The University of Northern Iowa has been recognized in the 2026 edition of U.S News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools, with its Master of Arts program in Speech-Language Pathology earning a place among the nation’s top programs.
The UNI Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is excited to announce that former U.S. Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and her longtime speech-language pathologist, Dr. Fabi Hirsch Kruse, will speak at the 2026 Hearst Lecture.
UNI alum Veena Kallambettu, was the sole winner of the 2021 Louis M. DiCarlo Award for the development of clinical programs to improve speech outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer.
The UNI Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders has welcomed a new addition to their department: baby “Paul.”
Weighing just under two and a half pounds, “Paul” is a preterm infant born at 27 weeks. He has a pulse, real hair, and can breathe and cry.
Paul is not a real infant, though, but rather a top-of-the-line high emotion simulator that students in the department will soon begin using for classwork.
Speech and communication are some of the most basic functions in our everyday lives – and they come so naturally to most, it’s easy to take them for granted.
But what if you weren’t able to communicate, or express your thoughts and ideas effectively? It would be frustrating, and even frightening – and that’s an everyday reality for the millions of people living with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer's and dementia.
Swallowing can be something we take for granted. We do it without thought. But for someone suffering from dysphagia, which is the medical term for a difficulty with swallowing, this seemingly simple task is actually an intricate dance between the many nerves and muscles that coordinate eating and breathing. A misstep can be the difference between life and death. For these individuals, UNI is there to help.
