I double majored in Psychology and Communicative Disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I received my BA in 1984, despite spending far too much time on the Memorial Union terrace.

I then went to the University of Denver where I received my MA in 1986 (incidentally, the same year that the Speech & Hearing Sciences department at DU closed, and I swear I had nothing to do with it).

Back to Madison I went to study for my Ph.D. with Dr. Gary Weismer and the rest of the phenomenal faculty there. They whipped me into shape and I received my Ph.D. in December of 1989 (Note: The key to finishing a Ph.D. program quickly is to do your dissertation research on cadavers—you never run into subject scheduling conflicts or no-shows—Thank you, Dr. Bersu!). I then had the opportunity to join the faculty at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Communication Disorders.

Although I loved the department, my colleagues, the Twin Cities, and the occasional Prince sightings, I could not tolerate the unrelenting cold.

In 1994, I had the good fortune to be offered a job at Arizona State University where I’m living happily (and warmly) ever after.

My dissertation research was an investigation of sensory receptors , in particular muscle spindles, in muscles of the soft palate. This work represented my very strong interest in the anatomy, physiology, and neurology underlying speech motor control. This interest continues to be a primary line of my research but the methods and focus have changed, as I’ll describe below.

In 1994 , I received an NIH FIRST Award to study how listeners decipher speech produced by people with dysarthria. I find it fascinating to examine how well models of normal speech perception, in particular those relating to speech segmentation, can be applied to the perception of disordered speech. The work turned out to be very fruitful and we discovered evidence that different types of dysarthria elicit different types of processing strategies among listeners.

Then in July of 2004 , I received an NIH R01 Award to fully examine the perceptual processes involved in deciphering dysarthric speech. This 5-year investigation is quite large scale and we will examine speakers with Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The ultimate goal is to apply the information we learn here to the development of a treatment strategy that is based on the specific perceptual needs of the listener.

In tandem with the perceptual studies , I have been involved with my colleagues at the Mayo Clinic-Scottsdale in studies of speech motor control. I have a particular interest in basal ganglia circuit function and dysfunction and the effects of drugs and surgery on speech production. We are presently seeking seed funds for beginning to map speech pathways through the subthalamic nucleus in patients with deep brain stimulators. For a description of the work currently underway, please click “Current Research.”