The University of Minnesota’s Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences is committed to eliminating systemic racism, both locally and worldwide. Our department, along with the entire University of Minnesota, condemns racism, bigotry, and hatred. The killing of George Floyd, a member of our Minnesota community, has laid bare the long-standing racism in our society to those who weren’t already experiencing it on a daily basis themselves. It prompts us to affirm and build upon our commitment to ensure meaningful change within our classrooms, department, college, university, communities, professions, and nation.  We pledge to do our part in a collective effort to eradicate racism, bigotry, and hatred of all kinds.

Assistant Professor Matt Winn unwraps the impact hearing loss has not only on methods of communication, but also one's overall quality of life through his research on pupil dilation and cochlear implants.

Our ability to understand speech has always been subject to how well we hear. But can cultural, social, and behavioral linguistic differences (within a language) impact how well we hear and understand? Professor Benjamin Munson and Dr. Alayo Tripp are studying the impact of race-based biases on how easily older people understand the speech of younger people.

This year, we bid a very fond farewell to Dr. Arlene Carney whose entire career has involved SLHS in some way. Department Chair Ben Munson reflects on Dr. Carney’s contributions to her field, our University, and our department.

Language and our ability to communicate unites us. For some, however, disorders such as stuttering make connection more difficult. Through her research in the Speech Fluency Lab, Dr. Jayanthi Sasiekaran examines speech and language processes that contribute to speech fluency to understand why some people stutter.

As graduation nears for many students, the last semester is a time to reflect on memories at the University. Graduating senior Kaitlin Trefethen looks back on the skills and experiences she gained through speech-language-hearing sciences and how she can take that knowledge into the future.

Our voices are a crucial piece of our identity. When your voice and identity don’t match, it’s difficult to express yourself with confidence. Marilyn Fairchild and Dr. Sheri Stronach work with transgender clients to cultivate a voice that enables them to fully express their identity.

“Even though I’m not using my degree in the way I imagined I would, I wouldn’t have gotten my job had I not had it.” 2018 SLHS graduate Payton Counts is pursuing a career path different than many in her field. Through the help of her education in CLA and the faculty behind her, she is able to do meaningful work in suicide prevention for native youth in the Twin Cities.

Since 1927, our faculty have examined the variations in typical and disordered communication throughout the lifespan. Conditions that interfere with communication are caused by a number of factors including autism, stuttering, severe hearing loss, stroke, a growth on the vocal cords, cleft palate, and cerebral palsy.