For release: April 4, 2011
For press information, contact Curt Guenther, 901-678-2843

A long-established school within the University of Memphis has a new name to indicate its mission of research and service.  What has traditionally been known as the School of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology is now officially the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders.   The change takes effect immediately.

Dean Maurice Mendel explained the rationale behind the name change.  “The new name is a much more accurate indicator of our academic tradition,” he said. “The discipline of communication sciences and disorders provides graduate education leading to the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology.  The science bases of all three of the degrees that we award – the Au.D, the M.A., and the Ph.D. – are more accurately reflected in the new name.”

Regardless of its name, the research and services offered by the School have earned it a stellar reputation nationally.  Year after year, the audiology program and the speech-language pathology program have been ranked highly by U.S. News and World Report.  Faculty members conducting research into important speech and hearing-related topics bring in millions of dollars each year, including $3.5 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health this year alone.

Students work with world-renowned faculty mentors, and the student clinicians have the opportunity to get invaluable practical experience by working with hundreds of clients during thousands of visits to the Memphis Speech and Hearing Clinic, where those clients are offered services in the areas of speech, language, and hearing.

The School even offers study abroad experience.  Students and faculty work with children at the CAES School for the Deaf and a nearby orphanage in San Pedro, Dominican Republic. Graduate students are able to assist professors in conducting research that is vital to those with speech or hearing disorders.  One of the latest research projects involves determining the best hearing aids for elderly people.

The School was founded in 1967.  It is a graduate program exclusively, with a current enrollment of approximately 90 students, taught by 24 faculty members.

More information about the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders is available online at www.memphis.edu/csd or by phone at 901-678-5800.