FROM THE
DIRECTOR’S DESK Mark Guiberson, PhD, CCC-SLP
Summer 2024
COMMUNICATION DISORDERS Back to School time again at the University of Wyoming Division of Communication Disorders! I am thrilled to share some recent developments within ComDis. First off, I want to share that we continue to have steady and consistent support from UW’s Administration and our new Interim Dean, Michelle Hilaire. Dr. Hilaire holds a faculty appointment as clinical professor in the School of Pharmacy, which she joined as a faculty member in 2004. Dr. Hilaire and I have worked together for 13 years, she is a true supporter of the college and she understands clinical programs and the importance of our research. We are excited to share our updated strategic plan in this newsletter (see page 12). Thank you to everyone who provided
feedback at WYOSHA or through our discussion with internship supervisors. Your insights have been invaluable in shaping our future directions. Our vision is cut and dry: to be a program of excellence with cutting edge research, exceptional teaching and learning, and state-of the art clinical programs. Moving forward to more news, UW ComDis continues to shine bright at professional conventions. We had an excellent representation at both the Wyoming Speech-Language-Hearing Association (WYOSHA) and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) conventions. Notably, our faculty and students delivered over 23 presentations at the ASHA convention in Boston, showcasing
all the important and innovative research we conduct at UW. Support from our generous donors fuels our program, helping us to reach new heights. We are deeply grateful for the ongoing contributions, including the Lyric River Memorial Scholarship and new gifts from Maggie and Dick Scarlett, among other gifts. These contributions have been instrumental in propelling our mission forward. Additionally, our recent Giving Day was a tremendous success, with 26 donors making a gift, an increase in the number of gifts compared to last year. Many of these gifts were matched, especially the ones that came in early on Giving Day. Go Pokes, and thank you for supporting UW ComDis. Now for some ground breaking news,