2014 Newsletter and Message from Department Chair Weismer

Gary Weismer HeadshotDepartment Chair Gary Weismer

Photo Credit: Andrew Keating/University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

 

We begin the 2014-2015 academic year with more than 200 undergraduate majors, 35 new M.S. SLP students, and 13 new AuD students. Our instructors are fully committed to excellence in the classroom and clinic, as well as to our mission: to be the best Communication Sciences and Disorders (CS&D) program in the world. The research interests and accomplishments of our academic faculty have global impact, and our clinical influence is being felt around the world.

Check our Facebook page for new photos of our current staff, also at our Departmental website.You’ll recognize many faces; some may be unfamiliar because they are new to our group; some expected faces may appear to be missing. Among the very new faces are Andrew Keating (IT Administrator), Heather Krug (Clinical Associate Professor, SLP Program, beginning her second year), Alyson Eith (Clinical Associate Professor, SLP Program, beginning her first year), and Amy Kroll (Clinical Associate Professor, AuD Program). At the end of the 2013-2014 academic year we said goodbye to Jamie Murray-Branch, who retired after 30 years of dedicated service to the Department. During the 2013-2014 academic year we had five promotions among our staff:Nadine Connor was promoted to the rank of Full Professor, Michelle Quinn to the rank of Clinical Full Professor, Trici Schraeder to the rank of Distinguished Faculty Associate, and Stacy Cohen and Jon Douglas to the rank of Clinical Associate Professor. Students and Faculty won awards, wonderful graduation celebrations were held in May for students who completed our MS SLP, AuD, and Capstone programs, and at the end of the academic year and throughout this past summer we wrestled with plans to modify aspects of our curricula to better fit changing professional needs, our personnel, and the changing landscape of our great university.

The current newsletter contains three inspiring stories that highlight the dedication, perseverance, and professional accomplishments of our graduates. All of these stories reflect our philosophy that being an SLP or AuD is, ultimately, all about nurturing people.

One story is about a recently-graduated student, Sarah Nelson, who inspires all of us to seek the highest personal and professional goals, even in the face of substantial adversity. A second story introduces you to Sam Greene, who delivered the graduation address at our May, 2014, ceremony for MS SLP students; Sam’s story intersects with the community-service and training missions of our Speech and Hearing Clinic. Finally, as always we feature a story about a selected alumnus of our graduate training programs. This time it’s Karen Digney Andriacchi (MS ’90), whose varied career illustrates the breadth and depth of professional growth that can follow from a clinical degree in our field. All three stories validate our philosophy that beneath the jargon, technology, and local and national administrivia that come with being an SLP or AuD, we are ultimately about nurturing people.

You continue to play an important role in our students’ success. I’d like to thank everyone who has made a donation to our Department over the past year. These much-needed contributions help us replace aging equipment, improve facilities, and provide vital assistance to our graduate students. Please consider making a donation to our Department—any amount helps, no matter how small—by going to our web page (http://csd.wisc.edu/) and clicking the “Donate” button at the top of the list on the left-hand side of the page.

Enjoy the newsletter! Let us hear from you either by comments on our Facebook page or by email (gweismer@wisc.edu).

 

 

 

Group of People