College of Health Professions and Sciences

Jane Hostetler: UCF Speech Pathologist Helps Parkinson’s Patients Speak Out

Mon Apr 13

Jane Hostetler, an associate instructor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, has been working with Parkinson’s patients at UCF’s Communication Disorders Clinic to improve their communication skills since 2004.   Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. Patients with the disease may exhibit tremors, slowed movement or rigid muscles; sometimes, their speech is affected.   “With Parkinson’s, respiratory muscles are affected,” Hostetler said. “So not…

New Program Helps Students to Work with Children with Special Needs

Fri Apr 10

Anew graduate certificate program is designed to prepare future special education teachers and speech-language pathologists through interdisciplinary learning to improve language and literacy services and outcomes for children with disabilities with high-intensity needs. The program is a partnership between UCF’s College of Community Innovation and Education and the College of Health Professions and Sciences. The…

Simulation Helps Graduate Students Continue to Earn Clinical Hours

Wed Apr 8

For Kennedy Raffa ’19 and Lauren Lamontagne — along with the 93 other speech-language pathology graduate clinicians — the time away from campus means they are missing more than their face-to-face classes. They are missing their clients. Under the supervision of licensed clinical faculty, the graduate students work with clients of all ages on a…

UCF Cleft Palate Expert is Changing the Way the Condition is Diagnosed and Treated

Tue Apr 7

Health Sciences Student Karina Castro Inducted as 2020 Knight of Distinction

Thu Apr 2

Karina Castro, a first-year health sciences student, has taken a step forward in her academic career at UCF and has been selected as a Knight of Distinction. The Knights of Distinction program, sponsored by the Division of Teaching & Learning through the Office of First Year Experience, is designed to help students bridge their classroom experiences with their overall…

Harnessing Power

Wed Apr 1

Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes, they wear harnesses. When Larry Lentz Jr. wears his harness in the Knights on the Go Café, he glides from cash register to refrigerator, serving customers sandwiches, pastries and cold drinks, garnished with a big smile. It’s more than purposeful work for Lentz Jr. — it’s physical therapy. The café…

Changes at UCF Clinics From COVID-19

Mon Mar 16

In compliance with UCF’s response to COVID-19 concerns, our clinics have made the following changes: UCF Communication Disorders Clinic Our clinic is currently closed in compliance with UCF’s response to COVID-19 concerns. Patient and research participants will be rescheduled when further  information is available. Please check back for updates. UCF Aphasia House Our clinic is…

UCF School of Social Work Awards Seed Grants for Interdisciplinary Research

Mon Mar 9

The UCF School of Social Work is committed to providing essential and unique research to health and mental health fields through the school’s Center for Behavioral Health Research and Training (CBHRT) research grants. Recently, four interdisciplinary research teams from Nursing, Population Health Sciences, Physical Therapy, Health Sciences and Social Work received seed grant funding of $5,000 to…

Social Work Student Launches Food Pantry at Community SchoolSocial Work Student Launches Food Pantry at Community School

Fri Mar 6

Celine Rodriguez, a social work graduate student, didn’t really understand food insecurity issues until she witnessed it firsthand at the Academic Center for Excellence in Parramore during her internship. She began asking how the issue could be resolved within the school and dedicated herself to developing a food pantry during her internship at ACE. She started…

UCF and Orlando Health Residency Faculty Shine at APTA Combined Sections Meeting

Fri Mar 6

The UCF & Orlando Health Neurologic Residency faculty were busy at this year’s Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association held at the Colorado Convention Center from March 11 to 15, 2020. Kristen Cezat, PT, DPT, NCS, ATP/SMS was awarded the first Clinician of the Year Award by the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy (ANPT) Spinal Cord Injury…

Health Sciences Professor Helping Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Mon Mar 2

Jeanette Garcia, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences, is leading studies to better understand the behavior of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and help change their lives. “People tend to underestimate kids with autism spectrum disorder,” she says. “[They] can do everything a typically developing kid can do, they might just…

UCF Social Work Researchers Partner with Child Welfare Groups to Improve Outcomes for Foster Children

Fri Feb 28

Associate Professors Julie Steen and Chris Stewart in UCF’s School of Social Work are leading an evaluation of an effort by Embrace Families to strengthen the child welfare system and improve outcomes for children in foster care. The $1 million evaluation subcontract issued by Embrace Families is part of the Strong Foundations project, a five-year endeavor funded through an $8.6 million…

UCF Aphasia House Named Southeast Research Hub for Patient-Centered Outcomes Project

Fri Feb 28

UCF Aphasia House  has been selected as one of four aphasia research incubator hubs throughout the country, representing the southeast region. The opportunity comes as a result of a collaboration between  Aphasia House and  Jackie Hinckley, associate professor at Nova Southeastern University, who recently received a $247,822 grant from Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, an…

New Program Teaches Autistic Students How To Eat Healthy

Thu Feb 27

Overweight and obesity are common conditions in the U.S. pediatric population, but children with autism spectrum disorder are 1.5 times more likely to have these health conditions than their same-aged peers. Researchers at UCF are developing a program to teach children with ASD how to make better food choices. Jeanette Garcia is the lead researcher and…

Communication Science and Disorders Alumna Says After Losing Her Voice She Wants to Help Students Find Their Passion For Helping Others

Wed Feb 26

Angel-Marie Carson, a Lake Mary speech-language pathologist and UCF alumna, has established Angel’s Gift, a scholarship for students in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. She established the scholarship to honor her profession and to elevate its students. It’s a scholarship she has wanted to establish long before a catastrophic illness impacted her plans.…

Students LEAD the Way Advocating for Change

Wed Feb 26

The annual Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) is a legislative event hosted by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) that brought 110 UCF Social Work students to the State Capitol on January 27 and 28. During LEAD, students have the opportunity to further their knowledge about policy issues in substantive areas of social work practice…

Athletic Training Student Wins Founders’ Award

Tue Feb 25

Danielle Scognamiglio, a senior athletic training student in the undergraduate program, has been selected as the 2020 College of Health Professions and Sciences Undergraduate Student Founders’ Award recipient. This award recognizes exceptional ability in a particular area of study within the college. Scognamiglio was nominated by Assistant Professor Colby Mangum, who called Scognamiglio a “highly motivated leader and…

Social Work Professor Helps Show Efficacy of Service Dogs for Veterans with PTSD

Fri Feb 21

James Whitworth, associate professor in the School of Social Work, has devoted his career to helping veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.  Before coming to UCF, Whitworth served as a clinical social worker and mental health officer in the US Air Force for 21 years. He is intimately aware of the challenges veterans face. Veterans have…

Rosa-Lugo Recognized for Excellence in Diversity

Mon Feb 17

Linda Rosa-Lugo, CSD associate professor and associate dean of Faculty Excellence, Graduate, and Global Affairs for the UCF College of Health Professions and Sciences, has been recognized for her significant contributions to achieving diversity in the field of communication sciences and disorders by the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Rosa-Lugo has dedicated…

UCF Hosts 2 CSD Students from Belgium

Mon Feb 17

The UCF School of Communication Sciences and Disorders has welcomed two international undergraduate students from Belgium for a six-week externship. The program is part of our inter-university agreement, where students from UCF and VIVES University of Applied Sciences in Belgium participate in international learning experiences. During the six-week program, Belgium students Esther Vanneste and Celeste Sissau will…