Tom is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and a speech-language pathologist at Mayo Clinic Health System – Eau Claire.  He is a board member of the Chippewa Valley Aphasia Group, co-supervisor of the UW-Eau Claire BluGold Aphasia Group, and founding board member of the Chippewa Valley Aphasia Camp. He is chair of the Wisconsin Hearing and Speech Board, and is the founder and liaison for the Communication Partners Program, matching student and community volunteers with individuals with aphasia throughout the greater Eau Claire community.  Dr. Sather has 20 years of experience working with individuals with aphasia within the neuro-intensive care unit, acute care, outpatient and community levels. He is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS).  He has published and presented nationally on topics relating to aphasia camps, aphasia groups, environmental supports for individuals with aphasia, community models for aphasia rehabilitation, flow and experience sampling methodologies.

Sarah is a Professor and Program Director for the Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Wallace also directs the Communication and Cognition Lab (https://www.facebook.com/CommunicationAndCognitionLab). She has over 16 years of experience working with people who have neurogenic communication disorders as well as conducting clinical research and teaching courses in the areas of neurogenic communication disorders and augmentative and alternative communication. Dr. Wallace regularly leads Interprofessional Education learning opportunities and mentors student research projects.

Melinda is a professor and clinical supervisor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.  She serves as the assistant director for all programs in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.  She has published and presented in the areas of aphasia, dementia, and student learning.  She directs the Stroke and Aphasia Recovery (STAR) Program, including a summer aphasia arts day camp, in Lubbock, Texas.  She is president of the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation and a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Academy for Neurologic Communication Sciences and Disorders as well as an affiliate member of the National Aphasia Association.

Elizabeth is a Clinical Associate Professor of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences and the Clinical Director of the Aphasia Resource Center at Boston University.  Dr. Hoover holds board certification from the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS).  She has over 19 years of experience working with individuals with aphasia across the continuum of care.  She has contributed to numerous presentations and publications including topics on the effectiveness of intensive intervention for aphasia, and the effectiveness of group treatment for aphasia.

Bio Coming Soon

Michelle Armour is a speech-language pathologist, program lead clinician, and founder of the Northwestern Medicine Aphasia Center at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton, IL. She specializes in stroke rehabilitation with specific area of interest in neurogenic communication disorders. Michelle has conducted clinical research and had her work published on the topic of supportive communication, quality of life, and acute inpatient rehabilitation for patients with aphasia. In addition to her work at Marianjoy, she has served as an Adjunct Professor teaching the subject of aphasia at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, IL. Michelle is also currently serving as co-chair on the Aphasia and Other Communication Disorders Task Force through the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM).

Sarah Baar is a private practice speech-language pathologist in Grand Rapids, MI. She’s
had the opportunity to work in many settings across the continuum including acute care,
acute rehab, home & community, and outpatient therapy. In 2016, she started the
Honeycomb Speech Therapy website as a way to promote person-centered and functional
therapy ideas and materials for adult rehab. Most recently, she launched the Activity
Studio as a way to share and promote use of participation-focused speech therapy
materials. Those who have attended her speaking events enjoy her practical approach
and tips that the everyday SLP can implement for a functional therapy approach.

Lynne Brady Wagner, MA, CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and is the Director of the Stroke Program and the Chair of the Ethics Advisory Committee at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. She earned a graduate certificate in Healthcare Ethics from Rush University Medical School and was a Disability Ethics Fellow at Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago. Lynne is a former member of ASHA’s Board of Ethics, was the Ethics Column editor for the Special Interest Group for Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders Newsletter and serves on the Group’s Steering Committee as coordinator. She is an instructor and teaches Healthcare Ethics at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Health Professions. Lynne has numerous publications in peer reviewed journals and has lectured nationally on the topic of ethics and disability. Lynne is also the ethics column editor for the journal, Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation.

Karen is the Clinical Director at the Adler Aphasia Center in New Jersey. She has more than 15 years experience working in community-based programs for people with aphasia, as well as inpatient rehab and long-term care facilities. At the Adler Aphasia Center, Karen created innovative programming for people with aphasia. She established a unique introductory program for incoming members, developed the volunteer training program, and founded the drama club as well as an annual camping program for people with aphasia. She has published and presented nationally on Performing Arts programs for aphasia groups. Karen earned her Master of Science degree from James Madison University in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Wendy is a Project Manager at the Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Temple University.  She has over 30 years of experience working with adults with neurogenic communication, cognitive and swallowing disorders and specializes in the area of aphasia.  She has worked in a variety of settings including hospitals, university clinics and community-based programs for people with aphasia, most recently the Adler Aphasia Center in New Jersey.  She is a founding member of Aphasia Access.  She graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology.

Dr. Jackie Hinckley is Professor in Speech/Language Pathology in the College of Health Care Sciences at Nova Southeastern University. She is Board Certified in Neurogenic Communication Disorders by the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS) and has served as an Executive and Advisory Board member of the National Aphasia Association.

She is Project Lead for Project BRIDGE: Building Research Initiatives by Developing Group Effort, originally funded by the Patient-Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI) (2017-2019; 2020 – 2021). She is the author of two books, Narrative-Based Practice in Speech-Language Pathology, and What Is It Like to Have a Communication Impairment?  Simulations for Family, Friends, and Caregivers. She is currently on the Editorial Board of The Qualitative Report and has served on the Editorial Board of Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation and Journal of Interactional Research in Communication Disorders.

Becky is a speech-language pathologist and a nationally recognized leader in providing person-centered care for people living with cognitive conditions. Over the past 15 years, she has held leadership positions in rehabilitation centers, assisted living communities, memory care communities and home health environments with a focus on addressing the needs of people living with dementia, stroke and traumatic brain injury.

In 2009, Becky co-founded MemoryCare Corporation, a therapy company specializing in providing care for families coping with dementia. Becky currently serves as the CEO of MemoryCare.

Nidhi Mahendra is a tenured faculty member in the department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences. Her areas of clinical and research interest are in Dementia and Aphasia, Healthy Aging, Multicultural Issues in Speech-Language Pathology, and in Palliative Care. At SJSU, she directs the Spartan Aphasia Research Clinic (SPARC) and is a core faculty member of the interdisciplinary Center for Healthy Aging in Multicultural Populations (CHAMP). She has been a faculty member in the California State University system since 2005 (2005-2016 at CSU East Bay) and came to San Jose State University in Fall 2016. A multilingual speech-language pathologist, she is state-licensed and nationally certified as a practitioner. Her current research is externally funded by the El Camino Hospital and Healthcare District, and the Gary and Mary West Foundation. Other recent research has been funded by The California Wellness Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Speech Language Hearing Association, and the Masonic Homes of California.

Jodi is a speech-language pathologist, manager and founder of the Brooks Rehabilitation Aphasia Center. She also serves as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences at Jacksonville University. She teaches courses in adult language disorders and cognitive disorders and rehabilitation. Her research interests and publications are in the area of aphasia and cognition-linguistic rehabilitation in adults. Jodi has received multiple ASHA ace awards and is an active member of special interests divisions through ASHA.  She is a member of JASPA (Jacksonville Area Speech Pathology Association) and FLASHA (Florida Speech and Hearing Association) and has recently received JASPAs personal achievement award and Brooks rehabilitation research award. She presents both nationally and a state level in the areas of aphasia, supported communication, cognitive disorders and improving functional communication in adults with cognitive disorders.

Nina is Professor Emeritus at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, LA. She serves as a research consultant at the Aphasia Institute in Toronto and on the research committee of the Adler Aphasia Center in New Jersey. She has published over 150 articles and chapters and has many years of clinical, academic and research experience in the area of adult aphasia. She served as an editor and author of  Supporting Communication for Adults with Acute and Chronic Aphasia. She has received the Honors of ASHA, ANCDS and the Louisiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association as well as the Robin Tavistock Award for Aphasia from the Tavistock Trust for Aphasia in the UK. Interests include neurogenic communication disorders, qualitative research, and social model philosophies.

Todd is the Executive Director of Aphasia Access. Mr. Von Deak has nearly 20 years of experience in the association management industry, including eight years with a large national healthcare organization. Over the course of his career, he has held functional and management responsibilities for departments including business development, communications, human resources, information technology, marketing, membership, and general operations. He earned his MBA from the Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business in Philadelphia, PA, where he is also a member of the faculty.