Academic Affairs Committee

Dr. Debra (Debbie) Burnett is an associate professor of communication sciences and disorders and the Interim Dean of the School of Health Sciences at Springfield College in Springfield, MA. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees from SUNY Geneseo and her PhD from Syracuse University.  Her research interests include child language, assessment in early childhood, and SoTL.

Joe Ashenden’s primary responsibilities include providing clinical education and classroom teaching in the undergraduate and graduate programs. Ashenden also acts as an advisor for the master’s speech-language pathology program. Ashenden joined the department from Pittsburgh Public schools, where he served as a speech-language pathologist for students in grades kindergarten through 12. Ashenden is passionate about clinical education and the role school-based speech-language pathologists can play in supporting children with disabilities and their families.

Dr. Sheri Tracy Bayley, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL is an assistant professor and undergraduate coordinator of Speech-Language Pathology at Nevada State University in Henderson, NV and is a Board Certified Specialist in Child Language. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and PhD from Florida State University. Her research interests include early autism identification, neurodivergent supports, and scholarship of teaching/learning. 

Dr. Sandra Combs is the Capstone Coordinator and an Associate Professor in the SLPD program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, Utah. Dr. Combs has supervised, taught and mentored undergraduate, masters, and doctoral for more than more than 15 years. She is a Fellow of the Ohio Speech Language Hearing Association where she served in a variety of roles including President of the Association. Dr. Combs’ teaching and research interests include the scholarship of teaching and learning, school-age language disorders, literacy, persistent speech sound disorders, and autism.

Jamie Desjardins is an Associate Teaching Professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). She teaches both in the graduate Doctor of Audiology program and in the undergraduate program in CSD. Her research focuses on the aging auditory system and hearing aid use among older adults. he primary objective of her research is to improve hearing health care for older adults through both basic and clinical research. Currently, she is examining the effects of bilingualism on speech perception and listening effort in older adults. In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Desjardins is a licensed clinical audiologist with more than fifteen years of experience in adult diagnostics and hearing aids.

Valarie B. Fleming, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic and Faculty Affairs at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, provides executive leadership for central campus administrative units supporting academic programs and faculty members. Dr. Fleming holds degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Memphis, and a PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Texas at Austin.

Samantha Ghali, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Kansas. Her research interests include language and literacy assessment in young children and self-determination in adolescents and young adults. 

Kimmerly Harrell, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL is an Associate Professor in the department of speech-language pathology. She specializes in language and literacy disorders and is a Board-Certified Specialist in Child Language. Before coming into academia Kimmerly worked as a school-based Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) in Georgia and Florida for over 8 years. Prior to becoming an SLP she worked as a Service Coordinator for an early intervention system and as a Mental Health Disability Coordinator for Head Start. Kimmerly's other clinical and research interests include assessment and intervention of reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition in culturally and linguistically diverse adolescents, cultural competence and humility in graduate education, and school-based issues in speech-language pathology. She also uses her knowledge and expertise to provide therapy and professional development in Haiti, Kenya, and Jamaica.

Dr. Patti Johnstone, Ph.D. CCC-SLP/A is Professor, Founding Chair of the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, and Program Director of the MS-SLP degree program at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Dr. Johnstone holds an undergraduate degree from Loma Linda University, two graduate clinical degrees (one in speech-language pathology and one in audiology) from the University at Buffalo (SUNY), and a research doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Dr. Johnstone has 40+ years of work as a professional in communication disorders. She is embarking on her 20th year in academia. Prior to her work at Viterbo University, Dr. Johnstone spent 17 years at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Knoxville, as the Director of Clinical Education for the Au.D. program. Please follow link for research publications and interests: Johnstone - Google Scholar

Professor Kristina Kelley has been a practicing medical speech-language pathologist since 2005 and holds a M.A. in Speech Pathology from the University of North Texas and a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Texas at Austin.  Kristi has a clinical neuro-based background treating a variety of diagnoses ranging from speech and language disorders and dysphagia to cognitive linguistic impairments related to brain injury, neurogenic disorders, stroke, and SCI. Professor Kristina has been involved in adjunct teaching at Baylor University since 2019 and has integrated her clinical expertise into the academic classroom. Additionally, Professor Kristina teaches Neuromotor Speech Disorders and Aphasia for Yeshiva University. Kristina is currently an ASHA site visitor for the Council on Academic Accreditation and is on the Membership Committee with Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPSCD). She loves supporting students in the learning process and to see new clinicians be successful entering into the field of speech-language pathology. 

Dr. Moineau joined the faculty at CSUSM in January 2006 to design, develop and launch the graduate, undergraduate and post-baccalaureate programs in speech-language pathology. Her areas of expertise and teaching are in the neuroscience of communication and swallowing, acquired language disorders in adults, dysphagia, and anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanism. Her research interests focus on the nature of acquired language and swallowing disorders, and scholarship of teaching and learning in the field of speech-language pathology. She has extensive experience working as a medical speech-language pathologist in acute care settings, with a focus on intensive care.

Kim Murza, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, received her doctorate in Education: Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Central Florida, where she specialized in language and literacy. She is currently the Associate Dean of Research and Faculty Affairs in the College of Natural and Health Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado and previously served as a Professor of Speech-Language Pathology in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Dr. Murza has worked privately and in the public school system as a speech-language pathologist with children and adolescents of all ages. She is passionate about supporting school-based speech-language pathologists to provide inclusive and collaborative services. Her main research area is the development, delivery, and evaluation of high-quality professional learning in the schools. Additional research interests include interprofessional collaboration in the schools, coaching of extenders, community-engaged learning, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. More recently, she’s been involved in the development and program coordination of the Greeley Treasure Chest Program and Project L.I.F.E. (Literacy for Immigrant Families Everyday).

Kris Pedersen, SLPD, CCC-SLP, is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing at the University of Kansas. She also serves as Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Chair. Her work focuses on early intervention practices, through clinical supervision in inclusive early childhood settings and teaching coursework in infant toddler communication and collaborative practices.

Dr. Sarah Poissant is Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. As Associate Vice Provost she has broad responsibilities across academic affairs, including Academic Quality Assessment and Development (AQAD) and accreditation processes, new degree program development and support, and faculty affairs and leadership development. She received her bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Vermont and her master’s and PhD degrees in Communication Sciences from the University of Connecticut. She previously served as a Chancellor’s Leadership Fellow in the Office of Faculty Development during which time she offered a broad range of supportive professional development programming for faculty employing innovative approaches to educating adult learners. Dr. Poissant’s  scholarly interests include speech perception in cochlear implant recipients and novel approaches to behavioral auditory assessment of very young or otherwise difficult-to-text populations. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Hearing Health Foundation, and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation.

Amy Rodda is the Director of Clinical Education and an Associate Teaching Professor in the Speech and Hearing Sciences Department at the University of Washington. She has worked in a variety of settings, including public schools, birth-3 services, and private clinics. Clinically, Dr. Rodda specializes in play-based therapy, social communication, and enhancing the functional communication skills of children with a broad range of communication strengths and challenges. She is a certified Early Start Denver Model provider and has completed training on the Hanen It Takes Two to Talk parent coaching program. Her research interests include understanding and supporting peer relationships and friendships of children with autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Rodda currently supervises graduate clinicians in the UW Speech and Hearing Clinic, teaches undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate courses, facilitates the Leslie Jeanne Berns Support Group for families of children with communication disorders, and mentors undergraduate research.  

Ned has almost 40 years of experience working with non-profit organizations, primarily in membership, continuing education, and event planning. Ned serves as the Executive Director for CAPCSD. 

In his new position, Ned will provide extensive support to the Board of Directors and its committees, manage the membership program, contribute to annual conference planning, and supervise The Lisa Scott Leadership Academy, DEI Academy, and Admissions Summit. He will coordinate scholarships, oversee professional development initiatives, and maintain the organization's website. Ned will manage the CAPCSD Team, administration, financial record-keeping, and contract management. 

Ned is an active member of the American Society of Association Executives and serves as a volunteer for United Way.

Outside his professional endeavors, Ned enjoys spending quality time with his family in Florida and Georgia, his two dachshunds, and hiking.