bayesian statistics, statistical genetics, wavelets and signal analysis. She 麻豆精品 S檚 also received uninterrupted U.S. National Science Foundation funding for more than 20 years.

Her work has paved the way for more women to join the math and statistics faculty. They serve as role models for female students to pursue careers in science and teaching.

Pensky has also influenced dozens of graduate students as an advisor and by serving on Ph.D. committees. She 麻豆精品 S檚 developed a variety of special topic graduate courses that covered novel areas of statistics. And through these course materials she 麻豆精品 S檚 impacted the research of computer science, engineering, physics and statistics students.

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 mathematics department carries significance to Pensky 麻豆精品 S檚 personal life, too. It was there she met her husband. Their daughter arrived the same week as Pensky 麻豆精品 S檚 tenure letter. Now, she is a grandmother, and her family keeps growing.

When asked what makes her most proud of the Pegasus honor, Pensky stumbles over the word 麻豆精品 S減roud. 麻豆精品 S� She 麻豆精品 S檇 rather use 麻豆精品 S渉appy 麻豆精品 S� because she values the feeling over pride and achievements.

Patients who are hospitalized due to COVID-19 are often put on ventilators to assist their breathing. Prolonged ventilator use puts a strain on the vocal cords and reduces respiratory muscle strength, which can impact breathing, speech and swallowing. Speech language pathologists are specialists in upper airway, aerodigestive and laryngeal function disorders and are a key part of patient recovery teams.

麻豆精品 S淭his course provides up-to-the-minute information that fills a need in the education of both practicing clinicians, and students about to enter the field. 麻豆精品 S� – Bari Hoffman Ruddy, associate dean of clinical affairs for the College of Health Professions and Sciences

麻豆精品 S淭his course provides up-to-the-minute information that fills a need in the education of both practicing clinicians, and students about to enter the field, 麻豆精品 S� says Bari Hoffman Ruddy, associate dean of clinical affairs for the College of Health Professions and Sciences, who co-designed the course with colleague Vicki Lewis, an instructor in the . 麻豆精品 S淭his specialized curriculum focuses on managing the potential medical issues patients may experience across the continuum of care. This course includes content that is not readily available and is ever-evolving as new data become available. We hope this course will yield workforce ready clinicians who are prepared to meet the challenges in today 麻豆精品 S檚 complex healthcare environment. 麻豆精品 S�

Both Hoffman Ruddy and Lewis specialize in complex medical conditions with a focus on upper airway and disorders of the larynx (voice box) making them uniquely qualified to lead the course.聽Lewis has over 25 years 麻豆精品 S� experience in the acute care setting working closely with cardiothoracic surgery, otolaryngology, pulmonology and other medical specialists.

Due to the pandemic, the course delivery will be fully online. xStudents will be mailed simulation materials and medical supplies which will be utilized throughout the course. Students will engage in hands-on training in how to accomplish a range of procedures, such as tracheostomy care, speaking valve care, and infection prevention.

麻豆精品 S淭his 3-credit hour master 麻豆精品 S檚 level course is available to current students in the graduate program in speech-language pathology and to clinical speech-language pathologists in the field interested in advancing their knowledge and skill set in medical speech-language pathology, 麻豆精品 S� says Jennifer Kent-Walsh, interim director of the School of Communication Sciences and Disorder. “The course affords immediate engagement with content relevant to the post COVID-19 patient, and is expected to be an important steppingstone for future interdisciplinary healthcare course offerings in the College of Health Professions and Sciences at UCF. 麻豆精品 S�

The course is offered in the Summer B term starting on June 23.聽Registration begins in early June.

麻豆精品 S淲hile COVID-19 will eventually be downgraded from a pandemic, what is here to stay is how we train our healthcare providers to respond to these types of situations, 麻豆精品 S� says Hoffman Ruddy. 麻豆精品 S淭his pandemic has forever changed how we deliver care. The course will meet both the short-term needs of the healthcare industry and strengthen the curriculum of future healthcare professionals at UCF. 麻豆精品 S�

, and Cathy Binger, a UNM associate professor of speech and hearing sciences, will study what level of instruction and intervention is needed for children with severe speech impairments to maximize the capabilities of commercially available apps that verbalize words for a user.

Apps currently on the market allow a user to select images in sequential order that represent the words the user wants to communicate, and the app then verbalizes that sentence.

麻豆精品 S淚f a young child with unintelligible speech, or no speech at all, comes up to you with an iPad and starts speaking to you in full sentences, this creates a big mind shift about what that child is truly capable of doing, 麻豆精品 S� said Binger.

However, there have been little to no evidence-based training options available for children to learn how to use these apps as communication tools. Kent-Walsh and Binger are changing this through their research.

麻豆精品 S淭his grant is the culmination of many years of work and a lot of pilot data showing that it is possible to teach children to use picture symbol-based apps to communicate in grammatically accurate phrases and sentences, 麻豆精品 S� said Kent-Walsh.

The goal of this research is to better understand how to support the development of children with severe speech impairments. Children with disorders such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy or childhood apraxia of speech could benefit from this research, as well as any child whose communication needs are not being met. In the United States, about one in 12 麻豆精品 S� or about 8 percent 麻豆精品 S� of children have communication disorders.

麻豆精品 S淲hen children can 麻豆精品 S檛 use their speech to communicate effectively, they often get frustrated and they may act out or shut down, 麻豆精品 S� Binger said. 麻豆精品 S淚t can lead to all kinds of problems, like social issues and poor communication with family members. If these children are not provided with other ways to help them communicate, they also can end up with educational placements that may be inappropriate. 麻豆精品 S�

Binger and Kent-Walsh 麻豆精品 S檚 new grant will focus on 3- and-4-year-old children who have severe speech impairments. At the onset, participating families will receive basic instruction in how to use the communication app, while some participants also will receive enhanced intervention sessions led by Binger and Kent-Walsh that are aimed at teaching them how to 麻豆精品 S渟peak 麻豆精品 S� using the app. Results from each group will be compared to determine if the enhanced intervention had a positive effect on the child 麻豆精品 S檚 ability to communicate.

麻豆精品 S淲e are thrilled to have come to a point where we are ready to roll out this intervention on a larger scale and track the communication performance of many children across states, 麻豆精品 S� Kent-Walsh said.

The hope is that by providing these children with the necessary technology and instruction to more effectively communicate, they will be able to take full advantage of the same educational and social opportunities as their peers, which may, in turn, allow them to lead more fulfilling and successful lives.

The research will take place at UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 new (FAAST) Assistive Technology Demonstration Center in Research Park and UNM 麻豆精品 S檚 Speech and Hearing Clinic.

Kent-Walsh and Binger are seeking preschool-aged children with speech impairments to take part in this study (NIH#: R01DC016321) and a related study also funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH#: R15DC014585). Those interested in participating at UCF should contact Kent-Walsh at jkentwalsh@ucf.edu. Those interested in participating at UNM should contact Binger at cbinger@unm.edu.

Kent-Walsh studies the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) by individuals with severe speech problems to express their thoughts, needs, wants and ideas. More than 4 million Americans, including many young children with developmental disabilities, rely on AAC aids and devices to supplement their natural speech.

In her new project, Kent-Walsh will evaluate the impact of an AAC intervention program for preschool children with severe speech disabilities that combines tablet technology with language-learning techniques.

The tablet technology is an iPad with an AAC application that displays an array of single-meaning graphic symbols on the screen that a child can select. Mass marketing of tablet technology has prompted an increasing number of families and clinicians to turn to tablets with AAC apps for young children with significant speech disorders.

However, simply providing a young child with an iPad with an AAC app will not lead to functional communication skills, according to Kent-Walsh, who directs the in UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Communication Disorders Clinic.

Earlier AAC research suggested it may be very difficult for children to learn to combine graphic symbols to communicate grammatically correct sentences. But more recent studies, including a pilot project led by Kent-Walsh and funded by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation, have revealed more encouraging results.

麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e found that even very young children with significant speech disabilities have the potential to learn to produce grammatically correct sentences using AAC when we implement short targeted interventions, 麻豆精品 S� said Kent-Walsh.

In particular, interventions focused on early language and literacy can effect dramatic changes in children 麻豆精品 S檚 sentence production using AAC, she said.

The new project will enable Kent-Walsh and her team to conduct a larger investigation of an AAC intervention program with techniques informed by studies of child language disorders. They will teach young children the rules governing language structure and grammar so the children can generate multi-symbol phrases and sentences. Learning the rules will teach the children that each word in a sentence is important 麻豆精品 S� and that the word order is equally important 麻豆精品 S� to clearly convey a message.

Kent-Walsh and her collaborators believe these findings on language-focused interventions have the potential to impact AAC clinical practice in the years ahead.

麻豆精品 S淲ithout intervention services, the educational, social and employment outcomes for these children are not nearly as favorable, 麻豆精品 S� she said.

In addition to advancing scientific knowledge of how children can use AAC to communicate, the study will help prepare a new generation of speech-language pathologists with expertise in the field. Undergraduate and graduate students studying communication sciences and disorders at UCF will participate in all aspects of the study, including working with Kent-Walsh and聽her colleagues Nancy Harrington, instructor of communication sciences and disorders at UCF; Cathy Binger, associate professor of speech and hearing services at the University of New Mexico; and Lesley Olswang, professor emeritus of speech and hearing services at the University of Washington.

麻豆精品 S淎AC technologies and services can supplement or completely replace natural speech in individuals with severe communication disabilities, 麻豆精品 S� Kent-Walsh said. 麻豆精品 S淲e are eager to develop new interventions so speech-language pathologists can take full advantage of AAC to help these individuals express themselves as early in life as possible. 麻豆精品 S�

Kent-Walsh is the lead author of one of just eight invited papers recently published in the 30th anniversary issues of Augmentative and Alternative Communication, a highly ranked rehabilitation publication and the official journal of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Her article, 麻豆精品 S淓ffects of Communication Partner Instruction on the Communication of Individuals using AAC: A Meta-Analysis, 麻豆精品 S� appears in the journal 麻豆精品 S檚 most recent issue.

Children with Down syndrome and limited speech recently received help learning to communicate using an iPad and special 麻豆精品 S渁pps 麻豆精品 S� hand-selected by speech experts at the University of Central Florida.

Fifteen children, ages 3 to 11, and their parents participated in 麻豆精品 S渋Can Communicate 麻豆精品 S� from March 22-24.

The innovative program was offered collaboratively by UCF and the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida at the Florida Alliance of Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST) Assistive Technology Demonstration Center within UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Communication Disorders Clinic.

On March 22, the parents took part in an iPad training session led by UCF faculty and staff members and students. The following day, the parents assisted their children in therapy sessions to identify a relevant software application, or 麻豆精品 S渁pp, 麻豆精品 S� for the child 麻豆精品 S檚 individual communication needs.

During the sessions, the children tested various 麻豆精品 S渁pps 麻豆精品 S� with guidance from UCF graduate students studying speech-language pathology. Three faculty clinicians supervised the graduate students.

Each 麻豆精品 S渁pp 麻豆精品 S� offers the child colorful keys containing pictures, words, or both pictures and words. When the child presses on a key, a synthesized voice says the selected word or message. By selecting a series of keys, the child can form simple messages up to complex sentences.

Among the children was Brevan Walker, a 7-year-old boy who attentively practiced using an 麻豆精品 S渁pp 麻豆精品 S� to communicate about a bowling game he played during one therapy session. Associate Professor Jennifer Kent-Walsh, who directs the program and conducts research in the area of augmentative and alternative communication, monitored the session in a nearby room.

On March 24, the children met for a final therapy session at UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Afterwards, they practiced using their iPads to communicate while enjoying a 麻豆精品 S淪pring Fling 麻豆精品 S� egg hunt and luncheon at the college. Three-year-old Meredith Griffen used her iPad to communicate about the candy and other surprises she found in the eggs she collected.

At the end of the program, the children received their own iPads to keep loaded with the 麻豆精品 S渁pp 麻豆精品 S� or 麻豆精品 S渁pps 麻豆精品 S� identified by the graduate students and supervising clinicians. The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida donated both the iPads and 麻豆精品 S渁pps. 麻豆精品 S�

When applying to participate in the program, Meredith 麻豆精品 S檚 mother shared that she and her husband learned in January that Meredith sustained vocal fold damage subsequent to surgery to repair Meredith 麻豆精品 S檚 trachea and esophagus.

麻豆精品 S淔inding out that your child may not be physically able to speak can be devastating for parents, 麻豆精品 S� Kent-Walsh shared. 麻豆精品 S淲e were thrilled to be able to have Meredith participate in this program at such a young age since it is critical to provide all children with the tools they need to continue to develop their language and communication skills. Meredith is a bright child with an effervescent personality. It 麻豆精品 S檚 incredible to see her already using her iPad to express herself more fully. 麻豆精品 S�

UCF and the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida first offered the iCan Communicate program in October 2011 and plans for future programs are underway.

麻豆精品 S淚 can 麻豆精品 S檛 think of another program quite like this in the country that provides free equipment and clinical services, 麻豆精品 S� Kent-Walsh noted. 麻豆精品 S淭he ability to merge the expertise of our clinical team with the vision and the resources of the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida has been fantastic. 麻豆精品 S�

Although there has been great interest in providing this type of program for children with other diagnoses who have limited speech, the current collaboration focuses exclusively on children with Down syndrome, she added.

For further information on the UCF Communication Disorders Clinic and FAAST Assistive Technology Demonstration Center, see . 聽For further information on 麻豆精品 S渋Can Communicate 麻豆精品 S� and other 麻豆精品 S渋Can 麻豆精品 S� programs for individuals with Down syndrome, contact the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida at .