May 2023 | College of Applied Health Sciences

Student Spotlight: Anjali Patel forging her path

May 31, 2023 | Ethan Simmons

Like the millions of other high school seniors who applied for college during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anjali Patel made her choice of campus sight unseen.

Hailing from Memphis, Tenn., she hadn’t set foot near the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign when she was accepted to the College of Applied Health Sciences in spring 2020.

“I guess I got here by luck,” said Patel, now a rising senior in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. “I didn’t have a particular reason other than I just loved what this major was.”

Patel often credits good fortune for guiding her college experience, from deciding to go to Illinois to landing in the research lab of Kinesiology and Community Health Associate Professor Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo.

But chance alone can’t explain the continued academic rise of this first-generation AHS student, who’s heading for a prestigious research opportunity this summer.

As she progresses toward her goal of medical school, Patel is satisfied with her choice of major.

“You do learn the science as part of your prerequisites for whatever path you want to follow,” she said. “But then also you get to learn about health disparities and organizations of health care—there’s just so much more that you learn with this major that makes it different from all the others.”

Patel’s next stop is a 2023 Summer Undergraduate Psychology Experience in Research fellowship. Patel and a cohort of 24 other American and Canadian undergrads from underrepresented backgrounds were selected from a competitive field of applicants to spend nine weeks in laboratory settings for psychological science.

Patel will continue a critical study documenting the experiences of women living with postpartum pain and depression, work she began in Lara-Cinisomo’s Laboratory for Emotion and Stress Assessment.

The I-Health major found the lab in the second semester of her freshman year. “She hit the ground running,” Lara-Cinisomo said, adding that Patel helped grad students in the lab prepare materials for new studies.

“It was evident that Anjali was eager to learn more about research,” Lara-Cinisomo said.

Patel has already conducted participant interviews with intense research studies, such as a broad look at how COVID-19 affected Latina and Mexican American mothers in the U.S. With the subjects at hand, many interviews become emotionally difficult.

“There’s a learning curve in trying to understand how to respond to someone who’s sensitive to what they’re talking about while trying to complete your job,” Patel said.

But her role is also an exercise in empathy, discussing issues such as pregnancy and medical complications in an academic setting.

“It was just very eye-opening to listen to all those experiences, and even now with my current interviews, it’s interesting to learn so much about mothers’ experiences,” she said.

Lara-Cinisomo will continue to be Patel’s mentor through the summer fellowship.

“She takes every role seriously and is diligent,” Lara-Cinisomo said. “The summer research experience will build on Anjali’s passion for research. I am confident Anjali will excel.”

In addition to her studies on the pre-med track, Patel will serve as president of the student organization Mentors in Medicine next year, which pairs upperclassmen and underclassmen interested in healthcare careers.

“As a freshman, I didn’t know what I needed to do. Now, I feel like as a junior I have so much to tell people to help them,” Patel said.

Editor’s note:

To reach Ethan Simmons, email ecsimmon@illinois.edu.

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Joe DeLuce: ‘You interview for your next job everyday’

May 21, 2023 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Joe DeLuce, a Recreation, Sport and Tourism graduate [M.S., 2001] and former visiting instructor, retired in December 2022 after 43 years in the park management industry, including his final 25 at the Champaign Park District, where he was executive director at the time of his retirement. DeLuce is not someone who likes the spotlight, so we sought out a couple of longtime colleagues and alumni who were more than happy to talk about working with him.

Elliott Bortner
Superintendent of Recreation
Geneva Park District

Bortner got his bachelor’s degree from RST in 2011. He met DeLuce in 2007 as a freshman when he was a kinesiology major.

Q: When did you first meet Joe?

A: I learned in my first semester that this field of study was not my passion and I met with my advisor in AHS. After asking a few questions about my interests, where I had worked in the past, and more, she let me know about RST and suggested I take a couple courses second semester. The first class I took was instructed by Joe and, by semester’s end, I felt confident this was the field of study I wanted to pursue. Fast forward to my senior year, I was fortunate enough to intern at the Champaign Park District while Joe was serving as the director of recreation.

Q: What has Joe meant to Urbana-Champaign?

A: I only lived in town a couple years following graduation, but those two years I was able to see the profound impact Joe had on the community. The way he interacted with people and everything he was involved in are two things that stand out to me when I think back to those times. Seemingly every place we went he knew someone, asked about their family or how their job was going, talked Illinois athletics and more.

Q: What was Joe’s main contribution to the parks department?

A: During my time at the Champaign Park District [2011-2013], I think one of his biggest contributions to the district was how the Virginia Theatre grew under his leadership, including its renovation/restoration. Since
that time, I think one of the most impactful contributions is the new Martens Center in Champaign.

Q: Do you have a funny story to share?

A: I knew Joe played racquetball and I had played a few dozen times at CRCE [Campus Recreation Center East] and the ARC [Activities & Recreation Center] when I was a student. During my time working at the Champaign Park District, I challenged Joe to racquetball many times—challenges that were often met with chuckles and “Are you sure?!” He finally took me up on the challenge one day. He beat me three straight games and I don’t think I scored a single point. But, being the teacher/mentor he has always been for me, we then went to a different court where two others were playing. He and I teamed up for doubles and, after a few quick pointers, I improved enough to where we won a game.

Q: What has Joe done to make an impact on your life?

Following my internship and graduation, Joe asked if I would stay on and work under him as the recreation intern. In the following year, I had the opportunity to lead the District’s effort for Illinois Park and Recreation Association’s (IPRA) Distinguished Agency award and projects related to the District’s ADA Transition Plan. Joe brought me along to staff meetings, involved me in project planning meetings, encouraged me to make connections throughout the community, etc. A new full-time position was created at the Douglass Community Center and I was fortunate enough to be hired into that role. A year later, I became the special events and volunteer coordinator. In 2013, I moved back to my hometown of Batavia and began working at the Geneva Park District. In the fall of 2022, I applied for the Superintendent of Recreation position at the Geneva Park District and Joe spent over an hour on the phone with me prepping me with things to think about, ideas to prepare, and questions to consider. About a month later, outside of my family, he was the first person I called to tell I was named the new superintendent. One of Joe’s aphorisms is “You interview for your next job every day”—I have tried to keep that in mind throughout my career. Joe has truly shaped my career in recreation and as a professional—ultimately his biggest impact has been being a mentor and a friend.

Sue Grey
President and CEO
United Way of Champaign County

Grey is a 1983 RST graduate and serves on the AHS Board of Visitors. She worked with DeLuce at Champaign Park District, and has known him for more than two decades.

Q: What has Joe meant to Champaign-Urbana?

A: Joe has been a quiet, steady leader. He has brought innovative and fun ideas to the community—helping our park district be the best in the area and across the state and country.

Q: What was Joe’s main contribution to the parks department?

A: Joe has brought consistency, stability and strong leadership. He carefully managed the budget, and worked to make necessary improvements to facilities and parks.

Q: What has Joe done to make an impact on your life?

A: I appreciate that Joe was always a good listener. He took the time to make sure you were heard. That is an important quality that we could all use

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Tags: Joe DeLuce, RST Newsletter Spring 2023

Message from Department Head Carla Santos

May 21, 2023 | Carla Santos

Dear alumni and friends,

It is difficult to believe that another academic year is coming to an end. It has been an eventful year in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism. I’m excited to share some of those events with you in this issue of RST E-News.

Professor Monika Stodolska, who has been with RST for more than 20 years, was named the Brightbill/Sapora Professor in Applied Health Sciences. Monika is an outstanding scholar, teacher, and mentor. She has served the department, college, campus, and profession in a variety of significant roles, and is renowned for her work in the area of culture and leisure. We celebrated Monika’s many accomplishments with an investiture ceremony in February.

RST assistant professor Sharon Zou applies marketing principles to her studies in tourism. She recently published a study of fee-based pricing at Indiana Dunes State Park that reflects her belief that parks and other tourism industries must build sustainable revenue models and not rely on state and federal support. We tell you about that study in this issue.

Alumnus Joe DeLuce, who gave so selflessly to this department and our students over the years, retired last December after a 43-year career in the park management industry. His last position was executive director of the Champaign Park District. Find out more about Joe as we wish him well in the next chapter of his life.

Finally, we celebrate the outstanding undergraduate and graduate students who have earned scholarships and awards this year in recognition of their academic, professional, and personal accomplishments.

I am so proud to be the head of this incredible department, to work with a phenomenal group of scholars and alumni, and to support them in mentoring our students. We continue to work hard to remain a leader in recreation, sport and tourism education, research, and public engagement. You have my pledge that we will do whatever it takes to make sure that our faculty, staff, and students have the resources to continue to shine.

In gratitude,
Carla Santos
Professor and Department Head

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Tags: Carla Santos, RST Newsletter Spring 2023

How Veterans’ cannabis use can impact their care

May 23, 2023 | Ethan Simmons

While cannabis use is increasing for military Veterans, most aren’t getting it from medical sources

By ETHAN SIMMONS

Twenty-one states have legalized recreational cannabis, and 88 percent of American adults are in favor of legalizing the use of marijuana for medical and recreational use, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Military Veterans aren’t an exception from this rising tide.

While the percentage of Veterans reporting past-year marijuana use has increased in the last decade, few of them obtain it from medical sources, a new study shows.

An analysis from Department of Kinesiology and Community Health Assistant Professor Rachel Hoopsick and co-author R. Andrew Yockey, assistant professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth School of Public Health, dove into national trends in marijuana use among U.S. Veterans from 2013 to 2019.

The researchers pulled data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which surveyed 16,350 veterans ages 18 and older on their experience with various substances.

Hoopsick’s and Yockey’s analysis revealed a sharp increase in marijuana use among Veterans in recent years. More than one in eight Veterans surveyed (12.9 percent) reported past-year marijuana use in 2019, up from 8.24 percent in 2013.

“Where it gets interesting is we did not see a similar increase in self-reported medical marijuana use among vets,” said Hoopsick, whose research focuses on substance use and mental health for people in high-stress occupations. “This is telling us that although marijuana use is increasing in Vets, it’s not medical marijuana, it’s recreational marijuana.”

In the U.S., 38 states have authorized the sale of medical marijuana, and 21 of them regulate cannabis for recreational use as well. But the drug remains federally illegal, classified as Schedule I by the Drug Enforcement Administration “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

Therefore, Veterans Health Administration providers cannot prescribe or recommend patients marijuana, though they may discuss the drug in a general sense.

Many Veterans clearly use marijuana, often seeking it out for therapeutic purposes, Hoopsick said. Veterans show higher instances of physical and mental health conditions than the general population.

This disconnect presents two issues, Hoopsick said: VA health care providers might be missing a critical piece of health information during consultations with Veteran patients. And with less frequent medical prescriptions, some Veterans could be obtaining cannabis from unregulated sources with added safety risks.

“Veterans should discuss with their care providers how the addition of cannabinoids or any other medication to their routine may interact with or impact other medications or treatments they are receiving,” an official from the Veterans Health Administration wrote in an email.

Veterans will not be denied their VA benefits for using marijuana.

“I think that that is a fear among some Veterans that if they divulge that information that they’ll lose their benefits, but that’s not the case at all,” Hoopsick said.

“It’s important for their health care providers to have a full understanding of all the substances that they might be using and how that might affect their health and treatment plan.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Rachel Hoopsick, email hoopsick@illinois.edu.

SHS Clinic gives students, faculty the opportunity to provide clinical services for the community

May 15, 2023 | Bruce Adams

The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Clinic is located at 201 S. Oak Street in Champaign
(Photo provided)

Nestled in the University of Illinois’ Research Park is a place where the Department of Speech and Hearing Science improves communication and quality of life using evidence-based practices on a daily basis. This mission goes back to the founding of the department.

The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Clinic, operated by SHS, provides a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services to 200 children and adults annually. The clinic serves individuals in the local community and across Illinois via in-person and telepractice means, providing services to clients across the lifespan.

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, and 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the celebration of that occasion, as well as the 50th anniversary of SHS being established at the University of Illinois. The month’s theme of Building a Strong Foundation and its emphasis on “life-altering treatment” fit nicely with the department’s history of service, instruction and research.

During the month free pediatric and adult hearing and speech-language screenings will be offered to community members. Graduate students will perform the screenings with supervision from certified audiologists and speech-language pathologists. The event will be held at the clinic at 2001 S. Oak St. Suite B in Champaign on the morning of Wednesday, May 24, and the afternoon of Thursday, May 25. All are welcome and can call the clinic at 217-333-2205 if interested in scheduling a free screening.

Other community activities have included:

Presentations from second-year masters students at the OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center stroke support group’s monthly meeting.
Presentations at the Parkinson’s Disease Support Group of Champaign County about the role of speech-language pathology and its benefits for quality of life in Parkinson’s disease.
Convenient, no-charge audiology and hearing care services provide to residents of Clark Lindsey Nursing Home. Doctor of Audiology students informed residents about listening and repair strategies, cleaned and maintained hearing aids, and cleaned earwax out of residents’ ears.
Free hearing and speech-language screenings at the Child Development Laboratory on campus and at Chesterbrook Academy Preschool.
Sharing information about communication disorders and the services available at the clinic with the community as part of the College of Applied Health Sciences booth at the Urbana Market on the Square.

Graduate students in audiology and speech-language pathology develop knowledge and skills to provide clinical care to the community through their academic coursework and clinical practica experiences.

“As a clinic, we’re working very closely with the department,” said Clarion Mendes, a speech-language pathologist at the clinic and a clinical assistant professor in SHS. As Mendes explains, exposure to the needs of the community in the clinic informs teaching.

“Part of our mission is to intertwine the two and not see them as distinct entities,” she said. “The department has gone through a curriculum revision for the master’s program in recent years that highlights cultural and linguistic diversity, and if we look at that with a broader lens, that also includes looking at speech differences rather than considering them as disabilities. Speaking for myself, my clinical population nearly exclusively consists of marginalized populations. I work nearly exclusively with gender-diverse individuals. Working within that landscape requires a lot of reflection and cultural humility, constantly revising how I approach clinical practice and teach it to my students.”

The clinic gives students the unique opportunity to provide cutting-edge care informed by research and clinical expertise in an immersive environment under the supervision of licensed and nationally certified audiologists and speech-language pathologists. While clients are receiving care, they are contributing to new discoveries in the assessment and treatment of communication disorders and training the next generation of speech, language, and hearing clinicians and researchers.

Working with external partners and increasing the diversity of the student body bring fresh viewpoints and experiences to the clinic and department. In fact, the international composition in the clinical programs body is at a 10-year high, with seven international students in the clinical programs in audiology and speech-language pathology. “Efforts are also underway to expand the accepted insurances to get a broader patient base,” Clinical Assistant Professor Sadie Braun said.

Clinical work powers education and research and has motivated SHS since its humble beginnings. Jennifer Dahman, a speech-language pathologist and clinical assistant professor at SHS, credits her work as a clinical educator for making her a “better speech-language pathologist.”

“Yes, we teach the how, but more importantly, we teach the why,” she said. “And if we don’t know the why then we find out. Being able to explain that active kind of learning perspective to students translates into their service delivery.”

Learn more about the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Clinic by visiting the website.

Return to the SHS at 50 page

Tags: Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Clinic, SHS at 50

Can you understand me, Siri?

May 21, 2024 | Anna Flanagan

*The Speech Accessibility Project aims to amass a database of audio recordings from people with disabilities that affect their speech. (Getty Images)*

Speech recognition software such as Alexa, Google Assistant, Amazon Echo, Cortana and Siri allow anyone to access information and use smart home technologies through spoken questions and commands. At least, that’s what they’re supposed to do. Unfortunately, these devices typically don’t recognize speech that is affected by a disability.

Mark Hasegawa-Johnson, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Illinois, wants to change that. He launched the Speech Accessibility Project (SAP), which aims to amass a database of audio recordings from people with disabilities that affect their speech. Volunteers with Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), stroke-related disabilities, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome record responses to three different types of prompts to capture commands, phonetically diverse speech such as one might produce when reading aloud, and conversational speech.

SHS Associate Professors Laura Mattie and Marie Moore Channell are leading the Illinois Down Syndrome Team. “People with Down syndrome have intelligibility issues so it’s common for them to not be understood at all or to be misunderstood by voice recognition systems,” Mattie said. And it’s not just that it’s the hot new thing, as Channell observed. “These systems are among the strategies we put into place to make life easier for people with disabilities,” she said. One can imagine the frustration that results from being unable to use technologies that are supposed to improve your life.

Mattie said she and Channell put a lot of effort into developing the prompts for the recordings “…to make them representative of the kinds of things for which individuals would be using the software.” Added Channell, “It’s about making sure on the front end that the recordings are valuable and representative so that what goes into the database is relevant.”

The Speech Accessibility Project database initially will be available to the consortium of technology companies that are funding the project, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft, before becoming widely available to the public.

Tags: Clarion Mendes, College of Applied Health Sciences, Marie Moore Channell, Speech Accessibility Project

RST alumna Simmons discusses the importance of giving back

July 25, 2024 | Sam Rink

*RST alumna Julie Simmons has joined AHS’ Board of Visitors (Photo provided)*

Pivotal. That is how Julie Simmons, chief operating officer and co-founder of Paragon Marketing Group, described her experience earning a master’s degree in Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The experience not only influenced her successful career in sports marketing, but also led her to where she is now, continually offering her generosity to the community that fostered her professional growth.

“When you truly learn and you really take to heart the lessons from your college experiences, I think you naturally want to give back to and support the institution that shaped you,” Simmons said.

Simmons has spent much of her career giving back to her alma mater, opening Paragon’s doors to current students in the form of mentorship and scholarships. The company sponsors four scholarships—one within Illinois’ own RST program as well as at Northern Illinois University, Illinois State University and DePaul University.

For years, Paragon has also facilitated a number of internships with students in RST, as well as from other area universities.

“We strive for diversity in our recruitment, but supporting institutions within Illinois is particularly important to us,” Simmons said. “And because many of these applicants are local, it reduces the financial burden of internships and makes these opportunities more accessible.”

Internships at Paragon offer hands-on experience with sports marketing, priming students to work on a wide variety of client projects. According to Simmons, interns are exposed to different areas of the business including strategy, event logistics and planning, providing them with a broad understanding of the industry.

“For us, it’s about providing interns with a positive, real-world experience that equips them with the knowledge they need to pursue a career in sports marketing,” she said.

But Simmons didn’t want to stop at simply providing internships and scholarships. She is now part of the College of Applied Health Sciences’ Board of Visitors, an advisory board of volunteer alumni who aim to assist and advocate for the college’s goals. Simmons was nominated to the board in January of 2024 by Jean Driscoll, the assistant dean for advancement, who said “her [Simmons’] experience, leadership, and passion for service make her a wonderful addition to the board. Her accomplishments are too numerous to name, and the BOV will be a beneficiary of her talents and ideas.”

“I’m truly excited and honored that Jean nominated me for this position,” Simmons said. “For me, this is another way to give back to a place where I experienced tremendous growth.”

Simmons not only has her own professional expertise and experience on the corporate side of scholarships to offer the board, but also her unique experience as a woman owner in a male-dominated industry.

“When I started out, I was often the only woman in a room full of men, and that’s still often the case,” she said. “One of the most important things I learned was the value of finding advocates for myself and other women. Building that support network is crucial. When I worked at the University of Illinois in the athletic environment, I was the only woman on the promotions team for quite a while. Despite that, everyone was welcoming and open, showing me that you can coexist and support each other.”

Those experiences of positive mentorship are a large part of Simmons’ motivation to join the Board of Visitors, but she has yet another personal connection that draws her toward supporting an institution of learning. Simmons, being the first person in her family to go to college, has a particular appreciation for the privilege of higher education, especially for going on to receive her master’s degree from Illinois.

“If I didn’t have others helping me along the way, great mentors to guide me and people encouraging me to expand my horizons, I wouldn’t be where I am today. That’s what I want to do, as well. I want to provide others with the information they need, whether it’s about the sports industry, being a woman business owner or the importance of education. It’s all about paying it forward.”

Simmons reflected on the impact of a positive learning environment on her career and how it has influenced her and her peers to continue working with the university, recalling her time working with Michael Raycraft, a clinical associate professor in RST, and Stephen Staples, a member of the board.

“That’s why it was pivotal for me, and that’s why I feel very passionate about trying to give something back to something that really helped me.”

When it comes to her future on the board, Simmons expressed her excitement to join the Nominating and Governance Committee.

“I’m excited to be able to bring my background and experience,” she said. “I look forward to contributing substance and value to our initiatives. I’m excited to get some more meat on the bones.”

Tags: alumni, College of Applied Health Sciences, Julia Simmons

Student Spotlight: Charlie Nudelman, a trained ear

May 10, 2023 | Ethan Simmons

Nudelman was raised by a speech language pathologist: His mother

*Charles Nudelman, right, with adviser Pasquale Bottalico*

What comes to mind when you hear “professional voice-user?” Perhaps the image of an opera singer or a sports announcer pops in your head.

Ask Department of Speech and Hearing Science doctoral candidate Charles Nudelman, and he’ll conjure dozens of examples: Canvassers, radio DJs, telemarketers, clergy and lawyers are just a few of the professions who’ve come to him with vocal problems.

“The voice is something I feel like we take for granted—we wake up in the morning and expect everything to go fine,” Nudelman said. “If you’re relying on your voice for your job, hoarseness is going to get worse as you use it. And there’s a lot of costs related to that.”

After spending a year diagnosing voice issues in a clinical setting, 2019 SHS graduate Nudelman has returned to his alma mater to obtain his doctorate, focusing his research on preventing vocal disorders for the near-30 percent of adults who face them.

Nudelman, from Gurnee, Ill., was raised by a speech language pathologist: His mother. But he came to the University of Illinois with his major undeclared, initially hoping to veer from the course she traveled.

“I wanted to carve out my own path, but I ended up loving the classes and loving the faculty of (SHS),” Nudelman said. “That’s what drew me here to the U. of I., knowing regardless of the path I took I would have a really good education. And it was true.”

Under his advisor and friend SHS Associate Professor Pasquale Bottalico, Nudelman has become a decorated student researcher within the department, receiving the Phyllis Ariens Burkhead Memorial Fellowship and the Elaine Paden Award this spring.

And for his presentation at 2023’s “Research Live!,” where graduate students describe their own studies to a judge panel of high school juniors, he came away with the grand prize of $500.

From the start of his undergraduate experience, Nudelman was using his communication skills often, joining student radio and broadcasting Illinois athletics events through Big Ten Network’s Student U.

“It brought me to figure out what exactly is the voice, how does it work, what is this instrument we all have? And how can I make it better while I’m on TV? That’s a wormhole to itself, and I’m still living in it.”

Those questions brought him to SHS 301: General Speech Science, taught by then-first-year Assistant Professor Bottalico. Nudelman sat in the front row every lecture, taking copious notes. He quickly attached to Bottalico’s “distinct” teaching style, and gratefully accepted an invite to his lab.

For the better part of six years, the pair have worked “nonstop” on projects together, even when Nudelman left to obtain his master’s degree from the MGH Institute for Health Professions in Boston. Now back at the Illinois, he’s set to obtain his Ph.D. in 2025.

“The stars aligned, he’s an amazing mentor and friend and person,” Nudelman said. “He’s not only looking to open doors for me but any person who works with him.”

What’s “astonished” Bottalico about his mentee is how Nudelman has responded to escalating expectations with every new research project. Just one year into his Ph.D. program, Nudelman’s research output is already comparable to that of an advanced scholar, Bottalico said.

“I have a very high standard, it’s not easy to surprise me.” Bottalico said. “And Charlie has done it constantly since we met.”

Nudelman’s winning study for Research Live! took a close look at the vocal performance of teachers. He used a virtual reality headset to simulate various classroom environments for 30 schoolteachers, closely monitoring the acoustics of their voices.

What it showed: Teachers who spoke to virtual classrooms fuller with simulated students reported more vocal discomfort and fatigue, Nudelman said, while larger virtual classrooms negatively affected the teachers’ voice quality.

“I think it’s something to think about within classrooms when class sizes are only increasing and we want our teachers to be comfortable,” Nudelman said. “I guess I’m a proponent for smaller class sizes based on this study.”

He has his sights set on a career in academia, “hopefully being a mentor like Dr. Bottalico has been to me to as many students as I can,” he said. But the doctoral student finds fulfillment in making research accessible to the general public as well.

For example: Instead of clearing your throat before speaking, sip on some water. Avoid whispering — it’s worse for your voice than just talking. And if you’re speaking to a large group, use a microphone and take pauses to breathe to avoid hoarseness afterward.

It’s this brand of practical science that made Nudelman feel right at home at AHS.

“It doesn’t matter what AHS major you are, you’re working with people to improve their quality of life,” he said. “Even though we’re all doing different things, the goal is the same, and you can feel that whenever you’re interacting with anyone in this college.

“It’s a great place to come if you’re interested in helping people.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Ethan Simmons, email ecsimmon@illinois.edu.

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Tags: alumni, Charles Nudelman, Pasquale Bottalico

Stout Leadership

Jan. 15, 2024 | Bruce Adams

Alumna’s return to DRES provides continuity at a pivotal pointry of the article that hooks the reader

*Heather Stout returned to the University of Illinois from the School of Law at St. Louis University and has roots in Central Illinois (Photo by Ethan Simmons)*

When Disability Resources and Educational Services, better known as DRES, began advertising for a permanent director of operations in 2023, it was apparent to current employees who would be a great fit.

“Before there was ever the possibility of Heather [Stout] becoming DRES director of operations, my mentor and the first DRES director I worked for, Dr. Brad Hedrick, mentioned her as one of his respected colleagues working at a peer institution,” said Susann Sears, director of Beckwith Residential Support Services, which is affiliated with DRES and provides care for disabled students.

Stout was hired in June and officially joined DRES in August, succeeding interim Director Kim Collins, who retired at the end of June. Stout returned to DRES with established relationships in hand.

“I worked closely with Susann Sears, because she and I were in similar roles at [the University of Illinois Chicago] and Illinois, respectively,” Stout said. “Paige Lindahl-Lewis [assistant director at Beckwith] and I graduated from AHS together. Paige and I both graduated from rehab programs when I graduated from Illinois.”

Stout returned to the University of Illinois from the School of Law at St. Louis University and has roots in Central Illinois. She got her bachelor’s degree from Penn State and a master’s in rehab counseling at Illinois, interning at DRES along the way. Stout emphasized the values of continuity.

“It’s important that Illinois has some long-term staff that have historical knowledge and cultural context for DRES and our program,” she said. “In higher ed, there have been a lot of changes across universities, particularly in disability. It’s good that there has been consistency at DRES, along with some of the changes in staffing.”

Maureen Gilbert, DRES’ coordinator for the unit’s Office of Campus Life, agreed that Stout’s understanding of the university was a huge plus.

“Her familiarity with campus and DRES is helpful because she understands the impact and presence DRES has,” Gilbert said. “With Heather’s experience and knowledge base, she can advocate for a strong presence at the table, especially when the discussion involves disability and accommodations across all aspects of the campus community.”

That’s especially important because of the tremendous growth in DRES student enrollment.

Gilbert said that “in four years, our numbers have increased 33 percent. Our access specialists have caseload numbers of 600 to 700 students; we have waitlists for mental health services counseling and neuropsych testing; and our service requests for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and staff are increasing. To continue supporting students and their growing needs, increased financial resources are essential to support current and prospective staff.”

Her familiarity with campus and DRES is helpful because she understands the impact and presence DRES has.

Maureen Gilbert

DRES coordinator, Office of Campus Life

Fulfilling the DRES mission and serving increasing enrollment will require expanded facilities. To that end, Stout said a new facility is necessary. She has seen proposed building designs and said, “It is my hope that in the next five years, we can talk more about that and what we can do to make DRES and each of the departments centrally located. That’s a very thoughtful conversation we’ll need.”

Stout referenced the Center for Movement and Performance, a proposed state-of-the-art, stand-alone indoor multi-use facility for the wheelchair track and wheelchair basketball programs with enhanced strength and conditioning, equipment, sports medicine, training and meeting areas.

Adam Bleakney, renowned coach of the men’s and women’s wheelchair track and road racing teams, said, “We have a vision for a facility that is built upon the legacy pillars of our program—service, outreach, research, education and innovation—and that will allow us both room for growth and increased interdisciplinary collaboration across campus and the community.”

Although facility upgrades are high on her list of things to do, Stout acknowledged the priority is “serving the entire student.”

“We have a career services area,” she said. “We have mental health resources. One of the things I hope to expand upon is our connections with each academic department. Are we working with and partnering with them so that students are getting the accommodations that they need and each unit can work with us effectively? And are we doing what is best for graduate and professional students, as well as the faculty and administration in those programs?”

Early in her career, Stout worked as an interim coordinator/disability specialist at the University of Illinois Chicago, and worked as director of the Disability Resource Center at Purdue University.

She said Purdue’s approach to disability was “very methodical, very careful” and said Illinois had a similar approach.

“Illinois was the first model for disability resources in higher ed. It includes programs that few universities have,” Stout said. “It also has tremendous support. Being located within an academic college is a crucial connection for faculty and students. Our history is unparalleled in the U.S. and continues to include incredible resources. I hope to build upon that legacy as we look to the future and envision what DRES can be five years and 10 years from now.”

Tags: DRES, Heather Stout, Moving Forward

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