Contact Information and Faculty
Interested students should contact the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at 561-297-6074.
Correspondence should be addressed to:
Florida Atlantic University
College of Education
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
777 Glades Road
P.O. Box 3091
Boca Raton, Florida 33431
Faculty
The faculty includes four full-time professors and a clinic director, as well as clinical and adjunct faculty. The faculty represents a range of experience and expertise in a wide variety of disorder and research areas. View the Department Directory.
Dr. Dale F. Williams is a Professor of Speech-Language Pathology and Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. His principal area of research is stuttering. A board-certified specialist in fluency and fluency disorders, Dr. Williams has published research articles and books in his primary area of expertise, as well as across a variety of other communicative disorders.
Dr. Ali A. Danesh is a Professor of Audiology. He coordinates the audiology clinic and engages in research. He also has a joint appointment as Professor of Clinical Biomedical Sciences in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. Additionally, he has affiliate appointments at the Department of Psychology and FAU’s Neurology Residency Program. Dr. Danesh's areas of interest are tinnitus, decreased sound tolerance disorders such as hyperacusis and misophonia, diagnostic audiology, vestibular assessment, and auditory electrophysiology. He conducts research on auditory evoked potentials, tinnitus and sound sensitivity disorders. He is a well-published researcher and regularly presents in national and international conventions. He is a member of the American Tinnitus Association and provides clinical support to the people with tinnitus.
Dr. Connie Porcaro is an Associate Professor of Speech-Language Pathology. Her research interests include motor speech disorders, speech perception, and intelligibility. Dr. Porcaro also specializes in research and professional ethics. Her current research is focused on how listeners use visual cues from speakers who have motor speech disorders and voice disorders. Dr. Porcaro teaches Dysphagia, Voice Disorders, Motor Speech Disorders, and Professional Practices and Program Organization as well as several undergraduate courses.
Dr. Caitlin Imgrund is an Assistant Professor of Speech-Language Pathology. She specializes in child language development and child language disorders. Her current research focuses on the language outcomes of children from at-risk populations, including children born preterm. She is also interested in best assessment practices for evaluating the language skills of young children through language sample analysis. She teaches courses on language development, language disorders, and augmentative and alternative communication.
Instructors and Clinical Staff
Terry Clark, CCC-SLP is the director of the Communication Disorders Clinic. Terry obtained her Master’s (M.Ed.) degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from FAU in 1997. She has served as adjunct clinical supervisor since 2002, becoming full-time in 2014, and Clinic Director in 2016. She was also part of the FAU family as the speech pathologist at the FAU lab school from 2005 – 2014. Her interest areas include fluency, auditory processing disorder clients with severe expressive language and/or literacy deficits.
Kelly Steele is a full-time supervisor in the Communication Disorders Clinic. She is certified in the Neurodevelopmental Treatment of children with Cerebral Palsy and other neuromotor disorders. Mrs. Steele is an alumna of FAU’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program. She enjoys researching many aspects of the speech-language pathology field.
Clinical Adjunct Staff
Dr. Beckie Anderson has a BA and MA from Michigan State University; and a Doctor of Audiology from AT Still University. She received educational training and clinical preceptorship at FAU. Dr. Anderson maintains ASHA certifications (CCC) in both Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.
Lori Bargas has worked at the CDC supervising students since August of 2003. Her MA is from the University of Colorado, and her work experience has been in hospitals and clinics with adult neurogenic speech disorders. Her interest area is the adult population with neurological disorders, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, and Parkinson’s. She also supervises at the Memory and Wellness Center, for both a Communications Group and for a Parkinson’s Group.
Cindy Pearlman is a Speech Language Pathologist whose mission is to help all individuals find their voice. Cindy has an Undergraduate degree in Musical Theatre and a Master’s degree in Communication Disorders from Teachers College, Columbia University. She facilitated speech pathology and theatre programs throughout the world, including New York City, Ghana, and Haiti. She currently is a Clinical Supervisor at Florida Atlantic University where she works with the ACI program (Academy for Community Inclusion), in conjunction with the ESE Department. Cindy also works as an SLP and Supervisor in the school systems and is certified in Parkinson's Voice Project: SPEAK OUT.
Elizabeth (Beth) Reeder, M.S., CCC/SLP has worked in the Palm Beach County School District with elementary and Pre-K children for over 25 years. She is a strong advocate of Early Intervention, for children who are delayed in speech-language development. Her special interest areas are toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary aged children.
Ellen Stern is the Director of Speech and Language at the Palm Beach School for Autism, and has extensive experience supervising students in this setting. Since obtaining a Master’s Degree from Brooklyn College, she has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist for over 25 years, with a primary focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder, incorporating Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems.
Department Staff:
Mr. Jeremy E. Bayne
jbayne1@health.rjval.com
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Program Information: 561-297-6074
CDC Information: 561-297-4026