Faculty and Staff

Faculty

Tina K. Veale, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Professor and Administrative Director
Ph.D., Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Cincinnati, 1998
M.A., Speech-Language Pathology, Miami University (Ohio), 1980
B.S., Speech and Hearing Therapy, Miami University (Ohio), 1979

Dr. Veale is Professor and founding Program Director of the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program at Lewis University. She founded two other graduate programs at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois and Glendale, Arizona. She teaches courses in neuroscience, including human brain dissection; child language development and disorders; social communication disorders, including autism; motor speech disorders; and research methods. Her scholarship includes authorship of a variety of materials for the study of neuroscience and resource books for guiding intervention for children with autism and social communication disorder. Dr. Veale’s research involves evaluation of accessible methods for oral and written language sampling and analysis; evaluation of effective methods for improving written narration in adolescents with high functioning autism; and differential diagnosis of autism and related conditions. Dr. Veale is a Fellow of the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and a tenured member of the Lewis faculty.

Victoria Reynolds, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BSc. (Hons), LL.B.

Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Western Australia, 2015
BSc. (Hons), Curtin University, 2007
LL.B., Osaka University, 1998

Dr. Reynolds is Associate Professor of Speech-Language Pathology program at Lewis University. She teaches courses in voice and resonance disorders, fluency and counseling, research design and implementation, and pediatric feeding and swallowing.. Dr. Reynolds has worked in school-based and community clinics, as well as in adult and pediatric acute and tertiary care. She has held faculty appointments at colleges in Australia and the United States. Dr. Reynolds has published nationally and internationally and presented her research on four continents. Her research focuses on pediatric voice, with a special interest in dysphonia relating to prematurity of birth. She is developing a research line in scholarship of teaching and learning.

Carol M. Szymanski, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, CHSE

Associate Professor
Ph.D., Special Education, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1998
M.A., Speech-Language Pathology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1992
B.S., Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1990

Dr. Szymanski is Associate Professor of Speech-Language Pathology at Lewis University. She teaches courses in language development and disorders, assessment of communication disorders, literacy, and professional ethics. Dr. Szymanski is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator, and has worked to create virtual clinical simulations for audiology and speech-language pathology students to obtain clinical knowledge and skill as part of graduate clinical training. Her primary areas of interest include language development and disorders, assessment and diagnosis of communication disorders, teens and young adults with significant communication disorders, social and functional communication, and the use of clinical simulation in graduate education in communication sciences and disorders. Dr. Szymanski’s scholarly work and research interests are in the areas of clinical simulation in graduate education, clinical education, and social communication skills and self-advocacy in teens and young adults with communication disorders. As a clinician, Dr. Szymanski has primarily provided speech and language services to teens and young adults with language learning disabilities, autism, cognitive impairment, syndromes/genetic disorders, and traumatic brain injury. Dr. Szymanski has been a long-time member of and volunteer for the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is a Fellow of ISHA and has served the state of Illinois on the Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology for the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Ann Guernon, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Health Sciences, Northern Illinois University, 2020
M.S., Speech-Language Pathology, Northeastern University, 1996
B.S., Speech and Hearing Science, Moorhead State University, 1994

Dr. Guernon is Assistant Professor of Speech-Language Pathology program at Lewis University. She teaches courses in aphasia, adult cognitive-communication disorders, practice issues and complex cases in healthcare and research methods. Her primary areas of interest include assessment and intervention of language and cognitive-communication disorders in adults with acquired neurologic disorders, specific assessment and measurement considerations in assessment requiring clinician reported ratings and the role of the caregiver in rehabilitation. As a clinician, Dr. Guernon has provided speech-language pathology services to persons with communication and swallowing disorders across the spectrum of healthcare including, acute trauma facilities, community hospitals, acute inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient and day rehabilitation and home health. She also has extensive experience managing clinical trials involving treatment development for persons with severe traumatic brain injury. Her research interests include understanding measurement of neurobehavioral function for persons in disordered states of consciousness following severe brain injury, developing treatments using neuromodulation approaches for persons with severe to mild brain injury, understanding the unique needs of clinicians and caregivers to promote shared decision making in rehabilitation and developing methods to support non-clinical stakeholders making decisions about sport-related concussion in youth to prevent and minimize impacts of injury.

Kristin J. Scavo-Smith, M.S., CCC-SLP

Assistant Professor of Practice/Clinical Educator
Coordinator of Clinical Education
M.S., Speech Language Pathology, Rush University, 2006
B.S., Communication Sciences and Disorders, Illinois State University, 2004

Professor Scavo-Smith is Assistant Professor of Practice in the Speech-Language Pathology program at Lewis University. She is a clinical educator for our students placed at Midwest Brain Injury Clubhouse, and coordinates students’ clinical practicum experiences throughout their graduate careers. As a clinician, Professor Scavo-Smith has worked across settings in her career, including acute inpatient, long term acute care, skilled nursing, home health, acute rehabilitation, and pediatric outpatient. She has also conducted mobile instrumental dysphagia diagnostics and served as a clinical supervisor to many undergraduate and graduate students. Her areas of clinical interest are dysphagia evaluation and treatment, management of patients with head and neck cancer, and assessment and intervention of adults with neurologic disorders.

Tammy L. Basel, M.S. CCC-SLP

Assistant Professor of Practice
M.S., Communication Disorders & Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, 1993
B.S., Speech Language Pathology & Audiology, Eastern Illinois University, 1991

Professor Basel is Assistant Professor of Practice in the Speech-Language Pathology program at Lewis University. She currently supervises graduate students in their clinical practicum sites at iCan Dream Center.  Professor Basel also instructs two graduate courses, including Speech Sound Disorders and Complex Issues in Education. She has experience in a wide variety of work settings, including private practice, early intervention, medical settings, and schools. She has  served as an autism consultant and district special education liaison. Professor Basel’s primary interests are in the areas of autism spectrum disorders, motor speech disorders, receptive and expressive language disorders, and family education. She believes strongly in the school/therapy/home connection and strives to educate the community regarding communication disorders. Professor Basel has developed a series of apps, titled, “Autism Language Learning” which strives to engage children while learning to use and understand auditory language. Professor Basel has earned several grants and awards during her time in the schools, including a “Children in Motion” mega-grant and STAR 105.5 “Teacher of the Month” recognition. 

Diane Barnes-Maguire, M.S., CCC-SLP

Adjunct Professor
EdS, Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development, Walden University, 2015
M.S. Ed, Education Administration and Sports Management, Northern Illinois University, 2001
M.S., Speech Language Pathology, Illinois State University, 1996
B.S., Communication Sciences and Disorders, Illinois State University, 1994

Professor Barnes-Maguire is Adjunct Professor in the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program at Lewis University. She currently teaches classes in Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and Autism and Social Communication Disorders. As a clinician, Professor Barnes-Maguire has had a variety of clinical experience and has worked across settings in her career including early intervention, pediatric outpatient, hospital inpatient and outpatient, preschool through high school in the school setting. She has also been an early intervention evaluator and a member of a large special education cooperative’s diagnostic team.  She has served as a school principal and case manager. She has had the pleasure of serving as a clinical fellowship year supervisor and mentor to many newly graduated SLPs. Her areas of clinical interest are early intervention, autism, language interventions, augmentative and alternative communication, and providing services in inclusive settings.

Lara Bruce, M.A., CCC-SLP

Adjunct Professor
M.A., Communication Disorders, Northern Illinois University, 1995

As a clinician, Professor Bruce has worked in a variety of settings, including pre-k through 8th grade, special education cooperatives, and autism programs before specializing in aural rehabilitation adult and hearing healthcare. Her areas of clinical interest include aural rehabilitation, communication strategies, hearing testing, and assistive technologies. Professor Bruce educates consumers and healthcare providers about assistive technologies for people with hearing loss in a multitude of settings including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, long term care, independent senior communities, and post-acute care management. She has worked closely with audiologists to support their patients with counseling, education, communication strategies and auditory training. Professor Bruce teaches a course in aural rehabilitation, addressing how SLPs work with people of all ages with hearing loss. 

Irene R. Bucher, M.A., CCC-SLP

Adjunct Professor/Clinical Educator
M.A., in Speech-Language Pathology, Northwestern University, 1979
B.S., in Speech-Language Pathology, Northwestern University, 1977

Mrs. Bucher is an adjunct professor and clinical educator in the Master of Science Program in Speech-Language Pathology Program at Lewis University. Mrs. Bucher developed and directs the Specialty Clinic at Mayslake Village which provides introductory level instruction in evaluation, treatment planning, lesson administration and documentation for adults with a variety of speech, language, voice, AAC, and cognitive communication deficits. She also teaches the graduate course on Motor Speech Disorders. Mrs. Bucher has maintained her CCC's and Illinois state licensure by complying with continuing education requirements; she has earned 6 ACE Awards for Continuing Education from ASHA. Mrs. Bucher’s experience ranges from staff SLP, senior SLP, to program director. She has worked full-time and part-time with clients across the lifespan, from the patients in Neonatal ICU to Hospice. Work settings included a non-profit community clinic, hospital-based rehab clinic, SNFs, private practice with specialty in functional voice disorders, and most recently in both home health and hospital settings. Mrs. Bucher's primary focus has been on adults with a variety of neurological deficits including aphasia, dysarthria and apraxia, and voice disorders.  She is certified in SPEAKOUT!, a program for patients with Parkinson's Disease. Mrs. Bucher has worked with laryngectomees, helped coordinate the North Shore Lost Chords club, and participated in committees in the North Shore American Cancer Society. She is a past chairperson of the Association of Clinical Programs in Speech Pathology and Audiology, Chicago. IL.

Rachel C. Davidson, M.S., CCC-SLP

Adjunct Professor/Clinical Educator
M.S., Communication Disorders, University of Wisconsin, 2001
B.A., Psychology, University of Wisconsin, 1995

Professor Davidson is an adjunct professor in the Master of Science Speech Language Pathology program at Lewis University. She is currently a faculty clinical supervisor for graduate students working with the school age population. As a clinician, Professor Davidson has worked in a variety of settings including skilled nursing facilities, early intervention, home health and schools. She has 18 years of experience working in Illinois public schools with children ages 3-21. Her areas of interest include stuttering, selective mutism, aphasia, traumatic brain injury and articulation.

Katherine Doherty, M.A./M.S. CCC-SLP

Adjunct Professor
M.A. Concordia University, 2019
M.S. Saint Xavier University, 2007
B.A. Saint Xavier University, 2005

Katherine Doherty is an Adjunct Professor in the Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology program at Lewis University. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in clinical methods and transformative career philosophy. Her primary areas of interest are language-literacy disorders related to dyslexia and executive functioning, as well as stuttering and fluency disorders. Her secondary areas of interest are pragmatic language disorders and ethics related to the constructs of personal and career contributions to the field of speech-language pathology. Professor Doherty has worked in the public schools with school-age children, and also treats private clients in the suburbs of Chicago. Professor Doherty is currently completing her Ph.D. in Special Education at Concordia University Chicago.

Lindsay Knobelauch, M.Ed., CCC-SLP

Adjunct Professor
M.Ed., Speech Language Pathology, University of Virginia, 2004
B.S., Special Education and Teaching & Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University, 2000

Lindsay Knobelauch is an Adjunct Professor in the Speech-Language Pathology program at Lewis University. She has worked in a variety of settings, including school-based, private practice, and skilled nursing facilities. Lindsay currently works as a Clinical Manager with The Stepping Stones Group and supports school-based Clinical Fellows throughout the country.  She is passionate about teaching and mentoring graduate students and early career professionals. In addition to her full-time role with SSG, she is an adjunct professor at Lewis University and supervises graduate students through Simucase. Lindsay is a graduate of ASHA’s Leadership Development Program and feels strongly about advocating for the profession. She serves as the Clinical Services Director with the Maryland Speech-Language-Hearing Association and volunteers with ASHA as the SIG 11 (Administration and Supervision) Professional Development Manager.

Roger Reeter, M.A., CCC-SLP

Adjunct Professor
M.A., Speech Language Pathology, University of Northern Iowa, 2012
B.A., Communication Sciences and Disorders, Eastern Illinois University, 2010

Professor Reeter is an Adjunct Professor in the Speech-Language Pathology program at Lewis University. As a student, he served two terms as a regional counselor and one term as the national president of NSSLHA. As a clinician, Professor Reeter works at RML Specialty Hospital, a long-term acute care hospital specializing in complex medical care especially in the tracheostomy/ventilation population regarding disorders of communication and swallowing. His career also includes work in inpatient medical settings serving acute inpatient care, long-term inpatient care, and acute rehab. Professor Reeter has been mentoring SLP graduate students in practicum placements since 2015. Professionally, Professor Reeter has been active in local, state, and national (ISHA, ASHA, NSSLHA) organizations collaborating with SLP and AUD professionals. Along with teaching at Lewis, his endeavors include optimizing electronic medical records to clearly and succinctly report SLP findings to collaborate with other professionals, researching recoveries in critically-ill patients following Covid-19 infection, and finding creative solutions for patients to communicate with limited mobility and respiratory functions.

Elizabeth Stoffel. M.S., CCC-SLP

Adjunct Professor/Clinical Educator
M.S., Speech-Language Pathology, Marquette University, 1990
B.A. Communicative Disorders, Valparaiso University, 1988

Professor Stoffel is an Adjunct Professor/Clinical Educator in the Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology program at Lewis University. She is currently a clinical supervisor for graduate students in an adult clinical rotation. As a speech-language pathologist, her clinical experience focused on adult evaluation and treatment in acute hospital inpatient, acute rehabilitation, day treatment, outpatient, long term acute care, skilled nursing and home health settings. She has successfully supported many CFY students, taught basic sign language to hospital staff towards successful communication with deaf individuals, and served as an invited guest speaker at various organizations in support of senior services. Areas of clinical interest include dysphagia evaluation and treatment, neurological disorders, and traumatic and acquired disorders of the head and neck. 

Sarah Wu, Ed.S., M.A., CCC-SLP

Adjunct Faculty/Clinical Educator
Ed.S., Curriculum and Instruction, National-Louis University, 2022
M.A., Speech-Language Pathology, Northwestern University, 2006
B.A., Spanish, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1999

Professor Wu is a Clinical Supervisor and Adjunct Faculty in the Master of Science Speech Language Pathology program at Lewis University. She supervises graduate students in the Lewis University Center for Interdisciplinary Telepractice. Professor Wu has worked with bilingual students her entire career. She worked in school-based settings in urban, suburban, and rural communities for over 15 years, including four years in teletherapy. In addition to school-based settings, Sarah Wu has also worked in a pediatric therapy clinic and in early intervention. Professor Wu’s primary interests are in the area of bilingual language development, delays, and disorders. She has earned and added additional ESL and Bilingual endorsements on her Illinois State Board of Education Professional Educator’s License for speech-language pathology. Sarah Wu also founded Bilingual Speech Therapy Resources LLC, a private practice and company dedicated to the creation of therapy materials.    

Staff

Jeanine Deibel, M.F.A.

SLP Clinic Director & Adjunct Professor
M.F.A., English, New Mexico State University, 2013
B.A., English, California State University Sacramento, 2010

Professor Deibel is the SLP Clinic Director and an Adjunct Professor in the Speech-Language Pathology Program at Lewis University. She teaches and/or facilitates courses in anatomy and physiology of speech, hearing and swallowing; speech sound disorders; praxis reviews; and phonetics. Her primary areas of interest include English communication as well as online education and management in both academic and technical fields. She has also worked at Lewis University as an editor on curriculum certification in addition to assisting with LMS technology, such as course design and Blackboard. Her background includes being a university instructor in remote, hybrid, and on-campus classrooms in the West and Southwest. As a writing center consultant and English Professor, she has experience with discourse communities and working with ELL students.

Michele Latta

Administrative Assistant

Michele is the Administrative Assistant Speech-Language Pathology program. Michele retired from the transportation industry in 2008, having spent numerous years as a Customs Specialist, Dispatcher, and Traffic Manager. She started at Lewis in 2009 in Admissions Operations as a long-term temporary employee before being hired as an Administrative Assistant in Graduate Nursing. Michele has worked in Nursing, the Social Sciences, and Occupational Therapy, but has finally found her home in SLP.