Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences receives multiple grants to reach new communities in need of services

The Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences (SLHS) at the University of Arizona recently received grant funding from multiple sources to educate future clinicians to support children from underrepresented backgrounds in need of speech, language, and hearing services.

“When I became Department Head, the message about what our students and faculty wanted was clear: more diversity so that our field could better serve our community, whether through direct services or through the types of research questions we ask,” said Dr. Mary Alt, professor and department head of SLHS. “So, we set out to get those resources and are now delighted to embark on these programs. It is so exciting that we currently have a way to reach out to people at all levels, from high school to faculty.”

The grant funding will also help build the capacity of the department to mentor across differences, increase the diversity of the research done by the faculty, and build a pipeline of students to join undergraduate programs, graduate programs, and careers in SLHS from underrepresented communities.

“These grants will enable SLHS to continue supporting communities who have limited access to speech, language and hearing services and will make a profound impact on the southern Arizona community and beyond,” said Dr. Carmala Garzione, Dean of the College of Science.

Supporting faculty and undergrad students

Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences received $1.1 million in funding for FUERZA, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Resource Grant (R25), which will operate from April 2024 through March 2029.

This project uses a three-pronged approach to successfully develop the careers of National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) researchers from diverse backgrounds. The goal of the project is to create a robust mentoring plan to support newly hired researchers, to strengthen their skills, and build upon the existing support network for mentoring. For example, through FUERZA, the department is hosting Dr. Kia Johnson, a nationally-acclaimed expert in making SLHS programs truly welcoming for people from different backgrounds.

The grant will also be used to build a research pipeline by supporting a diverse cohort of undergraduates to work with faculty members and gain first-hand experience from renowned researchers. The first group of students began their paid research experiences this summer and are working on diverse projects ranging from contributing to treatment for late talkers and children with developmental language disorders to researching vestibular function and cognitive development. All the mentors trained at U of A's MENTOR Institute before accepting students.

“For the longest time, I believed that research was microscopes and flasks because of the media I was exposed to as a kid. Due to this mindset, I never thought that a career in research was for me until I was accepted into FUERZA this summer. FUERZA has changed the way that I view my future," said Mary Baro, undergraduate FUERZA student. "I now know that I can live a life where I am satisfied because I am constantly learning something new in a field that brings me joy. Participating in the L4 lab has given me firsthand experience in what research looks like. I have learned that research takes time but it is rewarding, and that is why I want to continue working in this environment."

Supporting master’s and PhD students

With the financial backing of two additional grants, SLHS will be able to support master’s and PhD students and provide valuable research and professional growth opportunities.

The AIMM Grant (Advancing Inclusion: Multicultural Multilingual Research for Children with Disabilities) is a training grant from the US Office of Special Education Programs for doctoral students who are interested in working with children from multi-cultural backgrounds. This grant is a collaboration between Arizona State University and University of Arizona. Students will receive specialized training, tuition, a stipend, health benefits, and expenses for attending conferences. Importantly, students will create a cohort of like-minded scientists meant to support them throughout the program and into their professional careers. This grant, which began in October 2023, is worth $2.2 million over the next five years and is a continuation of a similar grant, previously labelled PRIDE. 

Additionally, SLHS received another OSERS-OSEP training grant, Reading UArizona, which will co-train master’s students in Speech Language Pathology with undergraduates in the MMD (Mild to Moderate Disabilities) program within the U of A College of Education to become experts in literacy instruction for children from multicultural backgrounds who have disabilities. This grant will provide $1.1 million in funding over five years spanning October 2023 through September 2028. The funding is primarily used to provide stipends to students, so students who might not otherwise be able to afford higher education can have this opportunity. The first cohort of students will begin in August 2024, and, in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer White in education, the SLHS team is excited to provide new training opportunities and coursework in literacy, disability, multiculturalism, and interprofessional practice.

Supporting outreach to high school students

In partnership with the University of Arizona Office of Research, Innovation and Impact (RII) and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Initiatives, Dr. Genesis Arizmendi, Assistant Professor of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, and the first FUERZA hire, recently received an HSI Faculty Seed Grant titled Pathway for Underrepresented Education and Networking in Training and Empowerment (PUENTE) for Diversity in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

This initiative focuses on dismantling systemic barriers that impede the enrollment and participation of underrepresented students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) professions. Dr. Arizmendi emphasizes PUENTE's potential to increase Latino representation in these fields.

"By actively recruiting and supporting underrepresented Latino students, we nurture a new generation of healthcare and educational providers who bring their lived experiences, cultural knowledge, and linguistic expertise to the forefront," Arizmendi said. "This representation will foster culturally and linguistically responsive services that truly meet the needs of our diverse communities."

To learn more about Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences at the University of Arizona, its researchers, faculty, staff, students, available resources, and more, please click here.