Butler University Communication Sciences and Disorders

Please join us to celebrate Dr. Gospel and Prof. Bilodeau and share your well wishes!

Exciting new grad program at Butler! Congrats to Dr. Voss on the grant funding to support this program!

Butler SLHS had a great time at The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 2025 Convention! Can't wait for ASHA 2026 in Indy!

The members of NSSLHA aced their October assignment, creating these "gourd-geous" Professor Pumpkins! 🎃📚 The SLHS faculty love this annual tradition! 💯

Yesterday was peak fall picnic perfection! 🌿🍎🌻 Thanks to everyone who came out, brought the energy to our fierce (but friendly) trivia showdown, and made fun memories at our annual tradition. Already counting down to next year...🍂

📷 Swipe for golden hour smiles and winning teams.

Congratulations to Prof. Ann Bilodeau on being elected Chair of the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency’s Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board during its July 2025 meeting. The Board oversees the licensure and regulation of more than 4,000 speech-language pathologists and audiologists in Indiana, ensuring professional standards and public protection through credentialing, continuing education, and ethical oversight.

Bilodeau was originally appointed to the Board by the Governor of Indiana in December 2014. She was elected Chair of the Board in its July 2025 meeting.

At Butler, within the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) program of CCOM, Bilodeau serves as the Clinic Director and a professor, where she mentors future clinicians and advances best practices in communication sciences.

We see a few Butler SLHS alums doing great work in the community!

A Butler SLHS alum doing great work in the community!

These practitioners help others find their voice

Dee Dee Hammond and Emma Stockrahm Berti often see patients at their lowest point. They are the speech pathologists who work with outpatients at IU Health University and Methodist Hospitals.

During “National Speech-Language-Hearing Month,” they share their role in helping patients find their voice.

Hammond has been with IU Health for 20 years after receiving her master’s degree from the University of Memphis (Tenn).
“I originally went into speech pathology thinking I’d work with stroke patients and help them relearn their ability to communicate,” said Hammonds, after witnessing her grandfather’s challenges following a stroke.

Berti came to IU Health in January. After receiving her undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders with a double major in German, she obtained her master’s degree from IU in speech language pathology.

“I love language and also the medical side of things and I love to help people,” said Berti.

In their office, located on the third floor of University Hospital, the clinicians work with patients treated for ears, nose, and throat symptoms. They also work with those who undergo radiation and chemotherapy.

“Often, we see patients at the start of their cancer journey. They may come in to see a head/neck surgical oncologist with a new diagnosis of cancer. The surgeon comes up with a plan of care and we educate the patient on how that plan may impact their swallowing,” said Hammond. They also work with patients who have a voice box prosthesis.

“I like being with people when they are going through their lowest lows and helping them find hope and seeing them progress,” said Berti.

Many of those patients return to their offices frequently.

“I like being able to walk alongside the patients as they go through their cancer journey and helping them maintain hope and optimize their quality of life,” said Hammond.

-By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, [email protected]

Celebrating our SLHS 2025 grads at the annual senior brunch 🥰

SLHS students delivered fantastic presentations at the on Friday!