Kellie C. Ellis, Ph.D., CCC/SLP is an Associate Professor and the Communication Disorders Program Coordinator at Eastern Kentucky University. She teaches undergraduate and graduate coursework in language intervention and assessment, articulation and phonological disorders, and research methods. Her research interests include early language and literacy development and disorders, literate language, and professional issues in educational speech-language pathology. Dr. Ellis is a former Chair of the Kentucky Board of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, former President of the Kentucky Speech Language Hearing Association, and former Chair of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association’s Governmental Relations and Public Policy Board. She currently serves as the Governmental Relations/Chair of the Kentucky Speech Language Hearing Association.
Mrs. LeAnna Hensley is the Coordinator of Clinical Experiences for the Department of Clinical Therapeutic Programs. In her role, Mrs. Hensley works with graduate students in Counselor Education and Communication Sciences and Disorders, specifically working with students during their CSD externships and COU practicum/internship experiences.
Mrs. Hensley received her Master’s Degree and Rank I in School Counseling. She has over 23 years of experience in the K-12 setting. She is excited to use her own experiences to help support EKU students during their clinical rotations.
Brenda Addington, MA, Rank I, CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist, retired from Jessamine County Schools in 2019 after 22 years at Warner Elementary School. Brenda is also a former kindergarten and first grade teacher, having taught for seven years in private school settings before pursuing a career in speech-language pathology. She has previously taught courses at EKU in Articulation Disorders, Augmentative and Alternative Education and Survey of Communication Disorders. Brenda is the author of For Nonverbal Children: Functional Vocabulary Kit, published by Linguisystems. She also provides CEU opportunities for SLPs in ethical practice, state regulations and therapeutic intervention. Brenda has served on KDE committees that revised the Kentucky Eligibility Guidelines for Communication Disorders and Guidelines for Provision of the Related Services of OT, PT and SLT in Public School Settings.
Dr. Cranfill received her doctorate from the University of Kentucky in Rehabilitation Sciences. Her research interests include neurogenic communication disorders, quality of life issues related to chronic communication disorders, and social networks. Dr. Cranfill teaches coursework in neuroanatomy, dysphagia, aphasia, and professional issues. Prior to her career in higher education, Dr. Cranfill worked in a variety of clinical settings, including public schools, home health, hospitals, First Steps, and outpatient clinics. Dr. Cranfill is serving as the Past-President of the Kentucky Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Dr. Hubbard, Faculty Emeritus, received her doctoral degree from the University of Tennessee, specializing in child language disorders. She taught coursework in the areas of child language development and disorders, phonetics, and speech and hearing science. Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Hubbard worked in a variety of settings, including public schools, university clinics, centers for developmentally disabled, mental health facility, hospitals, health care facilities, and home health care. Her primary area of expertise and interest is working with children with autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Hubbard has over twenty years of experience providing services to children with autism and training pre-professionals in the area of autism and child language disorders.
Charles Hughes, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-F, is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. He teaches a variety of courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. As a Board Certified Specialist in Fluency (BCS-F), he specializes clinically in the area of stuttering. His main research interests are related to listener perceptions, family experiences, and clinical education in the area of stuttering.
Dr. Mahanna-Boden, CD Graduate Externship Coordinator, earned her doctoral degree in Communicative Disorders from Wichita State University. She teaches coursework in voice, motor speech disorders, language disorders, clinical methods, and syndromes. Additionally, Dr. Mahanna-Boden is a clinical supervisor in the EKU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic and is the graduate externship coordinator for the CD program. Dr. Mahanna-Boden has worked in a variety of clinical settings and has over twenty five years of experience in higher education. Her specialty areas include child language, voice, neurogenic, and clinical education.
Dr. Jade Robinson has 20 years of professional experience serving young children and their families. Jade received her doctoral degree in Communication Disorders at Florida State University in 2008. Her research interests include language and literacy development, family-centered practices, routines-based early intervention (EI), and the professional development of EI providers.
Mrs. Wahl, EKU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic Director, earned her Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Kentucky. Mrs. Wahl teaches coursework in language development, special education, and clinical education. Mrs. Wahl has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including school settings, health care, and private practice.