On behalf of the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences (SPHSC), I am delighted to welcome you to this newsletter, with a new academic year underway and a new departmental website to accompany it. As I enter my second year as Department Chair, I am honored to serve in this role and excited to continue working with faculty, staff, and students across the Department as we navigate the challenges…

New Clinical Audiologist   Dr. Shanece Washington was welcomed to the UW Speech and Hearing Clinic as the Director of Audiology in May 2026. She received her clinical doctorate in audiology here in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. She brings more than a decade of experience in clinical audiology, hearing conservation, public health,…

“Dubs NICU Reads” is a student-led initiative developed in partnership with UW Speech and Hearing Clinic. Launched in 2026, the program brings the power of books to babies and their families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a space where early connection matters most. Master’s students Sara Smith (MedSLP ‘26) and Lili Correa (MedSLP ‘26) initiated the program with Kate Krings, Teaching…

Each year, SPHSC recognizes a former graduate by inviting them to deliver a special presentation the Friday before UW Commencement, and to deliver a speech at the SPHSC Recognition Ceremony. The 2026 SPHSC Distinguished Alum is Dr. Catherine Off, Ph.D., CCC-SLP! Dr. Off graduated from UW in 2008 with her doctoral degree under the mentorship of Dr. Kristie Spencer and Dr. Margaret Rogers. Dr. Off…

Hearing aid technology is improving all the time with the help of AI and researchers like Dr. Shen Yi, Associate Professor of Speech & Hearing Sciences.Continue reading on An Earful of AI

Tamar Nir, doctoral student of Kristie Spencer, PhD., was awarded the prestigious Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPCSD) PhD Research Scholarship! This $12,000 award will support Tamar’s dissertation research which will examine Subjective Cognitive Decline and help-seeking behaviors across racial groups. Congratulations, Tamar!Continue reading on

If there’s an opportunity to help children thrive, Sara Jerger is all in. Formerly a speech and language pathologist for an elementary school in Renton, Washington, Jerger (BS, MS, Speech & Hearing Sciences, 2014, 2016) now oversees secondary special education programs for the Renton School District. She has long focused on children and education after circumstance set her on that path…

Research Assistant Professor Christina Zhao has been honored with the 2024 NOMIS & Science Young Explorer Award.This award is open to all scientists internationally whose research is at the intersection of the social and life sciences, and recognizes early career researchers who ask bold, fundamental questions.One grand prize and two finalists are named, and Christina was named a finalist.…

This award is presented annually to one person who, through their work with students, made significant contributions to the CSD discipline and National NSSLHA. MS SLP student Aivy Nguyen, President of National NSSLHA, along with many other SPHSC students, were excited to nominate Dr. Burns for this prestigious award and acknowledge his impact on the Department and our students.Come and celebrate…

Fellowship is one of the highest forms of recognition given by ASHA of an individual’s accomplishments and is public declaration of outstanding professional achievements. Come and celebrate Dr Shen and other award recipients at our ASHA Social, co-hosted with WSLHA and other CSD programs in WA. Continue reading on