Clinic Director
Sarah Clemins
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-3246
E-mail: nuckels@marshall.edu
Sarah Clemins M.S., CCC-SLP, is an Associate Professor and the current Director of Clinical Education in the Communication Disorders Department at Marshall University. Professor Clemins received her M.S. in Communication Disorders from Marshall in 2012, and prior to joining the department she worked as a speech language pathologist in skilled nursing and home health settings. In addition to organizing on and off campus clinical experiences at Marshall, she also teaches undergraduate classes and supervises students within the clinic. In 2018, she founded the Marshall University Multidisciplinary ALS Clinic and currently serves as the clinical coordinator and speech language pathologist. Her clinical interests include voice and swallowing with a special interest in vocal cord dysfunction. Professor Clemins is a board member of the West Virginia Speech-Language-Hearing Association (WVSHA), faculty advisor for the Center for Wellness in the Arts, and previous receipt of the Picken’s Queen Teaching Award. She has presented her research at several regional and national academic conferences, and she is the recipient of a “SPEAK Out” grant from the Parkinson Voice project. In her spare time, Professor Clemins can be found chasing her two toddlers, Cameron and Nora, or reading and serving at church.
Speech-Language Pathologists
Pamela Holland
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-2985
E-mail: holland@marshall.edu
Pamela Holland, MA-CCC-SLP/BCS-S, is an Associate Professor, Chair and Graduate Program Director for the Department of Communication Disorders at Marshall University. She is board certified in swallowing and swallowing disorders and teaches the graduate course in Dysphagia. She founded the MU Interdisciplinary Feeding and Swallowing Clinic in 2013 and specializes in pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders. In addition to supervising graduate students in the Feeding and Swallowing Clinic she is a part of a multi-agency coalition called Healthy Connections and works with multiple professions to assist in the community’s opioid epidemic and improve outcomes for children diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome. She has been a leader in the development and growth of the University’s Interprofessional Education Initiative which started in 2013. She is one of the faculty advisors for the Interprofessional Health Student Organization, (IPHSO). She has presented at WV Speech Language Hearing Association, ASHA and CAPCSD on the topic of IPE/IPP. In her free time, Professor Holland enjoys reading and spending time with her family.
Ernay Adams
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-3644
E-mail: ernay.adams@marshall.edu
Ernay Adams, M.S. CCC-SLP, is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders. Professor Adams is a proud daughter of Marshall and received her M.S. in Communication Disorders from Marshall University in 2011. Prior to returning “home” to MU, she spent 7 years working with the adult and geriatric populations in skilled nursing and inpatient rehabilitation facilities. At MUSHC, Professor Adams provides clinical education to graduate students working with clients across the lifespan, from pediatric speech disorders to adults and geriatrics with acquired speech, language, and swallowing disorders. Professor Adams leads the SPEAK OUT! and LOUD Crowd programs, which provide speech, voice, and cognitive therapy to those with Parkinson’s disease. As a result of her success in the program, she has received a grant from the Parkinson Voice Project annually since 2019. Additionally, Professor Adams leads the Motor Speech Group for adults with chronic speech disorders and provides instrumental swallowing evaluations using FEES. She is also the faculty advisor for Marshall’s chapter of National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association. In her spare time, Professor Adams enjoys cheering on the Herd with her husband and two sons, exercising, and planning Disney vacations for families.
Jennifer Baker
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-2988
E-mail: jen.baker@marshall.edu
Jennifer Baker, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Marshall University. She received her M.A. in Speech-language Pathology from Miami University in 2007 and has practiced as a pediatric speech-language pathologist in outpatient settings and early intervention before joining the Communication Disorders department at Marshall in 2010. Her clinical interests include pediatric language disorders, hearing loss, literacy, and early intervention. At Marshall, she provides intervention for children with hearing loss in the Luke Lee Listening, Language, and Learning Lab, and provides clinical education for graduate students in the Marshall Speech and Hearing Center. Professor Baker also serves children through Tiny Talkers Book Club, an emergent literacy program for preschool children, and through Reading U, a summer camp for struggling readers.
Bryn Brown
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-2601
E-mail: bryn.brown@marshall.edu
Bryn Brown, M.A., CCC-SLP, COM®, is an evidence based pediatric speech-language pathologist and Clinical Assistant Professor in the department of Communication Disorders. Professor Brown graduated from Marshall University in 2000 with a M.A. Degree in Communication Disorders, and she is the owner of Simply Feeding, LLC. She is proficient and highly trained with children who have difficulties/delays in feeding, motor speech disorders, orofacial myofunctional deficits, as well as in the identification and pre/post treatment of Tethered Oral Tissues. She has received specialty training with Beckman Oral Motor Protocol, Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS), Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTS) trained, and holds her certification in Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders through the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM). She is licensed by the WV Board of Examiner’s for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists and maintains her Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. Professor Brown is a member of the International Association of Orofacial Myology. When not at work, Professor Brown enjoys spending time with her husband, Matt and their two active children, Brayleigh and Brogan.
Elaine Byrd
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-2906
Email: byrde@marshall.edu
Elaine Byrd, M.A., CCC-SLP, is the Coordinator of The Luke Lee Listening, Language, and Learning Lab (The “L”) at Marshall University in the Department of Communication Disorders. The “L” is a preschool program which focuses on teaching listening and spoken language to children with hearing loss. Elaine received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees in Speech-Language Pathology at Northwestern University. She has over 20 years of experience as a speech-language pathologist in a variety of settings, including pediatric clinics, early intervention, public and private schools, and assisted living / skilled nursing facilities. She is passionate about early language and play development, literacy, phonology, and pediatric motor speech disorders. She is licensed by the WV Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists and maintains her Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. In May 2021, Elaine assumed the role of lead preschool teacher at The “L”, where she provides listening and spoken language education to the children in the preschool program. She also provides listening and spoken language intervention in the homes of children with hearing loss through the parent-infant program (WV Birth to Three). Elaine recently started a mentorship program to work towards her Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS) certification.
Jodi Cottrell
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-3455
E-mail: cottrellj@marshall.edu
Jodi Cottrell, Au.D., CCC-A, LSLS Cert. AVEd, is the program director of The Luke Lee Listening, Language and Learning Lab (The “L”) at Marshall University in the Department of Communication Disorders. The “L” is a program which focuses on teaching listening and spoken language to children who are deaf and hard of hearing.. She received her Master of Science degree in Audiology at West Virginia University and her Clinical Doctorate of Audiology through Salus University. In July of 2008, Dr. Cottrell became the program director and classroom teacher at The “L” where she provides auditory verbal education services to the students in the preschool program and in the parent infant program, as well as audiological services including hearing aid programming, cochlear implant mapping, and pediatric audiological evaluations. Prior to her position at Marshall she was the Director of Audiology at River Cities Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialists, PLLC for 8 years. Dr. Cottrell recently completed a mentorship program to become a certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialist through the Alexander Graham Bell Academy and now serves as the only LSLS Cert. AVEd in the state of West Virginia.
Shae M. Dean
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-3577
E-mail: powers4@marshall.edu
Shae Dean, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders. She received her B.S. and M.A. in Communication Disorders from Marshall University, and joined the department of Communication Disorders in August 2015. Prior to that, she acquired 15 years of clinical experience in public schools, acute, skilled nursing, long term care, and home health settings. Professor Dean’s clinical focus includes preschool and school age population, in particular expressive and receptive language disorders, speech sound disorders, and genetic and/or craniofacial abnormalities. In addition, Professor Dean participates as a member of a multidisciplinary team housed in Marshall University Speech and Hearing Center that serves to evaluate children with suspected autism spectrum disorders. She also provides supervision at off campus practicum sites, including River Park Hospital and school-based services in Cabell County, WV. Professor Dean has lectured in several graduate and undergraduate education courses to provide insight to future educators regarding speech/language services in the public-school system, and on Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and implementation. She has represented the Marshall’s Communication Disorders department at the WV State Capital in Charleston for Marshall Day at the capital and collaborates with Tri-County YMCA to provide speech/language/hearing screenings at wellness events in the community. She is married and resides in Winfield, WV with her husband and two children, Kennedy and David.
Loukia Dixon
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-2980
E-mail: dixon@marshall.edu
Loukia Zikkos Dixon, M.A., CCC-S, is an associate professor in the Marshall University Department of Communication Disorders. She has a diverse clinical background serving clients in evaluation and treatment and ranging in ages from infancy to geriatrics, in settings such as outpatient clinic, acute care/rehabilitation, long term care facilities, head start, elementary, middle, and high school, and home health. Teaching experiences include courses in phonetics, phonological processes and disorders, communication sciences, and diagnostic processes. She also provides clinical education to graduate students in the Marshall University Speech and Hearing Center, with clinical interests in diagnostic evaluations as well as speech sound disorders and dialectical differences particularly in English as a Second Language learners.
Lisa Fry
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-3640
E-mail: thomasl@marshall.edu
Lisa Fry, Ph.D. is an adjunct professor in the Department of Communication Disorders. Dr. Fry received her master’s degree in Communication Disorders at Marshall in 1992 and her doctorate in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Kentucky in 2008. Her doctoral work focused on the study of the voice and its disorders. Her research has focused on laryngeal muscle biology, vocal aging, and the effects of various voice therapies on voice production. The results of her work have been published in several peer-reviewed journals in the field and presented at national and international venues for voice specialists. In 2009, she co-authored the text Voice Therapy: Clinical Case Studies, 3rd ed. with her doctoral mentor, Joseph Stemple.Dr. Fry taught full-time at Marshall from 2002 to 2010, teaching courses in Voice and Research Design and facilitating a weekly forum for undergraduate and graduate student researchers. Since leaving full-time teaching in 2010, Dr. Fry has continued to assist graduate and undergraduate researchers by serving on thesis committees and by assisting students in research design, analysis, and presentation. Dr. Fry continues to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in her areas of interest as needed by the Department.
Jamie Maxwell
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-3634
E-mail: maxwellja@marshall.edu
Jamie Maxwell, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Disorders. She received both her M.S. degree in Speech-Language Pathology and her Ph.D. in Applied Language and Speech Sciences at University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Before joining the department, she worked as a clinician for several years, providing assessment and treatment services for children and their families in early intervention and private pediatric practice settings. At Marshall, Dr. Maxwell teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the topics of professional issues, research in communication disorders, and fluency, as well as providing clinical supervision to graduate clinicians. Her research interests include language and literacy, socialization, learning theory and pedagogy, fluency, and qualitative research methodologies. Her academic work has been accepted at several state and national conferences (e.g., ASHA, LRA), and her research has been published in peer-reviewed venues such as the Journal of Communication Disorders. She has contributed book chapters and several encyclopedia entries on the topics of literacy and autism spectrum disorder. In her spare time, Dr. Maxwell enjoys reading, running, and chasing her three beautiful young children around with her husband!
Kelly Rutherford
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-2982
E-mail: davis139@marshall.edu
Kelly Rutherford, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders. She received her B.S. and M.S. in Communication Disorders from Marshall University. In 2019, she completed her Ed.D. at Marshall, with a focus on Leadership Studies and Higher Education Administration. Prior to her appointment in the CD department, Dr. Rutherford worked primarily in inpatient rehabilitation serving the adult and geriatric population for 10 years. Her areas of interest include aphasia, dysphagia, cognitive-communication disorders, patient education, and interdisciplinary management relative to patient care. Dr. Rutherford teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in adult communication and cognitive disorders, advises graduate students, and serves the Marshall University Speech and Hearing Center as lead faculty for the center’s Aphasia Group. She has presented her academic work at state and national conferences (including WVSHA, ASHA, and NSSA), and in 2018 she was awarded a West Virginia Department of Education Continuing Education Collaborative grant to promote continuing education for SLPs in the state. She is one of the program organizers for the Brain Injury Group of Huntington, and is a member of several departmental, college, and university committees at Marshall University. When not at work, Dr. Rutherford loves spending time with her family and friends, is an avid reader, and is active in her church.
Kelly Young
Communication Disorders
Phone: 304-696-3563
E-mail: kelly.young@marshall.edu
Kelly Young, MA, CCC-SLP, is an Assistant Professor in the Marshall University Department of Communication Disorders. Professor Young received both her Bachelor of Arts Degree and Master of Arts Degree in the field of Communication Disorders from Marshall University. She is licensed by the WV Board of Examiner’s for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists and maintains her Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. Prior to joining the MUCD staff in 2020, she acquired 19 years of experience in a clinical outpatient setting and public school system. She has extensive experience diagnosing and treating developmental speech and language disorders and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams. Her area of specialty is providing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Strategies to support children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Childhood Apraxia of Speech and moderate-severe language disorders. Currently at Marshall University she provides undergraduate instruction in the area of Speech Sound Disorders and graduate instruction in Augmentative and Alternative Communication. She provides both on and off-campus supervision and education to graduate clinicians. She also serves local public school systems by conducting AAC evaluations, as well as AAC training and support for IEP teams. When not working, Professor Young enjoys spending time with her family and being involved in her church community.