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In 2019, Dr. Amy Vaughn, BW assistant professor of Communication Science and Disorders (CSD), received a Women for BW Giving Circle award, which funded an upgrade for essential voice equipment used in BW’s Speech Clinic.
The Speech Clinic and the Conservatory’s Vocal Pedagogy program are using the new equipment to conduct educational research together. Receiving the funding allowed Dr. Vaughn to explore her interest in voice even more.
“Knowing that I had access to the most updated system gave me the confidence to establish a working relationship with the Conservatory,” says Dr. Vaughn.
From this relationship, a voice clinic was established which met the needs of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) students as well as Vocal Performance students at BW.
“We have specific programs centered around voice and the equipment to support that work, which allows all of our graduate students to gain these clinical hours,” she explains. She commended BW for giving graduate SLP students clinical hours in voice, explaining that most graduate students in the United States don’t have that opportunity.
Additionally, the Giving Circle funding allows the BW Speech Clinic to continue serving the Cleveland Trans Community. The CSD and Public Health departments can extend the research they are doing regarding Trans women and the way gender dysphoria increases through voice. "Working with BW voice students and the transgender community is both highly rewarding, and an aspect of my BW career that I value and cherish,” she says.
To someone considering applying for the Giving Circle award, Dr. Vaughn encourages others to “go for it! Dream big!” She also suggests having a mentor who has received the award as a resource.
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Thank you, Dr. Vaughn!
Written by Leah Joslin '21
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