The Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt University have secured a $2,399,454 grant to fund a five-year project to address the need for diversity in highly trained professionals in speech-language pathology.
The project, known as Project PAL (Preparing Academic Leaders in Speech-Language Pathology to Teach, Conduct Research, and Engage in Professional Service to Improve Outcomes for Children with High Need Communication Disorders), also aims to address the supply of speech-language pathologists.
Ilsa Schwarz, PhD, CCC-SLP, professor emeritus in the UTHSC Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, spearheaded the collaboration, alongside co-investigators Jillian McCarthy, PhD, CCC-SLP, and Erinn Finke, PhD, CCC-SLP, both associate professors in the UTHSC Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, and Melanie Schuele, PhD, professor in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt University.
Dr. Schwarz said the Project PAL admissions committee is looking for six candidates, three at UTHSC and three at Vanderbilt, who hope to pursue doctoral degrees in speech and hearing science, strive to promote diversity and inclusion in the field of speech-language pathology, and serve as an inspiration for others.
Read more at our UTHSC news site.