W faculty, students to present at state conference
FLOWOOD, Miss. – Faculty and students from Mississippi University for Women’s Speech-Language Pathology department will give presentations at the annual Mississippi Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MSHA) conference, Sept. 19-20.
Dr. Catherine Cotton, Jennifer Pounders, Lynn McConnell and students Alex Green, Kathryn Robinson, Lindsie Jo Moseley, Madison Reed, Maclaine Griffith, Baylee McDonald and Mary Alon Gosa, will represent The W at MSHA. They will give presentations on various related topics such as Camp LIT, The W’s literacy summer camp, ASHA’s Code of Ethics and AAC devices.
“Speaking at a conference allows the presenter to deepen their knowledge and share information on a specific topic to with others who are also interested in that topic. The benefits for students include deeper understanding of a topic, working with a professor outside of the classroom and mentorship with faculty members. Students who are engaged in research are able to gain confidence in their public speaking skills; as well as make themselves competitive for future research opportunities or job opportunities,” said Cotton, interim department chair and assistant professor of SLP.
Not only will the students gain valuable experience researching and working with faculty, it also allows the department to showcase the caliber of students it produces for outside parties.
“We feel as if this is an opportunity for us to promote the hard work we are doing in the Speech-Language Pathology Department at The W, not only for our profession but also for future students, off-campus supervisors, and potential employees,” Cotton said.
The annual MSHA conference is an opportunity for audiologists, speech-language pathologists and students to come together and gain continuing education units, as well as network with their peers.
Mississippi Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MSHA) is the statewide professional organization for its members and affiliates who are speech-language pathologists, audiologists, parents/caregivers, support personnel and students. The overall mission of the Mississippi Speech-language-Hearing Association is to support audiologists and speech-language pathologists in Mississippi by providing resources, information and professional/continuing educational development opportunities; promote the highest ethical and professional standards; and advocate for legislation and regulation necessary for members to provide quality care for individuals with communication, hearing, balance and swallowing disorders.
The W’s Speech-Language Pathology program is housed in Turner Hall and is part of the Vandergriff College of Nursing and Health Sciences. The program offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees, and students gain professional knowledge on communication and swallowing disorders and the best evidence-based practices for treating them. To learn more about the Speech-Language Department, please visit www.muw.edu/slp/.