Category: Communication Sciences & Disorders

CHHS camps creating communication, confidence, and connection

erj92 | July 20, 2026

Do you know that NAU hosts over 17,000 campers at nearly 100 different summer camps every year? Camp Chit Chat and Reading Between the Pines are two of them, unique in that they transform therapy into adventure, giving children who struggle with communication the chance to build skills through activities… Read more

Grad student works with child at CSD camp.

Motivating Speech-Language Pathologists to Stay Where They Train

erj92 |

School districts in rural communities continue to face shortages of speech-language pathologists (SLPs), limiting many students’ access to crucial care. A recent ASHA Leader article by NAU’s own Jeff Meeks, EdD, CCC-SLP, highlights how speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs), working under the supervision of licensed SLPs, are helping expand access to care by supporting underserved schools… Read more

NAU program trains speech pathologists while filling Phoenix workforce gaps | AZFamily

mtf228 | July 1, 2026

AZFamily recently highlighted Northern Arizona University’s Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program from the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, showcasing how it is helping address Arizona’s growing shortage of certified speech-language pathologists… Read more

A speech-language pathologist smiles while holding an anatomical model of the throat and vocal tract, pointing to its structures as they explain them to a patient during a consultation in a clinical office. The patient sits across the desk wearing a headset microphone, listening attentively.

SLP graduate student honored with Dolores Huerta Award for Excellence at NAU

mtf228 | June 1, 2026

Jacqueline Acuña, a graduate of NAU’s Master of Clinical Speech-Language Pathology program, was recently awarded the Dolores Huerta award for Graduate Student Excellence. The award honors students who embody the values of renown civil rights activist and American labor leader, Dolores Huerta, through their advocacy, community engagement, and service to diverse populations. … Read more

How one grad made the most of her time at NAU | The NAU Review

mtf228 | May 9, 2026

Aspen Jester started her collegiate career on the pre-med track with plans to be in healthcare. She started pre-med, then shifted to pre-physician assistant. But in her junior year, she landed in a field with which she has significant personal experience—speech-language pathology. … Read more

Healing in harmony | The NAU Review

mtf228 | April 14, 2026

For people living with Parkinson’s disease, music is medicine. As founder of the NAU-based choir Mountain Tremors since 2016, Fé Murray has 10 years of proof. … Read more

Students and seniors sitting at desks in a classroom in front of a whiteboard that says Mountain Tremors.

Hands-on learning meets community need at NAU’s Dental Hygiene Kiddie Clinic | Elevate, The Campaign for NAU

mtf228 | April 13, 2026

For many children in northern Arizona, a visit to the dentist isn’t routine. It’s out of reach… Read more

2026 CHHS Distinguished Senior: Marlee Hewlett

Katie Fahy | March 27, 2026

Marlee Hewlett, a senior in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) has been named the 2026 CHHS Distinguished Senior. In celebration, we asked Marlee to reflect on her time at NAU, what led her to CSD, and her plans for after graduation… Read more

NAU student starting support group for people who stutter in northern Arizona | Arizona Daily Sun

mtf228 | March 9, 2026

A graduate student at Northern Arizona University has started a stuttering support group for the Flagstaff area… Read more

Aspen Jester is a clinical speech language pathology graduate student who has started a Flagstaff chapter of the National Stuttering Association for local teens and adults.

US News & World Report ranks CHHS careers among top 20 jobs in health care

Katie Fahy | January 23, 2026

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2026 rankings of the best health care jobs, and programs offered through Northern Arizona University’s College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) are preparing students for many of the nation’s top-ranked careers. This year’s rankings were determined by salary data, unemployment rate, and projected job growth as determined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics… Read more