Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Upon completion of the Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) graduate program in 1989, she began her career working in the Jefferson County Public School district in Colorado. Lisa returned to Connecticut and SCSU in 1994 where she has been a clinical instructor for the past 30 years. She has also taught the undergraduate Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Phonetics and Phonological Systems courses. Additionally, she served as the placement coordinator for the schools for many years. She is currently the Clinic Practice Manager for the Clinical Service Programs of the Department of Communication Disorders at SCSU.

Juhi Kidwai is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Disorders and Sciences Program at Southern Illinois University. She earned her Ph.D. in Speech-Language Pathology in 2021 at the University of Kansas and continued with postdoctoral research at New York University before beginning at Southern Illinois University in 2023.

Dr. Kidwai's research focuses on the neurological mechanisms underlying speech and language production in individuals with stroke induced aphasia with a particular interest in using technological approaches for assessment and rehabilitation for this population. She is interested in studying the role of speech motor control through electroencephalography and reintegration of stroke affected neural areas with transcranial direct current stimulation. She is also interested in cross-context work in usage of augmentative and alternative communication approaches and general assessment and rehabilitation for aphasia. She is the director of the Aphasia Recovery with Technology Lab. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in speech-language pathology.

Whitney D. Perkins, M.S., CCC-SLP, Ed.D., is an Assistant Professor and Chair of the Department of Communicative Disorders at Jackson State University. Her areas of expertise include early childhood education, language development and child language disorders. Additionally, she is interested in high impact practices to facilitate students' learning and success in the classroom. She also focuses her attention on ways to recruit and retain underrepresented students into the field of speech-language pathology.

ASHA and Arizona state-certified Speech-Language Pathologist with experience serving children from birth through teenagers, including Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and other genetic disorders. Clinical specialties include AAC, behavior support, augmented and customized materials creation, and response to intervention. Experience in the treatment of individuals with severe and multiple disabilities.

Experience as an assistant professor and assistant program director includes the supervision of graduate clinicians, instructing several courses (Diagnostic Assessment and Treatment Planning; Evidence-Based Practice; Culture and Communication; AAC), conducting research including Capstone projects and Thesis research, chairing and participating in department and campus-wide committees, and assisting the program director in a variety of tasks.

Areas of focus for local and national presentations include the supervision of Gen-Z, LGBTQ+ topics in the arenas of academia and speech pathology, research interests, supervision of graduate students and CFs, etc.

Dr. Deborah Scheble is a certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and has practiced as a Speech-Language Pathologist in Florida for over 20 years.  She received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Palm Beach Atlantic College, a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of South Florida, a Higher Education Teaching Certificate from Harvard University, and a Doctorate in Speech-Language Pathology from Northwestern University.

In addition to treating individuals in the acute care, subacute, school, and home healthcare settings, her experience includes Clinical Fellow mentorship, leadership, and quality improvement. Dr. Scheble’s research focuses on the development of graduate and post-graduate healthcare professionals. She has presented at several state conferences and the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Dr. Scheble is an Assistant Teaching Professor and provides clinical instruction. She served as a hospital Ambassador for the Compliance and Ethics Department and has been an active member of Alpha Delta Kappa since 2003.

Leslie Grubler Ed.D., CCC-SLP, is the Director of Clinical Education and Clinical Services at Lehman College in the Bronx, New York, a Hispanic and minority serving institution. A speech-language pathologist, consultant, and family and child advocate with experience in treatment and administration through 27 years of practice, Dr. Grubler has presented nationally and locally on a variety of topics in practice and supervision and advocated for the rights of disabled individuals throughout her entire career from NYC Hall to Albany, to Washington D.C.  Dr. Grubler’s research, scholarship, advocacy, professional practice interests have been in disability-affirmative and culturally responsive practice. Dr. Grubler presently serves as Co-Chair of the DEI committee of CAPCSD, co-chair of the SLHS Department DEI&B Committee, committee member of the Governmental Affairs Committee of NYSSLHA,  has served as Autism Chair of the NYSSLHA Conference for three consecutive years, and as ASHA Advisory Council Member representing NYS. In 2022, Dr. Grubler was awarded her Ed.D. degree in Executive Leadership in Social Justice. Her dissertation topic, The Lived Educational Experiences of Student Clinicians with Non-Apparent Disabilities in Communication Sciences and Disorders: Perspectives of Recent Graduates in Communication Sciences and Disorders, is the first study of its kind in CSD.