BY HEATHER ARNOLD &

DANA GRIESBACK

’14 GRADUATE STUDENTS

Students and professors from ourdepartment frequently conductresearch and present their findingsat state, national, and internationalconferences. Last year was noexception. Our students and facultypresented at numerous state andnational conferences as well as atthe Estill World Voice Symposium inRome, Italy, in 2011 and the WorldCongress on Fluency Disorders inTours, France, in 2012. Threegraduate students presented withour professors in Rome, and threestudents presented with ourprofessors in France. This was a unique opportunity for ourstudents to participate in aninternational conference andpresent their research.

BY DANA GRIESBACK’14 GRADUATE STUDENT

Three years and one edition of theArticulator into my academic careerhere at Misericordia University, I havelearned a great deal about the Speech-Language Pathology department. Wehave a truly exceptional group offaculty and staff. Our professors haveconducted and presented numerousresearch studies, written multiplebooks, and implemented serviceprograms that aid the communitiessurrounding our school.

We also have a vibrant group ofstudents in this program. We havenumerous student athletes, dedicated

National Student Speech-LanguageHearing Association (NSSLHA) officersand members, hard-working graduatestudents who present research atstate, national, and international levels,and alumni whose achievementscontinue to demonstrate how valuable and vital a Misericordiaeducation is for their future. Alumniaccomplishments also inspire youngerstudents to persevere, so we can useour skills to make lasting contributionsto the field of Speech-LanguagePathology.

Our state-of-the-art facilities here inPassan Hall are outstanding. We maybe a small university, but ourtechnology is cutting-edge andconstantly evolving thanks to thededication of our professors who writegrants to purchase the equipment sowe can have top-notch training. Apartfrom the current labs and therapyrooms, we recently added a newsound treated booth, Near Infra-RedSpectroscopy (NIRS) equipment, andEye Scan technology.

When you browse through thisnewsletter, you will read about manyof the above topics. Soliciting andediting the articles was a challenge,but one that has provided me with anopportunity for professional, personal,and academic growth. I would like tothank all of my fellow students whocontributed articles for your readingpleasure. This newsletter would not bepossible without their hard work. Iwould also like to thank our faculty andstaff for their collaboration on theproduction of our newsletter. Isincerely hope you enjoy this edition of the Articulator.

Letter FROM

THEEditor

www.misericordia.edu/slp Fall 2012

Misericordia University Speech-Language Pathology Newsletter

Articulator

In This Issue:• LETTER FROM THE EDITOR, P.1

• ESTILL WORLD VOICE SYMPOSIUM & WORLD CONGRESS ON FLUENCY DISORDERS, P.1, P.9

• EXCEPTIONAL ART - EXCEPTIONAL ARTISTS, P.2

• A YEAR IN REVIEW - NSSLHA, P.3

• ASH FOUNDATION AWARD WINNER NICHOLAS BARONE, P.4

• SLP STUDENT ATHLETES, P.5

• MEASURING BRAIN BLOOD FLOW, P.6

CATCHING UP WITH JESSICA SOFRANKO, P.7

• AN EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN’S GUIDE TO TOUCH, P.8

• SERVING THE COMMUNITY WITH LITERACY EDUCATION, P.8

• iTHERAPY IN SLP, P.10

• LETTER FROM THE CHAIR, P.11

• MENTORING OUR SLP FRESHMEN, P.12

1

Estill World Voice

Symposium, ROME, ITALY AND

World Congress on Fluency Disorders,

...continued on page 9

TOURS, FRANCE

2

BY DANA GRIESBACK ’14 GRADUATE STUDENT

For the second year in a row, ourSpeech Language PathologyDepartment had the privilege ofhosting the Exceptional Art—Exceptional Artists wine and cheeseevent. This art show displayed thecolorful and whimsical artworkprovided by the Verve Vertu ArtCenter of The Deutsch Institute—anorganization that offers art classesand many other activities forindividuals with special needs and awide range of disabilities. Silkbatiking and bright water colors arecharacteristic of this collection, but, inaddition to paintings, felt works,pillows, and scarves were alsodisplayed and available for sale.

Misericordia’s Speech-Language andHearing Center has a specialrelationship with the artists of theVerve Vertu Art Center. ClinicalDirector Lori Cimino reported thatseveral of the artists are also clientswho receive weekly speech-languagetherapy at the Misericordia clinic.Many of the artists had theopportunity to attend the event andsee their own work displayed andsold to admiring guests. Artist LisaZavada was proud to see one of herworks, a silk batik of flowers in avase, displayed at the show. Shestated, “The people are all so niceand helpful at the Deutsch Institute;they allow me to express mycreativity and emotions through art.”The combination of art classes at theDeutsch Institute and speech-language therapy at our clinicprovides the two organizations with avenue to celebrate the talents ofthese unique individuals and enhancetheir quality of life.

The art displayed on the walls of ourdepartment is a rotating exhibit, sowe encourage regular visits to enjoyall of the pieces created by theexceptional artists of the Verve VertuArt Center. The event was aresounding success, with over 150people attending to admire thisremarkable artwork and enjoyrefreshments provided by numeroussponsors.

We would like to thank thefollowing for sponsoring theevening:Coca Cola Refreshments; Earl andSedor Photography; iGourmet

We would like to thank thefollowing for giving generously tothe event:Apple Tree; Artworks Gallery &Studio; Brown Barn Café; Dr. & Mrs.James R. Bruno; Charlie K’s Pizza; LoriCimino; CK’s Authentic MexicanFood; Dr. FrancisCollini; Dave AikensLaw Firm; Mrs. AnnMarie Decker;Domino’s Pizza;Michelle L. Donato; Mr.& Mrs. ThomasDougherty; DunkinDonuts; EasternInsurance Group; ENTSurgical Group, P.C.;Erwine Home Healthand Hospice, Inc.; KateElizabeth Farrigan, ’10;Fast Signs of Scranton; Fresco Grill;Frontier Communications Solutions;Gastroenterology Consultants, Inc.;

Mr. & Mrs. William J. Gerrity; Dr.Thomas W. Byron and Dr. Joan E.Greulick; Griswold Home Care;Gwen’s Avenue Salon; Dr. & Mrs.George Hammerbacher; GwenHarleman; Dr. & Mrs. Harold V.Hartley; Holly Hircko; Nancy L. Hontz;Mr. & Mrs. Sandy Insalaco, Sr.; ItalianAmerican Citizen’s Club; KeystoneCommunity Resources; Frank Kluk &Betsy DeCosmo; Dr. & Mrs. EricKruger; Eleanor M. Kruk; LackawannaCoal Mine; Mr. & Mrs. LarryLebenson; Nancy Lynch, ‘68; Mr. &Mrs. Leo G. Malsky; Mr. & Mrs. AlbertMartin; Kelly McAndrew, ’79; MaryJule Purcell McCarthy, ’52; MerrillLynch and Company, Inc.; MetzCulinary Management; Olde HouseCafé; Original Italian Pizza; Mr. & Mrs.Dennis Puhalla; Quality Collision, Inc.;Rainbow Jewelers; Erik J. Raj, ’08;Mary F. Rinaldi; Elizabeth Roberts; Mr.& Mrs. Stephen J. Rosenthal; Dr. &Mrs. John A. Rothschild; Kevin J.Salaway; Salon NouVeau; Louis R.Sieminski, Ph.D.; June Sukus; Drs.Glen & Cari Tellis; The GrahamAcademy; Thomas Family Markets;Dr. Stephen M. Timchack; Attorney &Mrs. Murray Utberg; Villa Foglia;Weiss Markets; J. H. Williams & Co.,LLP; Robert P. Wilson; Dr. Midori Yamanouchi; Zeigler AshbyAssociates.

EXCEPTIONAL ART -

ExceptionalArtists

BY JILLIAN DUNN’14 GRADUATE STUDENT

The 2011-2012 academic year hasbeen an exciting one for MisericordiaUniversity’s National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association(NSSLHA). Following their electionsin late spring, the new officersstarted working right away to planactivities and service projects for theentire year.

As a club, we believe it is importantto serve others by fundraising andvolunteering within our communityand elsewhere. During the 2011-2012academic year, our chapter raisedmoney by selling raffle tickets, candybars, and clothing. We assistedgraduate students with their travelexpenses to present at the EstillWorld Voice Symposium in Rome,Italy; we covered the costs for areconstruction surgery throughOperation Smile; and we donated toorganizations that are dedicated tohelping others such as: the MercyLeadership Program, National FamilyLiteracy, Hollydell Tops Program,American Diabetes Association, andRuth’s Place Shelter along with many more.

Our service activitiesturned out to be someof our members’favorites this year. Wecontinued the mentoringprogram for theincoming freshman byholding a pizza party andtie-dye/movie night. Wealso held a story hourwith children at a localIntermediate Unit andpreschool wheremembers promoted learning, literacy,language development, andlanguage processing to parents andteachers. We collected toys, hygieneproducts, and small gifts to fill 28shoeboxes for Operation ChristmasChild, which sends shoeboxes to lessfortunate children all around theworld during the holiday season.

NSSLHA members collected cannedgoods for the local Dallas Food Bank,distributed products to local floodvictims in the Wilkes-Barre area,created and delivered holiday cardsto the Meadows Nursing Home, wentChristmas caroling in neighborhoodsaround campus to spread holidaycheer, and participated in runs andwalks to benefit organizationsincluding the American DiabetesAssociation, United Cerebral Palsy,LiveStrong Foundation, and manymore. Our members also had theopportunity to administer speech,language, and hearing screenings atschools and at the Unity Health Fair.We also participated in our school’sannual Relay for Life, and collectedand donated 81 books and 15 moviesto the Schenk Memorial Library inNoxen, Pennsylvania. The remainingfunds will be donated toorganizations and local charitiesduring the upcoming 2012-2013school year.

For the fifth year in a row, at thestate convention in Lancaster,Misericordia University chapter ofNSSLHA received the PennsylvaniaSpeech-Language HearingAssociation (PSHA) MembershipAward for 100% membershipparticipation. At the convention, oneof our students, Maria Kidron, alsoreceived the Von Drach MemorialScholarship that is awarded to theoutstanding graduate student fromthe entire state of Pennsylvania. Forfive years in succession, one of ourSLP students has received this award.At the state convention, for thesecond time, our NSSLHA Chapterreceived Chapter Honors for theirservice activities.

In summary, each member had a yearfull of fun, service, and volunteering.Misericordia’s NSSLHA officers andmembers are happy that through our efforts we could help so many in need.

3

A YEAR IN REVIEW

NSSLHA

4

BY DANA GRIESBACK

’14 GRADUATE STUDENT

In November 2011, the AmericanSpeech-Language-Hearing (ASH)Foundation awarded 12 Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) graduatestudents $5,000 scholarships. Manyof these award winners attendedlarge and well-known universitiesincluding Florida State University,University of Kentucky, University ofNorth Carolina-Chapel Hill,University of Wisconsin-Madison,University of Maryland, University ofWashington, and VanderbiltUniversity. Out of over 100applicants, one of our own graduatestudents, Nicholas Barone, wasselected to receive one of theseprestigious scholarships. Thescholarships are awarded to“masters or doctoral students incommunication sciences anddisorders who demonstrateacademic achievement andpromise.” Barone has done just thatand more.

Throughout his academic careerhere, Barone has helped numerousprofessors conduct research onstuttering, cluttering, autism,

attention deficit hyperactivitydisorder, voice, and aphasia. As agraduate student, Barone alsopublished a peer-reviewed articlewith a professor in our department.In his three years at Misericordia,Barone presented on numerousoccasions at Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association(PSHA) and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association(ASHA) conventions, as well as at the5th Estill World Voice Symposium inRome, Italy. His final achievementwas completing a master’s thesis onthe acoustic and aerodynamicproperties of true vocal fold bodycover conditions.

Barone believes that apart from hisregular studies, the research hechose to conduct and assist withcontributed heavily to winning theaward. “A person can be a greatstudent and a fine clinician, thoughhe or she may not be able to standout when applying for an award. Forgraduate students to stand outamong the competition, they have togo above and beyond the work theyare expected to do and achieve at ahigh level.”

This award is not only important toBarone personally, but is also anachievement for Misericordia’s entireSLP program. Barone stated, “It wasextremely rewarding to receive theaward, not only for myself, but forthe program and the university as

well. When I compare Misericordia’sSLP program with the otherapplicants and the universities theycame from, we are by far thesmallest.” Through his hard work,Barone has managed to bringrecognition to Misericordia’s small,but impressive, SLP program.

He completed fieldwork placementsat Dallas School District in Dallas,Pennsylvania and at Johns HopkinsRehabilitation Hospital in Baltimore,Maryland. When I interviewed him,Barone mentioned to me that heplanned to continue his educationand complete his doctorate after hegraduated from our program. Trueto his word, he began his Ph.D. infall 2012 at James MadisonUniversity under the mentorship ofvoice and swallowing specialist, Dr.Christy Ludlow. Barone stated, “Iwould like to be a researcher andprofessor and to emulate the peoplethat embedded in me a passion forcommunicative sciences anddisorders.” By conducting andassisting with numerous researchprojects, maintaining an impressive4.0 GPA, and receiving thisprestigious scholarship from the ASHFoundation, Barone has become amodel of the academic excellencethat future SLP students can strive to achieve. We look forward toseeing all that he will accomplish inhis career.

ASH FOUNDATION

Award Winner

Nicholas Barone

BY MICHELLE BRUNO’14 GRADUATE STUDENT

Many students on our campus can beheard venting about their hecticschedules and demanding majors. Allmajors and extracurricular activitiesrequire dedication and focus. Being aswimmer and a student in the SpeechLanguage Pathology (SLP) program, Imyself have a personal interest inlearning how my fellow classmatesbalance the demands of both acollegiate sport and a major with one of the highest GPA requirementson campus.

We decided to find out how ourathletes managed to play a sport andbe successful in academics, so wesent a survey to our SLP studentathletes with a list of questions about academics and sports. Anoverwhelming number of studentsstated that time-management skillswere the most important aspect of

achieving success. Many studentsindicated that the hardest part ofbeing an athlete in the SLP programis the need to successfully juggleclass, clinic, practices, group projects,and games, all while maintaining alevel of professionalism and the required GPA.

Typical of the ‘MU family’ thatpervades our entire campus,what many students said theylike most about being anathlete in the SLP program isthe sense of community theyexperience by being soinvolved. Our athletes alsoreceive great support from theirprofessors and coaches.Graduate student JenniferLozier stated, “The professorswere all very helpful andsupportive in my decision to bea 3-sport athlete while in theprogram.” It is largely understoodand acknowledged that academicscome first; many coaches areextremely flexible with practice timein an effort to accommodate studentathletes. Some even plan practicetime around the individual athlete’sclass schedule.

Another acknowledged benefit of being an athlete in the SLPprogram is the intrinsic sense ofaccomplishment it brings. Achievingsuccess at balancing the demands ofa rigorous major and a competitivesport is extremely rewarding. FrankNutt, a graduate student and 2-sportathlete, said his favorite part of beinga student athlete was “being able tosay that I had the ability in theclassroom and on the court to beable to do two things that I loved,and be able to do them at a highlevel.” Plus, the practices provide amuch needed built-in stress relieverfor students.

As hard as being an athlete in the SLPprogram can be, not one of our SLPstudent athletes spoke with anysense of regret or advised againstparticipating in a sport. Jennifer wasinvolved in many campus activitieshere at Misericordia and said, “If I

was somehow able to manage mytime to get all my extra-curricularactivities done along with mycoursework, then anyone can play asport while in the program.” Many ofthe athletes surveyed explained thatparticipating in both academics andsports is a personal decision thatshould be taken seriously. Frank’sadvice for SLP students consideringplaying a sport is “to make sure youreally love the sport you’re playingbecause college is about getting aneducation and sports should besecondary to your SLP life. It’s not aneasy thing to do and takes a greatdeal of hard work to play 4 years of acollege sport and complete a 5 yearmaster’s program.” Balancing bothschool and sports is difficult, butpossible. It is worth the effort if youlove your sport and your major.

5

SLP

Student Athletes

6

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Please consider making a gift andhelping students in the SLP programdefray costs for clinical materials andactivities, travel to conferences, research,and other activities. You can support thiseffort by contributing to the SLP StudentFund. All contributions are taxdeductible. Also, check with your place of employment for a Matching Gift Program.

You can give a gift in the following ways:On-line at misericordia.edu/makeagift please put SLP Student Fund in the memo section.

Call 570-674-6354 between 9:00 AM and4:00 PM to make a gift over the phone.

Make a gift TO THE SLP Student Fund

BY MARIA MAAS’14 GRADUATE STUDENT

Many students in the SpeechLanguage Pathology department atMisericordia University participate inresearch studies. Two of ourstudents, Claire Cellary and MaryGulotta, have been working with ourdepartment chair, Dr. Glen Tellis, anda group of researchers from theUniversity of Pennsylvania tomeasure blood flow and bloodconcentration levels in the brain. Dr.Tellis, Mary, and Claire, use diffusecorrelation spectroscopy (DCS) to

measure blood flow and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) tomeasure blood concentration in thebrains of persons who stutter (PWS)and fluent speakers during speechand non-speech tasks.

Mary and Claire have done a lot ofresearch for this study and areconducting the study at Penn. Theyhave already completed their testingon PWS and are now running thestudy on fluent speakers. Mary andClaire agree that they are at thecutting-edge of fluency research.Mary said, “I've learned a lot! I enjoylearning about different aspects ofstuttering and how to measuredysfluencies. I also learned a lotabout the research process and allthe work that goes into it.” Bothstudents also hope to do moreresearch in the future, since we justpurchased our own NIRS equipment.“I wouldn't mind continuing to doresearch. I have learned a lot, and Iam glad to know that this research

can positively impact a lot of peopleand lead to more studies that canhelp us to better understandstuttering,” Claire reported.

Dr. Tellis and the team from Pennrecently published their initialfindings in a peer-reviewed journal inour discipline. They will bepresenting information about thestudy at our American Speech-Language-Hearing Association(ASHA) convention in Atlanta,Georgia in November 2012.

MEASURING Blood FlowAND Blood

ConcentrationFOR Persons WhoStutter AND

Fluent Speakers

7

BY ALLISON KIRBY

’14 GRADUATE STUDENT

Jessica Sofranko, one of our 2007graduates, completed her Ph.D. atThe Pennsylvania State University inAugust 2012and accepteda facultyposition atthe Collegeof St. Rose inAlbany, NewYork. Dr.Sofranko isthe first ofour graduates to complete herdoctorate. I interviewed Dr.Sofranko to gain insight into hereducational pursuits and to ask herto offer advice to our currentstudents.

AK: Why did you decide to pursue adoctorate in this field? JS: Obtaining a doctoral degree was

always a goal—even as a freshman Iwas interested in my doctorate, butit wasn’t until Drs. Glen and CariTellis came to the department that Irealized this was the right choice forme. I was given the opportunity towork with both of them and beginlearning about the research processand all of the contributions I couldmake to the field.

AK: How did your education atMisericordia prepare you for theacademic challenges you werepresented with when obtaining thisdegree from Penn State University? JS: Like any graduate student newto the field, I was nervous about mynewfound independence; however, Iquickly began to realize that myeducation at Misericordia highlyprepared me for all of the challengesto come, including: difficult cases,leadership opportunities, and myeventual return to school. Myexperiences at Misericordia alsogave me the confidence toparticipate in leadershipopportunities, present to large

audiences, and teach or supervisestudents.

AK: What advice do you have forcurrent Speech-Language Pathologystudents thinking about pursuing adoctorate?JS: I would advise students to takeadvantage of the manyopportunities the MisericordiaSpeech-Language Pathologyprogram has to offer. The facultymembers conduct all of their ownresearch and encourage studentparticipation in their labs. Thisexperience would include anintroduction to the research process(such as participant recruitment,literature review, data collection,etc.) that usually leads to possiblepresentations at state and nationalconferences. Also, I wouldrecommend that students completea Master’s Thesis.

AK: What are your plans for the future?JS: I plan to teach, supervise clinic,research, publish, and present.

Catching Up WITH

Jessica Sofranko

DR. & MRS. JOHN ROTHSCHILD, KATRINA EMERICK, ‘09.

We would like to thankTHE FOLLOWING FOR giving generously TO THE SLP Student Fund:

CVS CHARITABLE TRUST, DEMPSEY LINEN SUPPLY, ERIK RAJ, ‘08, FIRST NATIONAL COMMUNITY BANK,

FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS, LANDMARK BANK, LEXUS, MOTOR WORLD, PNC BANK, PNC GROW UP GREAT

FUND, RJACK FUND OF THE LUZERNE FOUNDATION.

We would like to acknowledgeTHE FOLLOWING FOR providing grants TO THE SLP Department:

8

BY REBECCA LARUSA’14 GRADUATE STUDENT

In July 2012, Dr. Hunter Manascopublished hisnew book—AnExceptionalChildren'sGuide toTouch:Teaching Socialand PhysicalBoundaries toKids (JessicaKingsleyPublishers, London, UK). This book isa valuable tool for parents, educators,professionals, and speech-languagepathologists. It is illustrated by hiswife, Katharine Manasco. I sat downwith Dr. Manasco to ask him a fewquestions about the book.

RL: What is your book about?HM: This book explains appropriateand inappropriate touching tochildren. In this book, my focus was totackle social problems that kids withspecial needs have, such as huggingstrangers. I also wanted to explainwhen touch is normal and when it isnot. Child abuse with special needschildren is rising because we do noteducate them. They do notunderstand what is normal touching,or what actions to take wheninappropriate touching occurs.Another main point in this book wasto explain to children with specialneeds how important it is torecognize abuse and what to do whenit occurs.

RL: What is the set up for this book?HM: There are six illustrated storiesthat parents can read with theirchildren.

RL: Who is the book geared towards?HM: The book is geared towardsanyone who cares for children with

special needs, such as parents,caregivers, educators, and counselors.

RL: What kind of research did youconduct to write this book?HM: I used my experience withspecial needs children, mostly gainedduring my previous work at a school.

RL: Why did you choose to write this book? HM: There have been books thatexplain to typically developingchildren what is appropriate andinappropriate touching; however, Iwanted to focus more on familiarizingand explaining these issues tochildren with special needs.

RL: Did any child in particular inspireyou to write this book?HM: No. I used my experience withmany special needs children.

RL: Where can this book bepurchased?HM: This book is available at Barnes &Noble and online at Amazon.com.

AN ExceptionalChildren’sGuide TO Touch

BY NATHAN FINN’14 GRADUATE STUDENT

Misericordia University is aninstitution founded on the charisms ofmercy, justice, hospitality, and serviceand, as a result, is well-known for theoutstanding selfless service itsstudents provide to nearbycommunities. Many classes thatstudents take here at MU includeservice learning components wherestudents complete many hours ofcommunity service as part of theircoursework. Something new andnoteworthy in Misericordia’s Speech-Language Pathology program is aservice learning project. Created andimplemented by Dr. Kathleen ScalerScott for her Seminar II in Speech-

Language Pathology course, studentsare able to get hands-on experiencein informing others on the importance

of literacy to language development.These students are going into thecommunity and educating parents,teachers, and professionals about thisimportant connection.

For the program, students are dividedinto groups of 3 or 4 and assigned toa local school, library, or daycarefacility. The students then worktogether to create posters,

pamphlets, and learning materials tofacilitate an educational experiencefor their audience. Students focus onstressing the importance of literacyand the connection it has withlanguage. They also teach parentshow they can foster literacy bygetting their children engaged during reading.

Dr. Scaler Scott wanted to create thisproject because she believes thatcommunity-based service learningwould be extremely beneficial to ourstudents. Through this program, shehopes that our students will becomemore comfortable with literacy in ourfield and with educating others. Notonly are our graduate studentsfostering important professionaldevelopment through this servicelearning program, but they are alsovoluntarily providing an invaluableservice to the community.

Serving THE

Community WITH

Literacy Education

9

The voice conference occurs everytwo years and serves as aninternational forum to discuss voicewith professionals from all over theworld. The Voice Symposium is notonly a forum for speech languagepathologists, but is also forlaryngologists, singers, actors, andvocal coaches to present theirresearch and conduct workshops. Dr.Cari Tellis, Misericordia’s voice

specialist, attended the voiceconference with graduate studentsNicholas Barone, Katie Lawlor, andAmanda Brown. The group gavethree presentations based onresearch conducted at Misericordia.Their presentations included findings

on voice measurestaken before and aftertraining for belt voice,changes in vocalintensity with andwithout anchoring, andthe use of Estill figuresin a physiologicalapproach to voicetherapy.

Dr. Tellis believes thissymposium isespecially importantfor American studentsand speech-language pathologists.Says Dr. Tellis,“Voice awareness isnot as prevalent here as it isinternationally.” She stated that thisconference was a unique experiencebecause “Everything we said had tobe translated into Italian and we onlyhad a certain amount of time to givethe presentation. We had to beconscious of our word choice andstyle of presentation toaccommodate the translator.”

The World Congress on FluencyDisorders is held every 3 years. Ourstudents Jennifer Lozier, MariaKidron, and Amanda Tomaselliattended the conference with Dr.Kathleen Scaler Scott. Theconference is dedicated to exploringstuttering and its subtypes in light of

new information that has emergedfrom recent research. The aim of theCongress is to discuss the impactthat new research has on diagnosticand assessment procedures,treatment, and professionaleducation. Our group presentedinformation on advances instuttering and cluttering. Dr. ScalerScott mentioned that this exposurefor students is crucial for theirdevelopment as scientists as itprovides them with an opportunityto present to an internationalaudience and receive feedback fromnoted researchers in the field.

The students reported that theirpresentations were very wellreceived, and they were encouragedto attend and present their researchat future conferences.

Estill World Voice Symposiumand World Congress on FluencyDisorders...continued from page 1

BY KENSLIE KERESTES

’14 GRADUATE STUDENT

When thinking of all the things one

could do with an Apple iPad, the first

tasks that come to mind are probably

using infinite numbers of fun apps,

surfing the internet, and creating and

storing photos, music, and

documents. Many people are

unaware, however, that the iPad is

also a new technology used with

increasing frequency in the field of

Speech-Language Pathology (SLP).

Many student clinicians here at

Misericordia University are

incorporating the iPad into their

therapy sessions. There are multiple

programs SLPs can use when treating

articulation, language, fluency,

dysarthria, and apraxia.

Our graduate student clinicians

shared many of the ways they

currently use the iPad in therapy. For

instance, they mentioned that the

iPad offers clients auditory feedback

that is supplementary to the feedback

provided by the clinician. Many

clinicians also use a fluency counter on

the iPad as a new and more

efficient way to collect data

when treating clients who

stutter. Of course, the iPad has

many games that clinicians use

as positive reinforcement;

clients enjoy doing puzzles and

playing games such as Angry

Birds and Fruit Ninja.

One student clinician, Amanda

Brath, shared a specific

program she uses:

Proloquo2Go. The program combines

words with pictures and sounds, so

the client can see exactly what word is

being said. Amanda uses the program

as reinforcement for the correct

production of sounds in initial, medial,

and final word positions. Proloquo2Go

also provides supplementary auditory

feedback for correct production

of words.

Another student clinician, David

Baker, said that one of his clients uses

Proloquo2Go as an augmentative

alternative communication device.

According to David, the iPad has

provided the client with a new

modality for communicating with

others. David finds that his client is

now able to communicate effectively

without aides looking over her

shoulder to see where she points on a

letter board. She can press the

appropriate icon and the iPad can

produce the words she wants to use,

but cannot say herself. David has set

up Proloquo2Go to fit the specific

needs of his client. The program is

stocked with common phrases she

uses during activities of daily life.

The iPad has other features that can

aid clients. There is a stylus that

clients can employ if they have

difficulty using their fingers to touch

buttons. The icons can also be

enlarged for ease of selection. The

iPad has multiple features and

programs that are appropriate for all

age groups and can be used both as

treatments and rewards for greatly

enhanced therapy sessions. The field

of Speech-Language Pathology will

continue to grow with the new

technology the iPad brings to

therapy sessions.

10

iTherapy IN

Speech-LanguagePathology

11

GLEN TELLIS, Ph.D.

PROFESSOR AND DEPARTMENT CHAIR

This is the sixth year of our newsletter,and we have now reached a pointwhere alumni, students, clients, andthose in the community regularly ask uswhen the next edition is due. Eachyear, around fall, when I receive thenewsletter from our SLP student editor,I find that I too am eager to read aboutall the exciting things that happen inour program. Our department is in its10th year of existence, and as thenumber of students enrolled in ourprogram grows, so does the quality.For example, this year, students in ourincoming freshmen class were again inthe top 10% of their high schoolgraduating class. At the other end ofthe spectrum, our alumni continue toimpress. Many of our graduates havegone on to pursue their researchdoctorates. Dr. Jessica Sofranko, our2007 graduate completed her Ph.D. inCommunication Sciences and Disordersat The Pennsylvania State University in2012. She is now a faculty member atCollege of St. Rose in Albany, NewYork. Following in her footsteps areother graduates of our program whoare pursuing their doctorates, includingKelly DeHaven who is completing hersat Arcadia University, Erik Raj who ispursuing his at Wayne State University,Carly Jo Hosbach who is enrolled atSyracuse University, and NicholasBarone who is at James MadisonUniversity.

At the Pennsylvania Speech-LanguageHearing Association (PSHA) conventionin Lancaster in April 2012, our NationalStudent Speech-Language HearingAssociation (NSSLHA) Chapter once

again received the PSHA MembershipAward as well as the Chapter of theYear honors. At the convention, for thefifth year in succession, one of ourstudents, Maria Kidron received theVon Drach Memorial Scholarship,awarded to the outstanding graduatestudent from the entire state ofPennsylvania. Nicholas Barone receivedthe American Speech-Language-Hearing (ASH) Foundation scholarshipat our national convention in SanDiego. Many of our students alsopresented numerous papers withfaculty members at state, national, andinternational conferences. Last summer,three of our students presented papersin Rome, Italy and three studentspresented in Tours, France.

Our faculty received several grants.Funding from various sources,including, CVS Trust, Dempsey LinenSupply, First National Community Bank,Frontier Communications, LandmarkBank, Lexus, Motor World, PNC Bank,PNC Grow Up Great Fund, and theRJACK Fund of the LuzerneFoundation has allowed us to providecutting-edge services and maintainstate-of-the art clinic and researchfacilities. We used some of the fundingto purchase and install a sound-treatedhearing testing booth, near infrared

spectroscopy technology, motionanalysis software and hardware, andISCAN technology. The faculty havepresented at numerous conferences,published papers, and written books.Faculty also served as reviewers andeditorial consultants for premierjournals in our discipline.

In summer 2012, the SLP departmentsponsored a week-long Estill VoiceTraining Level One and Two workshopthat was conducted by Dr. KimberleySteinhauer, an Estill Certified CourseInstructor and Dr. Cari Tellis, an EstillCertified Master Teacher. In 2012, forMay is Better Speech and HearingMonth, our department hosted thesecond Exceptional Art ExceptionalArtists event to showcase artworkcreated by many of our clients withdisabilities. The event was a successwith over 150 people in attendance.

The Speech-Language and HearingCenter continues to provide a valuableservice to the community. We continueour partnerships with numerousagencies including the Hazelton AreaSchool District’s Office of SpecialEducation Early Intervention Program,the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation,and the Bureau of Disabilities. Ourdepartment also was featured inseveral newspaper articles and radioand television interviews—raising theprofile of the program locally andnationally. This publicity has increasedthe awareness of the department in thecommunity and has resulted in asignificant increase in the number ofclients who receive services in ourSpeech-Language and Hearing Center.

I hope you enjoy this edition of ournewsletter. Please take a moment tobrowse through our departmentwebsite (www.misericordia.edu/slp)and learn more about our program.

Letter FROM

THE Chair

301 Lake Street, Dallas, Pennsylvania 18612-1090

Department of Speech-Language Pathology

BY KATIE KUGLER ’14 GRADUATE STUDENT

The mentor/mentee program, partof the Speech Language Pathology(SLP) program at MisericordiaUniversity, is an outstanding aspectof the major. Each freshman in theSLP program is assigned a mentorwho is an older SLP student. Thementors and mentees meetperiodically throughout the course ofthe mentee’s freshman year. Thementor helps the new student adjustto the program and to the MUcampus in general.

When I was a freshman, I had a veryhelpful mentor, Nicole Kazmerick.We still keep in touch whenever I

have questions, most of whichconcern my upcoming year ofgraduate school. I remember askingNicole all kinds of questions, and shewas always willing and able toanswer all of them—back when I was a freshman and now in mysenior year.

I recently sought the opinion of oneof my fellow classmates on thementor/mentee program. ToriFlorman said, “My mentor freshmanyear was Julianne Curry, and she waswonderful! She answered our mostbasic questions and was alwayswilling to meet if we needed orwanted to. It was great to getsuggestions on what to be involvedin on campus and how to study forcertain classes. All in all, I thinkhaving a mentor is invaluable.” Thisconnection with an older student can

make a huge difference in howsuccessfully freshmen adjust to the SLP program and to the campusin general.

My mentor was a valuable part of myfreshman year, and now that I amone myself, I have found that theexperience is a great way to execute and improve skills likecommunication and leadership thatwill be vital in my future career. As amentor, I try to give the best andmost helpful advice that I can impart.I could not have imagined when Iwas a freshman that I would soon bein Nicole’s place giving a new SLPstudent advice and tips similar tothose Nicole gave me. Thementor/mentee program here atMisericordia University is indeed aninstructive and unique experience.

Mentoring OUR

SLP Freshmen

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