We would like to welcome Allison Barwise and Kelsey Mandak, the new AAC Research and Outreach Coordinators! Together, Allison and Kelsey will assume leadership roles managing the AAC research program and will be instrumental in building our outreach and training efforts in AAC.
Allison comes to our program with a strong background in AAC. She was initially drawn to AAC during her graduate school studies and completed a clinical placement at Boston Children’s Hospital in their Augmentative Communication Program. After graduate school, she worked as an SLP and Assistive Technology Specialist for a school district, providing services to individuals with complex communication needs. In her new position, she is looking forward to being involved with AAC research in order to facilitate better clinical practices for individuals who utilize AAC and guiding the graduate students in the development of their skills working with clients in our clinic and community who require AAC.
Kelsey recently completed her doctoral degree at Penn State in Communication Sciences and Disorders. During her program, she was part of the Penn State AAC Leadership project, a federally funded doctoral level training grant in AAC. Kelsey has a strong research background, with a line of research focused on improving family-centered services for individuals who require AAC, as well as improving family-centered training for pre-service SLPs. In her new role, she hopes to continue to actively contribute to the Penn State AAC research program and to improve outcomes for individuals who use AAC and their families through outreach activities.
Please join us in welcoming Allison and Kelsey! The Penn State AAC community is lucky to have you both!
