
To all of our Friends, Colleagues, Students, and Alumni,
Welcome to the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CS&D) at the University of Wisconsin Madison! We are committed to advancing the mission of the university, along with that of our field, which embodies research and clinical care in conditions involving speech, language, hearing, voice and balance. We integrate our educational mission through state-of-the-art teaching in the classroom, clinical training and bench-to-clinic research findings. The CSD department embodies the Wisconsin Idea, bringing our presence and know-how to local and statewide communities, and providing clear career pathways for professional service in the field.
We have five outstanding educational programs. We teach hundreds of undergraduate students each semester, many who major in CSD, and others who are interested in learning more about our field. Our student clinicians are being trained to become Audiologists in the AuD program and Speech Language Pathologists in the MS SLP program. These students are on their way to becoming professional clinicians at a time when our profession is one of the most highly rated professions nation-wide. Our PhD students are receiving world-class research training in laboratories that are typically funded by extramural agencies (such as the NIH), often receiving individual pre-doctoral grants, publishing their research findings in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at national and international conferences. Finally, we have a successful post-baccalaureate program for students with undergraduate degrees in areas other than our field, who want to apply to AuD or MS SLP programs.
The special ambiance of scholarship that has characterized our department for over five decades continues to be vibrant. Our faculty publish an impressive number of papers and book chapters in highly-cited peer-reviewed venues, and most of our faculty are funded by ongoing research grants from NIH. Together, our faculty have had over 200 publications in the past five years, along with edited books, book chapters, and many invited presentations at national and international conferences. This remarkable productivity is a true testament to the vibrant intellectual atmosphere of our department.
We are proud to have such an extensive network of Friends, Colleagues, Students, and Alumni. Over the years, our department has received generous donations from many individuals who have been part of our department and/or who are currently members of our faculty and staff. Private sources of funding for academic departments have become increasingly important to our mission at UW-Madison. Like other departments at the university, we ask our friends and alumni to consider joining in our efforts and to participate by making donations to the department. All contributions at all levels are incredibly important. We use donations to help support research, faculty/staff continuing education, replacement of clinical equipment, upgrades to classroom technologies and student scholarships. Our department is clearly strong and not missing a beat, but we want to ensure that we continue to be leaders in the field in the 21st century and beyond.
On Wisconsin!
Margarita Kaushanskaya, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is committed to eliminating bias, discrimination, and systemic racism. We commit to this work in our department, on campus, and in our field to effect sustained change.
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Your contributions allow us to deliver high quality education, perform state-of-the-art research, provide compassionate clinical care, and serve the community.



