Dr. Kimberly Smith Named Chair of Speech Pathology and Audiology Department
Posted on May 28, 2024 by CAHP
Dr. Kimberly Smith has been named chair of the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology for the Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions.
Smith joined the department in 2015 and earned tenure promotion to associate professor in 2021. She has served as the graduate coordinator for the speech-language pathology master’s program since 2018 and served as the program coordinator for the speech and hearing sciences bachelor’s program from 2017 to 2022. She has also served on various committees within the department and college.
“I’m excited to work in this role with the talented faculty, staff and students in the speech pathology and audiology department,” Smith said. “It’ll be fun to see what they will accomplish in this next chapter!”
“Dr. Smith is ideal for this position. She has a strong reputation in her profession nationally and a strong reputation locally,” Dr. Susan Gordon-Hickey, dean of the Covey College of Allied Health Professions, said. “I’m excited to see how the programs in the department thrive under her leadership.”
She is the principal investigator of the Adult Speech and Language Lab at USA. Her research focuses on improving the communication of individuals with aphasia. Her work has resulted in more than 20 original studies published in national and/or international journals and more than 40 state, national and international presentations of her work. Smith has also mentored three doctoral students, eight master’s thesis projects and four undergraduate thesis projects.
Smith holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of South Carolina and earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in speech-language pathology from Old Dominion University.
“We have a significant opportunity to engage and collaborate with students, the community, our alumni and researchers, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that,” Smith shared.