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Introduction. The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) was founded in the 1930's by Professor
M. D. Steer, one of the first doctoral students trained
in the then-new
discipline of human communication sciences and disorders.
From its earliest years the department has enjoyed a
national and international reputation as one of the
finest academic, clinical, and research programs in
the field. We are currently ranked as one of the top
five programs in Speech-Language Pathology and one of
the top ten in Audiology (U.S. News and World Report).
Our faculty is extremely diverse in its interests, reflecting
the fact that the field of human communication sciences
is at its heart interdisciplinary. We explore the biological,
psychological, physical, neurophysiological, and linguistic
aspects of speech production, language, and hearing.
We also focus on a variety of human communication disorders.
Most of the SLHS faculty are members of either the interdisciplinary
Linguistics program or the Neuroscience program.
Learning. SLHS has relatively large undergraduate
and graduate programs. There are 160 undergraduate majors
and a total undergraduate enrollment of approximately
1549 students in SLHS courses last year. Our undergraduate
program has two major goals: (1) to provide students
with basic knowledge of the multi-leveled processes
involved in speech, language, and hearing, and (2) to
introduce them to disorders of human communication.
We recently introduced specific "streams"
for undergraduate focus some designed to prepare
the student to apply to clinical programs and others
to prepare the student to pursue a research career in
this interdisciplinary field.
The entry level degree for a certified speech-language
pathologist is the M.S. The entry level degree for a
certified audiologist is the Au.D. clinical doctorate
degree. The Au.D. degree program is in conjunction with the
Indiana University School of Medicine-Indianapolis.
We have one of the very best clinical M.S. programs
in the world, for which we typically receive about 250 applications
yearly. Our M.S. enrollment
is approximately 65 students.
In February 2002, our
Doctor of Audiology degree (Au.D.),offered
in partnership with the Department of Otolaryngology-Head
& Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine-Indianapolis
was approved by the Indiana Commission on Higher Education.
Faculty members, staff members, and
students are now able to take advantage of the excellent
faculty and facilities of both institutions. In Fall 2003, the first class of Au.D. students was admitted to our department. Under the leadership
of Dr. Robert Novak, this was the first Au.D. program
to be offered by a Big Ten University.
Purdue is also internationally renowned for its doctoral
program in human communication sciences and disorders.
Our graduates hold professorships in the best academic
programs, and they repeatedly appear in our national
association’s award ceremonies. The Ph.D. program in
SLHS emphasizes individually tailored programs with a
heavy concentration of interdisciplinary training in
either linguistics or neuroscience.
Discovery. The SLHS faculty are highly productive
and highly visible researchers. The department had $2.5 million in extramural research funding in 2004. Presently, SLHS faculty direct 27 research projects funded by NIH, NSF, university and other sponsoring agencies. These research
projects reflect the interdisciplinary nature of
our field. Faculty have highly regarded research programs
in child language development,
linguistics of American Sign Language, brain mechanisms
underlying language processing, neurophysiological bases
of speech motor control, infant speech/language development,
speech perception, and basic mechanisms of hearing.
Engagement. Service is central to the mission
of SLHS. Due to the nature of our areas of inquiry, we
have unique opportunities to help and engage people
in many ways, from providing speech and language therapy
to a young child with a cochlear implant, to fitting
an elderly person with a state-of-the-art digital hearing
aid that will greatly improve hearing.
The department houses Audiology and Speech-Language
Pathology Clinics that are open to the public. The Audiology
Clinic provides a full range of diagnostic and rehabilitative
services to children and adults. In 2003/2004 there
were 2000 patient visits for diagnostic services and
rehabilitative services, including hearing
aids, assistive listening devices, and group and individual
therapy. The Speech-Language Clinic offers many programs,
including an adult language program for clients with
language problems following stroke or other brain injuries,
a birth-three program, an adult geriatric program in
the Indiana Veteran’s Home, the Purdue Preschool Language
Program, and voice therapy in conjunction with area
physicians. In 2003-2004, the Speech-Language Clinic had 1,719 client visits and screened over 400 children. Finally, our
Audiology and Speech-Language Clinics also provide hearing,
speech, and language screening to all incoming Purdue
freshmen.
SLHS has been active in continuing education for over three
decades. These programs have been supported in part
by extramural funds, and are important sources for continuing education credits
for speech-language pathologists and audiologists both
locally and nationally.
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