Health and Human Services News

Faculty fan-favorites

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Dr. Maureen Templeman, assistant professor in the department of psychology, and Dee Telting, clinical associate professor in the department of communication sciences and disorders, are two members of our incredible MCHHS faculty.

We are so thankful to have them!

What’s been the funniest or craziest thing to happen in your classroom? 

Templeman: Last year was my first year here and I taught all my courses online. While I haven’t had anything out of the ordinary happen in one of my in-person classes yet, I’ve been happy to get to interact with students face-to-face and to learn about their goals and aspirations. 

Telting: I decided to reward my graduate student class with candy. Each time they answered a question correctly, I would throw a piece of candy to them. It was all fun and games until I hit one of them in the head with a mini Snickers bar!!! 

Where are you from?  

Templeman: Tampa, Florida 

Telting: I’m originally from Oklahoma but have lived in Springfield for 32 years. I’m an Army brat, so we moved a lot when I was young, but I still consider myself an Okie. 

What brought you to Missouri State? 

Templeman: I worked here at the English Language Institute from 2006 to 2011. When I was job searching while finishing up my PhD, the position opened in the gerontology program and I jumped on the opportunity to return. 

Telting: I originally came to Missouri State in the 90s when it was Southwest Missouri State University, and I was hired as a professor in speech language pathology. I left the university to go into clinical practice and remained there until my recent return to MSU. I returned to Missouri State two years ago to teach students speech language pathology. 

Dig into the department of communication sciences and disorders

What’s your favorite part about working here? 

Templeman: I love how student-centered our university is!! It’s fun that faculty can get involved in so many aspects of campus life. 

Telting: The students, definitely! Seeing them grow and learn is the best part. I also love teaching my undergraduate class, Neural Bases in Speech and Hearing and my graduate class, Voice Disorders. 

Learn more about the department of psychology

Understanding the why

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Students enrolled in the doctor of audiology program at Missouri State University are exposed to a unique way of learning.

“Every class in the program allows our students to utilize our research labs to translate conceptual knowledge to hands-on experiences,” said Dr. Wafaa Kaf, professor at Missouri State.

“Our students must know how to evaluate, diagnose and interpret information for their patients. These labs allow them to practice before working in a clinic using evidence-based protocols and guidelines.”

Gaining practical experience

Audiology students have access to state-of-the-art facilities to apply the knowledge they are learning. They also develop the clinical and research foundations needed for a career in audiology.

Some of the focus areas of the research labs include:

    • Amplification research laboratory.
    • Auditory electrophysiology laboratory.
    • Vestibular laboratory.
    • Diagnostic Laboratory: Middle ear, migraine, and tinnitus research

These labs are also a recruitment tool for Missouri State’s audiology program.

“We are very fortunate to have access to these labs,” said graduate student Alyson Morgan. “They allow us to understand not only how to use these different resources to integrate the learned information from classes and reading materials, why and how to apply them before seeing clients.”

Students also must complete a doctoral research thesis/project before graduating, so they apply their knowledge and clinical skills using different test protocols and equipment  to conduct their own research on a topic of their interest in audiology.

Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic

Students in the doctor of audiology program also spend valuable time in the on-campus Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, starting in their first semester in the program.

The clinic provides evaluation and treatment for people of all ages in the areas of speech-language pathology and audiology. Additionally, they provide early intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Here in our Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, graduate students participate in the testing and management of clients with hearing- and balance- problems as well as other communication disorders.

Learn about our doctor of audiology program

Serving the community’s audiology needs

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From left to right: Brooke Byler, Dr. Sarah Jones and Dr. Sarah Barber.

At Missouri State University, the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders provides hands-on learning opportunities to MSU students enrolled in speech-language pathology and audiology programs.

It also offers a full range of diagnostic, treatment and education services for people with speech-language and hearing disorders of all ages.

Highlighting the clinic’s audiology services and Missouri State’s audiology program are three individuals: clinical associate professors of audiology Dr. Sarah Jones and  Dr. Sarah Barber, and Doctor of Audiology student Brooke Byler.

What are the audiology services at MSU?

Read the full transcript

Research connecting noise, hearing loss and migraines

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Does everything seem extraordinarily loud? It could be a migraine settling in. 

The connection between migraines and the auditory system has often been overlooked. But new research at Missouri State University is making a big bang. 

Dr. Wafaa Kaf, audiology professor, is collaborating with Dr. Paul Durham, distinguished professor of biology and director of the Center for Biomedical and Life Sciences, to learn about the link between migraines and hearing loss. 

Migraines and hearing loss

With funding from the provost office, the multidisciplinary team purchased a piece of sophisticated equipment to complete the research on laboratory animals.  

“We are recording the responses to sound from the auditory nerve and the auditory structures in their brains while the animals are under anesthesia,” Kaf said. “They showed hearing loss from sleep deprivation, meaning they could have an acute hearing loss.  

“With the progress of the procedures for chronic migraine, the hearing deteriorates more.”  

From this study, Kaf and Durham hope to provide the data needed to develop therapies.   

Check out a recent interview with Durham

Migraine sufferers needed for study 

Kayleigh Putnam and Marli Sims, third-year audiology students, are recruiting participants for a parallel research project with the help of Clinvest, a research organization.  

The students will evaluate hearing during an initial visit with participants, while they do not have a migraine.  

Then, when a migraine episode strikes, participants will visit the clinic for a second test.  

“We’re monitoring changes in their hearing and their inner ear status,” Putnam said. “We’re also looking to see if they have sensitivity to sounds.” 

To volunteer for the MSU migraine study, contact Clinvest at 417-883-7889. Participants will receive a $100 Amazon gift card. 

Read the transcript