Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences

Laura is a clinical professor and served as the Speech-Language Clinic Director from 2001-2024. She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist and member of the Indiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Specialty Interest Divisions in Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders, Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders and an associate member of the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS). Her clinical interests include assessment and treatment of neurogenic cognitive and communication disorders including stroke, brain injury and progressive disorders, dementia; dysphagia/swallowing disorders, counseling and interprofessional practice and education. She teaches graduate coursework in clinical practice, professional issues, adult and pediatric dysphagia, counseling and aphasia. She has presented at local, state, regional and national conferences. Laura also serves as a site visitor for the Council on Academic Accreditation. 

In 2015, Laura became interested in IPE/IPP as a way to broaden student exposure to medical speech-language pathology. In 2014, the Indiana University (IU) Interprofessional Practice & Education Center was created with the purpose of bringing together faculty, students and communities to implement, integrate and evaluate interprofessional education programs and innovative team practice models. Laura is a contributor to the IU Team Education Advancing Collaboration in Healthcare (TEACH!) curriculum, a longitudinal curriculum that trains students across the professional programs. Laura and her colleagues in Medicine and Social Work also run a cohort of 8 IPE teams each fall, who provide in-home community based treatment services to individuals post brain injury with an emphasis on community health. This unique training program is piloting the use of the Canvas platform to promote IPE teaching across disciplines.