Faculty and Staff
Lynn M. Maher, Ph.D., CCC-SLP Professor and Department Chair. Dr. Lynn M. Maher is Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Houston in Houston, TX. Dr. Maher has faculty appointments at Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University and the University of Oslow, Norway. She is a Research Health Science Specialist at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston and an Investigator in the VA Brain Rehabilitation Research Center of Excellence in Gainesville, FL. Her research interests, funded by the NIH and the VA Rehab R & D, are in the understanding and rehabilitation of aphasia and related disorders.
Margaret Lehman Blake, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. Associate Professor. Dr. Blake received her master's degree from Arizona State University and her doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Blake teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in disorders of speech/language/cognition in adults. Her primary research interest is language disorders due to right hemisphere brain damage. She is the Graduate Program Coordinator and serves as one of the graduate advisors.
Michael A. Bienenstock, M.A., Ph.D. Associate Clinical Professor. Dr. Bienenstock teaches American Sign Language and Deaf Culture classes. He was formerly an associate professor at Lamar University and is currently working with the Humble School District. He has extensive experience in working with deaf children.
Lynn S. Bliss, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. Professor. Dr. Bliss teaches courses on the topic of childhood language disorders. Her research focuses on the oral personal narratives of children with language impairments. She has published articles on the cultural influences of narration. She is the recent author of two books, Discourse Impairments and Narrative Patterns. Dr. Bliss is an ASHA Fellow and was a Fulbright Scholar on the island of Cyprus.
Laura Cizek, M.A., CCC-SLP. Assistant Clinical Professor. Ms. Cizek supervises students in the University Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic. Her experiences include supervision as well as diagnosis and treatment of children and adults with various speech and language differences and disorders. She teaches Clinical Procedures.
Martha Dunkelberger, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. Assistant Clinical Professor. Dr. Dunkelberger joined the University of Houston department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in 1997 following eight years of clinical practice. She is working toward developing a better picture of the developmental progression of phonological systems and literacy skills in preschool and school aged children. Dr. Dunkelberger also serves as the Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
Sandra Gold-Singleton, M.A., SLP, is the undergraduate advisor and instructor for COMD 2338 Phonetics and Phys 2340 Science of Sound. Please contact her for your undergraduate questions at sgoldsin@uh.edu or (713) 743-2893. Ms. Gold-Singleton’s office is located in room 120 in the CRS building.
Monica McHenry, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. Associate Professor. Received a masters degree from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington. Dr. McHenry teaches an undergraduate course in speech and hearing systems and graduate courses in voice and research. Areas of interest include motor speech disorders and the professional voice. Previously employed at the Transitional Learning Community in Galveston.
Adjunct Faculty
Stephanie K. Daniels, Ph.D. CCC-SLP Dr. Daniels is a Research Speech Language Pathologist in Rehabilitation Research at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas and is Board Recognized in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. Her research interests are the study of swallowing disorders associated with stroke and dementia and limb apraxia and its relationship to swallowing. Dr. Daniels teaches the graduate level course in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders during the spring semester.
Kelly Higgins, Ph.D. CCC-SLP Dr. Higgins is the District Lead Speech-Language Pathologist at the Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston, Texas where she supervises 43 speech-language pathologists. She teaches our Special Populations – Pediatrics course in alternating summer semesters.
Michelle Mekky, MA, CCC-SLP, BRS-S.. Ms. Mekky is Board Recognized in Swallowing & Swallowing Disorders and is a Speech-Language Pathologist at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Texas Medical Center. She teaches our Special Populations – Adults course in alternating summer semesters.
Barbara O. Snelling, M.B.A., Au.D., CCC-A/SLP. Assistant Clinical Professor. Teaches in the areas of audiological assessment and rehabilitation, anatomy, neurology and physiology and business aspects of healthcare. Supervises students during audiology practicum.
Faculty Emeritus
Martin Adams, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. Professor Emeritus. Dr. Adams is the former head of the program in Communication Disorders and has recently retired. His area of expertise is fluency.
Susann Dowling, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. Professor Emeritus. Dr. Dowling currently serves as ombudsman to the department. Dr. Dowling taught in the areas of anatomy and physiology, articulation, clinical procedures and supervision. Research focuses on phonological disorders, the supervisory process and clinical training. Dr. Dowling is an ASHA Fellow, a teaching award winner and the recipient of the Supervisor of the Year Award.
Clinical Faculty
Melissa Bruce, M.S., CCC-SLP. Clinic Director. Melissa Bruce is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Houston with 30 years of clinical and teaching experience. After having been Clinic Director at the University of Vermont for eleven years, she has returned to the University of Houston where she teaches the graduate course in fluency disorders and directs the Fluency Specialty Clinic. Ms. Bruce has presented locally, regionally, and nationally in the areas of family-centered service delivery, clinical training, and stuttering intervention. She is an ASHA Fellow, a Board Certified Fluency Specialist and Mentor, and a charter member of the Lidcombe Program Trainers Consortium.
Cay Cunningham, Ed.D. Consultant to the Early Childhood Intervention Program and consultant to the Clinic's Family-Based Therapy regimen. Expertise in family therapy and work with young children, especially infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Member of the American and Texas Psychological Association.
Katherine Ermgodts, M.A., CCC-SLP. Staff Speech-Language Pathologist. Provides speech and language, diagnostic and therapeutic services for children and adults. Areas of expertise are neurologic rehabilitation, language and articulation disorders in school-age children. Ms. Ermgodts also helps coordinate the student externship program and she teaches Clinical Procedures.
Angela Galatas, M.A., CCC-SLP. Clinic Supervisor. Ms. Galatas' current position is a speech language pathologist at the University of Houston, Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic, part-time. Her experience includes supervision and intervention of adult neurogenics.
Dena Linda, M.A., CCC-SLP. Clinic Supervisor. Ms. Linda is a part-time Clinical Supervisor in the Language Learning Group at the University of Houston, Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic. She has experience working with Alternative and Augmentative Communication Systems as well as, working with the preschool population.
Carmen McGee, M.A., CCC-SLP. Clinic Supervisor. Ms. McGee is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Lecturer in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and is a lifetime member of the University of Houston Alumni Association. After completion of a master’s degree at UH, Ms. McGee was employed in public and private schools serving preschool, elementary, middle and high school students with communication disorders. Ms. McGee’s areas of interest and expertise are child language, literacy and articulation, as well as adult accent modification. Currently, Ms. McGee supervises graduate students in the University Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic. She also teaches the undergraduate Introduction to Communication Disorders (COMD1333) during the fall and spring semesters. Go, Coogs!
Jennifer Meeks, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA. Doctor of Audiology for the Houston Speech and Hearing Clinic (a United Way Agency). Dr. Meeks provides diagnostic and rehabilitative audiological services, including complete audiological evaluations, hearing aid fitting and aural rehabilitation. She develops and implements clincial procedures and marketing programs. In addition she supervises graduate students for hearing screenings at City of Houston agencies.
Clinical Staff
Geoffrey Pierce , Department Business Administrator. (713) 743-2904
Michele Leonard , Office Assistant. (713) 743-0915
Jeremy Lunsford , Office Assistant. (713) 743-2898
