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

First annual Pet-A-Pup event

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The end of the semester can be a stressful time for students. With finals and project due dates on the horizon, stress levels tend to rise to an all-time high.

“College is different than it was 20 years ago with the intense stress and pressure put on students,” Dr. Sarah Barber, clinical associate professor in the communication sciences and disorders department, said.

“I talked to students to learn just how stressful school had become, and the responses were overwhelming.”

Barber found stress levels to be abnormally high among students during the pandemic, meaning mental health concerns would need extra accommodation.

MCHHS Mental Health Initiative

After learning about the harmful stress levels students were feeling, faculty in the McQueary College of Health and Human Services (MCHHS) knew something needed to be done.

They created a mental health initiative.

By engaging in events aimed at improving mental health, MCHHS faculty hope students learn the importance of maintaining good mental health.

Pups relieving stress

After learning about the mental health initiative, Barber was approached by students with the idea of a unique stress relief tactic: bringing rescue dogs to campus before finals week.

By combining her love for students and dogs, Barber was able to create the first annual Pet-A-Pup event.

“We have partnered with Rescue One, a local animal rescue, who will bring over a few dogs from their shelter for our students to play with for the day,” Barber said.

The event will take place 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. Dec. 9 in McQueary Hall.

While playing with the rescue dogs who are currently up for adoption, students will also be able to engage in some community service.

During the event, there will also be a donation drive benefiting Rescue One.

Some items you may donate include:

  • Dog food.
  • Cat food.
  • Kitty litter.
  • Toys.

Barber believes the combination of playing with puppies and engaging in community service will help students prepare for finals week.

“We hope this event will show our students just how important their mental health is to us and just how serious we take their mental health.”

Learn more about the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department

The Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic: A quality place of care

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The ways in which we can communicate shape how we engage with the world. Missouri State University’s Speech-Language-Hearing clinic brings new communication capabilities to those at Missouri State and the surrounding community.

“Our clinic is divided up into three separate programs,” Lauren Jones, director of the clinic, said. “We have a speech-language pathology program, audiological services and a pre-school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing .”

Audiological services

The clinic’s audiological offerings include hearing evaluations, hearing aid fittings and other audiological services.

“These services are provided by our doctoral-level audiology students and supervised by licensed and certified audiologists” Jones said.

Students working in the audiology program see patients weekly.

Speech-language pathology services

The clinic also offers a semester of long-term service for those who are needing speech and language therapy.

Graduate students in the speech-language pathology program are assigned clients who they see twice a week for the entire semester.

Preschool program

The preschool program is specifically designed for children ages 3-5 with impaired hearing.

“Our graduate students in the program work with children who may be deaf or hard of hearing,” Jones said. “The program helps children learn to interact with their peers and be more independent.”

The clinic offers free evaluations and consultations. No referrals are necessary.

If you think you may benefit from speech, language or hearing services, contact the clinic at CSDclinic@missouristate.edu or Lauren Jones at LaurenEJones@missouristate.edu.

Learn more about the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic