About Program
  •  
  • Graduate Studies Program
  • in Auditory Learning &
  • Spoken Language

    • Faculty & Staff

    K. Todd Houston, PhD, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT is an Assistant Professor of Speech-Language Pathology and Director of the Graduate Studies Program in Auditory Learning and Spoken Language. Dr. Houston's research interests focus on communication outcomes in young children with hearing loss, especially those who are acquiring spoken language using advanced hearing technology (digital hearing aids and cochlear implants). He also collaborates with other faculty to investigate innovate early intervention service delivery modes, such as tele-health/tele-intervention, and studies how public policy impacts family-centered practices for children with hearing loss and their families. Prior to joining the faculty at Utah State University, Dr. Houston was the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell), located in Washington, DC.

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    Office:   (435) 797-0434

    		 Todd with Michael
    Karen Munoz, EdD, CCC-A is an Assistant Professor of Audiology. Dr. Munoz teaches a course in Pediatric Audiology and two courses in Amplification as well as provides clinical supervision to graduate students who are completing clinical practica in Pediatric Audiology. Her areas of research include outcomes related to universal newborn hearing screening and the application of tele-health/tele-intervention service delivery models with young children with hearing loss and their families. Prior to joining the faculty at Utah State University, she co-directed the Early Intervention Assessment Team at Northern Illinois University. She holds an ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Audiology. Through her affiliation with the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM), she has worked extensively at the state level to support the development of effective newborn hearing screening and follow-up programs. She has also been involved nationally and internationally in providing continuing professional education on best practice to audiologists and other stakeholders in the early identification and management of hearing loss for infants and young children. She is fluent in Spanish and is experienced in providing culturally competent services to families from historically underrepresented groups.

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    Office:   (435) 797-3701

    		 Karen Munoz
    Lauri Nelson, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Auditory Deaf Education. Dr. Nelson is the Director of Sound Beginnings of Cache Valley, an innovative early intervention and preschool program serving children with hearing loss ages birth to five years who are acquiring spoken language. Dr. Nelson's areas of research include academic achievement and spoken language outcomes of children who use cochlear implants or hearing aids. With a dual background in clinical audiology and oral deaf education, she is interested in transdisciplinary graduate student training to provide comprehensive family-centered services to children with hearing loss and their families. Prior to joining Utah State University, Dr. Nelson was a Clinical Research Scientist at Advanced Bionics Corporation where she assisted with numerous studies examining the communication development of children and adults with cochlear implants.

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    Office:   (435) 797-8051

    		 Lauri and Shanna
    Kim Corbin-Lewis, Ph.D, CCC-SLP is an Associate Professor of Speech-Language Pathology. Dr. Corbin-Lewis provides ongoing clinical supervision to graduate students in training. Her areas of specialization are in speech science, voice, motor speech and swallowing and anatomy and physiology of the speech mechanism. She currently is collaborating on several projects analyzing voice production and language outcomes in young children with hearing loss. She holds an ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech-Language Pathology. Currently, she is the Speech-Language Pathology Division Chair in Communicative Disorders & Deaf Education at USU, which oversees graduate training.

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    Office:   (435) 797-1302

    		 Kim Corbin-Lewis
    Cache Pitt, Au.D., CCC-A is an Clinical Assistant Professor of Audiology. Dr. Pitt provides clinical supervision to graduate students in Audiology who are completing clinical practica in Pediatric Audiology, specifically those experiences related to cochlear implant mapping/programming. Prior to joining the faculty at Utah State University, Dr. Pitt was a mapping audiologist with the cochlear implant program at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City. Dr. Pitt also received additional experience in cochlear implants and Pediatric Audiology at the California Ear Institute (CEI) in Palo Alto, CA. He has been involved with many investigational trials in cochlear implant technology and routinely lectures on cochlear implants and issues related to Pediatric Audiology.

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    Office:   (435) 797-9311
    Heather Rose, MA, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT is a Clinical Instructor of Speech-Language Pathology and a Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist. Ms. Rose provides clinical supervision of graduate students in training who are enrolled in the Auditory Learning and Spoken Language Program. Prior to joining the faculty at Utah State University, served as a practicum supervisor for the Auditory-Verbal Program at the University of Akron (UA) as well as a consultant for UA’s Auditory Options Project, a program designed to increase auditory learning and spoken language services to children with hearing loss and their families throughout Ohio and surrounding states. Ms. Rose has maintained a private practice for 17 years working exclusively with children with hearing loss, especially those with cochlear implants. She is nationally recognized for her work with young children with hearing loss and their families.

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    		 Heather and Cameron
    Natalie Austin, MA is a Teacher of the Deaf/Early Interventionist and is also the Birth-3 Coordinator for Sound Beginnings of Cache Valley. In addition to coordinating services for the birth-to-3 program, Ms. Austin teaches in a preschool classroom, provides home-based services, and directs the weekly Toddler Group. Prior to joining the faculty at Utah State University, Ms. Austin served as a teacher of the deaf and early interventionist at public schools in Colorado and in northern Virginia as well as a Peace Corp volunteer in Kenya, Africa.

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    Office:   (435) 797-8186
    Beth Foley, Ph.D, CCC-SLP is an Associate Professor & Department Head of the Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education (COMD) and an experienced speech-language pathologist. Dr. Foley's areas of expertise include assessment and intervention for children with severe communication disorders, assistive technology, neuroanatomy and physiology, and neurogenic communication disorders. As a Co-Principal Investigator with Dr. Karl White, Dr. Foley successfully secured the funding that established the Graduate Studies Program in Auditory Learning and Spoken Language. Dr. Foley is internationally recognized for her work in language and literacy development in children and adults with complex communication needs and is currently developing lines of research examining emergent literacy and language acquisition in young children with hearing loss.

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    Office:   (435) 797-3924

    		 Beth Foley
    Karl R. White, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM). Dr. White's areas of expertise include program evaluation and applied research related to young children with disabilities; early hearing detection and intervention; and policy and systems related to services for children with disabilities, especially those with hearing loss. As a Co-Principal Investigator with Dr. Beth Foley, Dr. White successfully secured the funding that established the Graduate Studies Program in Auditory Learning and Spoken Language. Dr. White is nationally and internationally known for this work, and he continues to provide consultation on issues related to early identification of hearing loss and early intervention programs for children with disabilities.

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    Office:    (435) 797-3589

    		 Karl White
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