Speech and Hearing Science Assistant professor Mariana Bahia, left, Department Head Georgia Malandraki and Clinical Associate Professor Clarion Mendes pose with the World Voice Day proclamations from Urbana and Champaign on April 16, 2026. (Photo by Ethan Simmons)
Dear colleagues, alumni, students and friends,
It has been a meaningful and energizing start to my return to campus, and I’m grateful for the warm welcome I’ve received from this community. In my first 100 days, I’ve had the opportunity to reconnect with many of you, listen carefully to your perspectives and begin advancing several initiatives that reflect both our department’s strengths and our ambitions for the future. In this issue, you’ll find a more in-depth look at that journey—what we’ve set in motion so far, and where we’re headed next.
One initiative that captures the spirit of our mission is the Rural Health and Telehealth Initiative. In collaboration with Illinois Extension partners and generous donor support, our department is working to establish rural telehealth sites in Illinois, expanding access to speech, language and hearing services for underserved communities. This effort is being led by colleagues in Speech and Hearing Science, alongside Extension, including Dan Fogerty, Raksha Mudar, Clarion Mendes, Sadie Braun and Margaret Larson, the county director for the first site. This initiative reflects the kind of interdisciplinary, community-engaged work that defines who we are.
Our faculty continue to lead in research and innovation. Brian Monson and Rohit Ananthanarayana have developed and patented a promising new algorithm designed to extract speech from noise using high-frequency signals—an advancement with significant implications for communication technologies and clinical applications. I’m also proud to share that Brian Monson has been elected as a fellow of the Acoustical Society of America, a well-deserved recognition of his contributions to the field.
We are also delighted to highlight the people who make our department thrive. This issue features a faculty spotlight on Jaime Bauer Malandraki, offering a closer look at her work and perspectives through a Q&A. You’ll also meet Stefanie Cole in our staff spotlight, recognizing her important contributions and dedication.
While it is impossible to capture all the extraordinary moments of the past 100 days in a single newsletter, a few truly stand out: celebrating our remarkable students with 33 awards alongside their families and friends; hosting a vibrant two-day SHS alumni and friends open house event where we shared our work, reconnected and envisioned the future together; and in early April, seeing our graduate programs rise to No. 11 (tied) in Speech-Language Pathology and No. 18 (tied) in Audiology in the U.S. News & World Report. These milestones speak to the momentum, excellence and spirit of our SHS community—something I am proud and inspired to witness every day.
Looking ahead, we are exploring exciting possibilities in emerging areas such as virtual reality applications for voice therapy, including ongoing efforts led by Pasquale Bottalico to secure funding and move this work forward.
Thank you for your continued engagement and support. Together, we are building on a strong foundation while embracing new opportunities to expand our impact in Illinois and beyond.
Shared values inspire innovative speech-hearing education and research
Jaime Bauer Malandraki, left, with Dean Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell, said she chose Illinois because of its culture that prioritizes inclusivity (Photo by Ethan Simmons)
When Jaime Bauer Malandraki began considering the next chapter of her career, she wasn’t simply looking for a new job. She was searching for an academic home, an institution whose values aligned with her own and where she could build innovative clinical and research programs for years to come. She found that match at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, within the Department of Speech and Hearing Science.
“As we researched Illinois, I felt strongly that the values throughout the university, college and department closely align with my own,” said Bauer Malandraki, a clinical professor in SHS. “These include a strong commitment to student success, accessibility and the importance of diverse representation at all levels.”
For Bauer Malandraki, shared values are not a talking point—they are foundational to her work as a clinical educator and researcher. She believes that being part of an institution she can take pride in is essential to fostering a healthy, productive environment. At Illinois, she saw a campuswide culture that prioritizes inclusion, transparency and growth.
That alignment was especially important as she thought about the work she wants to be doing over the next five to 10 years. A specialist in swallowing disorders and aerodigestive sciences, Bauer Malandraki envisions expanding both educational and clinical opportunities for students while deepening community engagement and research in her field.
“I believe Illinois and the Department of Speech and Hearing Science offer an ideal setting for exploring innovative ways to engage students and the community,” she said.
Clinically, she sees room to grow programming around swallowing disorders, an area of speech-language pathology that intersects with complex medical care. That growth, she says, can happen in multiple directions: expanding hands-on training, strengthening research initiatives and building broader partnerships that increase the department’s medical footprint.
She is particularly eager to collaborate with colleagues in her home department to enhance clinical training in aerodigestive sciences. But her ambitions stretch beyond departmental lines. Illinois’ breadth as a major research university creates opportunities to work across disciplines, collaborations she hopes will broaden the medical scope of speech-language pathology training on campus.
The department’s culture has reinforced her confidence that Illinois was the right choice. Bauer Malandraki describes it as collegial and supportive, with a shared focus on sustainable growth and meaningful impact.
“There is an atmosphere of positivity and potential,” she said. “It makes it exciting to be part of.”
She also points to leadership style as a distinguishing feature. Compared with previous institutions—Bauer Malandraki most recently taught at Purdue University—she finds Illinois’ leadership approachable and engaged with an emphasis on transparent communication.
“Culturally, this helps foster a sense that we’re all in this together,” she said. That sense of shared purpose resonates deeply with her, particularly during what she describes as a time of transition and reimagining in higher education.
Innovation in teaching is another draw. Bauer Malandraki is eager to experiment with new ways of preparing graduate students for careers in medical speech-language pathology. While traditional hands-on clinical experiences in swallowing disorders remain central, she is interested in incorporating telehealth applications and simulated or virtual reality clinical experiences to expand access and deepen training.
“It’s important that we train excellent clinicians but it’s equally important that we equip them with the tools to sustain themselves in demanding professions.”
Jaime Bauer Malandraki
Clinical Professor, SHS
She also brings a strong commitment to the mental health and well-being of helping professionals. In addition to her clinical specialty, she hopes to develop an undergraduate course focused on preparing students from multiple disciplines to maintain personal and professional well-being while working in patient-facing roles.
“It’s important that we train excellent clinicians,” she said, “but it’s equally important that we equip them with the tools to sustain themselves in demanding professions.”
Her transition to campus has been marked by a warm welcome. Faculty and staff in the department, along with college leadership, made her feel valued from the interview process onward. Graduate students have also played a significant role.
“They are passionate about their academic studies and clinical training,” she said. “They’re eager to see the department grow further in the medical space, which has been wonderful to observe.”
Outside the classroom and clinic, Bauer Malandraki has embraced her new home in Champaign-Urbana. She and her family found what she describes as a great house in a welcoming neighborhood, and she appreciates the community’s inclusive culture.
A self-described “bookstore nerd,” she quickly discovered The Literary in downtown Champaign, praising its curated collection and inviting vibe. She also loves being in nature and has found solace in walks at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve in Mahomet.
Like any major move, the transition came with challenges. The hardest part, she said, was the physical relocation and the process of establishing new routines. She relies heavily on daily structure for focus and productivity. Yet she also thrives on change.
“Overall, the adjustment has been a good challenge,” she said.
As she looks ahead to her first full year, Bauer Malandraki is eager to immerse herself in the daily life of the department and college, exploring ways she can contribute beyond her immediate responsibilities. As a specialized faculty member and the proud daughter of a Teamster, she is also interested in becoming involved with the Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition, underscoring her longstanding commitment to advocacy and professional equity.
Ultimately, Bauer Malandraki’s decision to join Illinois reflects more than a professional calculation. It represents a convergence of values, opportunity and vision. In the Department of Speech and Hearing Science, she sees a place where innovative clinical education, interdisciplinary research and a culture of shared purpose can come together—advancing not only her own career, but the future of the field she is passionate about.
The Office of Recreation and Park Resources is making tangible impacts for communities and nonprofits
The ORPR team has worked with more than 20 community and nonprofit organizations on facility planning, capacity building and more methods of improving residents health and quality of life, writes Director Laura Payne. (Photo provided)
On any given day, a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign might be found leading a focus group in a small Illinois town, presenting data to local officials or helping design the future of a community park. It’s not a simulation—it’s real work with real impact, made possible by the Office of Recreation and Park Resources.
Since its founding in the mid-1960s by Joseph Bannon, Ph.D., ORPR—which is affiliated with the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism in the College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois—has been guided by a simple but powerful vision: connect research to real-world practice while strengthening communities through parks and recreation. Decades later, that vision is not only alive: it’s expanding to enhance ORPR’s reach and impacts.
In recent years, ORPR has worked with more than 20 community and nonprofit organizations, helping them tackle challenges ranging from facility planning to capacity building toward helping communities enhance their health and quality of life for their residents. At the heart of this work is a commitment to service, education and collaboration.
“We take our lead from the communities, as they are experts of their own communities and we partner with them on their projects,” said Laura Payne, director of ORPR. “Students gain hands-on experience while helping organizations make meaningful, data-informed decisions.”
That hands-on experience is transformative. Students don’t just learn theory; they conduct focus groups, analyze survey data and present recommendations to real clients. For many, it becomes a defining part of their professional journey.
“The experience I gained with ORPR helped my application stand out,” said Aaron Hoyle-Katz, a recent master’s graduate who secured a park planner position with the Champaign County Forest Preserve District. “I wasn’t just learning about planning—I was doing it.”
ORPR’s impact extends far beyond the classroom. In Naperville, a needs assessment conducted by ORPR revealed strong demand for a multipurpose recreation facility—insight that guided efforts to secure funding for a new community activity center and to acquire additional land to preserve, restore and maintain parks and extend multiuse trails. In the village of Brookfield, feasibility studies are shaping the future of local multipurpose community recreation spaces.
A rendering of the Naperville park district’s multipurpose facility, born of a needs assessment by ORPR. (Photo provided)
Perhaps one of the most compelling examples comes from the village of Crete. There, ORPR partnered with multiple municipal agencies to conduct a comprehensive community needs assessment. Through shared planning workshop sessions, the Park District, Library District, Village and Township aligned around common goals.
The results were tangible. Community feedback highlighted priorities such as expanded bike infrastructure, more youth and adult programming and the need for a central gathering space. Since the project concluded, Crete has already acted, purchasing and transforming a building into a community center.
For students, projects such as these often evolve into deeper research opportunities. Hoyle-Katz, for example, conducted his thesis research on trail development in Crete, uncovering both community concerns and opportunities for collaboration. Another graduate student, Ryan McGrath, partnered with the Illinois Park and Recreation Association to study how agencies responded to the COVID-19 pandemic—work that now helps guide future resilience planning.
ORPR’s reach also extends into the classroom. Through partnerships with courses such as the Community and Open Space Design Studio in the Department of Landscape Architecture, students collaborate directly with municipalities such as Rock Island, helping reimagine parks such as Mel McKay Park while gaining invaluable design and planning experience.
Looking ahead, ORPR continues to push the boundaries of research and practice. In collaboration with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the team is assessing research on the economic, social and health outcomes of trails to assist in developing an impact calculator that will help communities demonstrate the return on investment in multiuse trails. They are also working on initiatives to position parks and trails as solutions to social isolation and loneliness.
At its core, ORPR is more than a program—it’s a bridge. Between students, educators and professionals. Between research, education and real-world application. And between communities and the resources they need to thrive.
When students leave here, they’re not just prepared—they’re experienced. And the organizations they serve professionally and communities we work with are stronger because of it.
Virtual reality helps “bridge the gap” between lab environments and the real world
To simulate classrooms, performance halls and other indoor environments, the Speech Accommodation to Acoustics Lab uses virtual reality and “auralization” techniques in controlled settings. (Photo provided)
At the Speech Accommodation to Acoustics Lab, researchers are trying to solve a common problem for teachers and vocal performers. How can they be heard and understood without straining their voices?
Pasquale Bottalico, associate professor of speech and hearing science, runs the Speech Accommodation to Acoustics Lab, which investigates the acoustical conditions of rooms—classes, restaurants and concert halls alike—that lend themselves to intelligible speech with minimal vocal effort from the speakers.
Over the last 5 years, the lab’s research has steered toward virtual reality and auralization, a technique to replicate the sound conditions of different spaces, to simulate these indoor conditions and make their studies more applicable to real-life scenarios. Here, Bottalico expands on his SpAA Lab’s recent projects and VR experiments.
When did your lab begin using virtual reality? What compelled you about this type of technology for your area of research?
Our lab began working with virtual reality (VR) in 2020 as part of our broader research on how acoustic environments influence voice production and communication. In many traditional speech and voice studies, experiments are conducted in quiet laboratory settings that do not fully represent the complex environments people encounter in everyday life.
VR provides a powerful way to bridge that gap. It allows us to recreate realistic environments—such as classrooms, concert halls, or social settings—while still maintaining precise experimental control. For example, VR makes it possible to manipulate room acoustics, background noise and visual cues independently and observe how speakers adapt their voice. Research has shown that both auditory and visual environmental information can influence voice production and perception, highlighting the importance of studying communication in multisensory contexts rather than purely auditory ones.
For virtual reality studies you’ve worked on, could you describe what these experiences look, feel, and sound like for participants?
Participants wear a virtual reality headset and headphones that immerse them in a simulated environment. For example, someone might find themselves standing in a classroom, a concert hall or a restaurant while speaking or singing. The visual environment allows them to look around the space, while spatialized audio reproduces how their voice would sound in that particular room.
This means participants hear realistic acoustic effects such as reverberation, reflections and background noise. Studies using these methods have shown that speakers and singers naturally adjust their vocal production depending on the acoustic properties of the environment, even when those environments are simulated.
What equipment or tools do you use to simulate these experiences?
To create these simulations, we combine several technologies.
Participants typically use a VR headset for the visual environment and high-quality headphones to deliver spatial audio that reproduces realistic room acoustics.
Behind the scenes, we use auralization techniques, which allow us to simulate how sound propagates in real spaces such as classrooms, concert halls or lecture halls. We use real measurements to simulate the acoustics of the environments, like a University of Illinois classroom, or venues at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
Microphones and acoustic analysis tools are also used to measure vocal parameters such as sound pressure level, pitch, and vocal effort while participants interact with the virtual environment.
Because virtual reality can replicate the sensory conditions of real communication environments, it may help improve the transfer of therapeutic strategies from the clinic to everyday life.
Pasquale Bottalico
Associate Professor Speech and Hearing Science
Tell us more about VR as a training or therapy tool. How might virtual reality benefit professional voice users and individuals with voice disorders?
VR has enormous potential as a training and therapy tool, especially for professional voice users such as teachers, singers and public speakers. These individuals often need to communicate in demanding environments for long periods of time, which can lead to vocal fatigue or voice disorders.
One challenge in voice therapy is that exercises performed in a quiet clinic may not transfer easily to real-life environments. VR can help address this problem by allowing people to practice communication in realistic scenarios—such as teaching in a noisy classroom or speaking in a crowded social setting—while still being in a safe and controlled therapeutic environment.
Because VR can replicate the sensory conditions of real communication environments, it may help improve the transfer of therapeutic strategies from the clinic to everyday life.
What are some examples of virtual reality studies you’ve performed? What did you learn?
Our lab has been exploring VR applications for voice and speech research through several projects and doctoral dissertations.
For example, the doctoral work of Charles Nudelman, Ph.D., supported by the Raymond H. Stetson Scholarship, examined how visual aspects of an environment—such as room size and occupancy—affect voice production using immersive virtual reality. His research demonstrated that visual characteristics of a room can influence acoustic voice parameters and self-perceived vocal fatigue and discomfort, highlighting the importance of visual cues in voice production.
Similarly, the doctoral research of Ümit Daşdöğen (now at CSD University of Delaware), funded through an NIH R21 grant, investigated how auditory, visual and audiovisual sensory inputs influence voice perception and production in immersive VR environments. This work showed that multisensory factors can significantly affect vocal loudness, vocal effort, and acoustic voice parameters, helping establish a scientific foundation for the use of VR in voice training and therapy.
Another related project is the doctoral research of Carly Wingfield at the Illinois School of Music in collaboration with Professor Yvonne Gonzales Redman, which was supported by the prestigious Kate Neal Kinley Fellowship. Her work explored the use of VR simulations to help singers rehearse in virtual replicas of performance venues. The results suggested that practicing in VR environments allowed singers to better adapt to the acoustics of the real performance space and feel more confident when performing in unfamiliar venues.
We also currently have a new project underway in the lab focusing on virtual reality–based voice therapy and communication training. This study involves Giulia Fusari, a visiting scholar from the Politecnico di Milano, and Mariah Bates, a master’s student in Health Technology at the University of Illinois completing her capstone project with our lab.
The project is developing a human-centered VR platform designed to simulate realistic conversational environments, such as social interactions in restaurants or other everyday communication settings. Participants complete weekly sessions over several weeks, and we evaluate usability, communication effort, realism of the environment and overall user experience. The goal is to better understand how immersive environments can support communication training and voice therapy in ecologically valid contexts.
In future developments, these types of VR environments could also be adapted to support individuals with neurological conditions that affect speech and voice, such as Parkinson’s disease, where patients often struggle to generalize speech therapy skills from the clinic to real-world communication settings.
If there are studies open to participants, how can they reach out?
Individuals interested in participating in research studies in our lab can contact us directly at pb81@illinois.edu. We regularly recruit participants for studies involving speech perception, voice production and immersive communication environments.
Editor’s note:
To learn more about the Speech Accommodation to Acoustics Lab, visit their website.
AI could revolutionize disease prevention—but flawed data could deepen health inequalities
Bruno Nunes is trained as an epidemiologist. Now he studies how machine learning can lead to better health outcomes at the population level. (Photo by Ethan Simmons)
In the view of University of Illinois public health researcher Bruno Nunes, artificial intelligence shapes up as a potent tool to predict and prevent public health problems, such as chronic diseases.
But before AI-powered models are deployed in public health settings, they must be trained on richer data sets so they don’t amplify inequalities that exist in our healthcare system and society.
“To reach this future, we need to have better data to develop these models,” said Nunes, associate professor at the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the College of Applied Health Sciences. “Machine learning is a data learning process. It’s not just about using the fanciest algorithm—the problem is if you don’t have good data, you won’t have a good model.”
Trained as an epidemiologist, Nunes is focused on public health strategies: how to prevent chronic disease and promote positive health outcomes at the population level, in some cases before people visit the doctor’s office.
Artificial intelligence is already widely deployed in healthcare settings to better diagnose patients, especially reading medical imagery like X-rays, MRIs and CT scans.
With machine learning’s superior ability to detect patterns using huge tranches of data, Nunes envisions a future where models can accurately predict the risks of developing chronic diseases and allow populations to intervene earlier than before.
Part of this, Nunes argues, is AI may help us untangle “multimorbidity.” Many healthcare patients show up to the doctor’s office with two or more diseases, such as hypertension combined with diabetes or high cholesterol, which complicates management and quality of life.
“Our health system and services are tailored to one disease. But in most cases, especially when talking about populational aging, most people are presenting different diseases at the same time,” Nunes said. “And the worst part of that is when we aren’t able to manage this patient well because they have such complex conditions and interactions.”
His recent research has tested machine learning models on their ability to predict real-world outcomes. One recent study showed that machine learning models can predict a population’s dental service usage with solid accuracy but show poorer results with certain demographic subgroups.
Machine learning is a data learning process. It’s not just about using the fanciest algorithm—the problem is if you don’t have good data, you won’t have a good model.
Bruno Nunes
HK Associate Professor
Nunes collaborated on a study that used an AI model to predict dental service use for adults in Southern Brazil. The model used 47 different characteristics—sociodemographic data, behavioral traits and oral and general health markers—to predict whether participants went to the dentist in the past year from a cohort study in Pelotas.
Though the machine learning model’s predictions were largely accurate, it performed significantly worse across the board for mixed-race individuals in the study compared to Black and white participants, making the model unsuitable for real-world implementation in its current form.
“None of the models are perfect: they present an error rate, and we need to deal with it,” Nunes said. “But if this error rate is higher for a subgroup of the population, the subgroup may be under- or over-diagnosed.
“If the model is not so good for people who already present with historical inequalities in the health system, the model can amplify these inequalities instead of decrease them.”
Nunes tries to teach his students to frame the right questions in his new class, Artificial Intelligence in Public Health, which debuted in fall 2026 in HK.
Through critical discussions, he hopes to get students to think more about how “AI can fit into the big picture of public health,” and construct their own models around the right questions.
“In most cases we tend to develop models for disease-related consequences or for problems which we already have an effective public health strategy, for example—but what if we could create equitable models to predict the problems in advance or issues without scalable solutions?” Nunes said.
“You can’t just press a button to develop a machine learning model. You must have prior knowledge of the topic, skills and abilities to interpret the model considering public health principles. How can it be useful to solve the disease burden at the population level?”
SHS Department head thanks her parents and mentors for helping reach a career milestone
Georgia Malandraki, center, called the professorship a milestone and a homecoming (Photo by Mike Heiniger)
The investiture of Georgia Malandraki as the Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor of Applied Health Sciences was, in many ways, a story about roots and the far-reaching branches they sustain.
Held at Huff Hall, the ceremony brought together university leaders—such as Provost John Coleman—faculty, family, mentors and donors to celebrate Malandraki’s appointment to one of the college’s most prestigious endowed positions. The event underscored both her global impact as a scientist and clinician and the philanthropic vision that made the professorship possible.
“This is a special occasion, not only for our college and university, but for the broader community,” said Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell, dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences. She described endowed professorships as among the most meaningful traditions in academia, recognizing excellence while enabling innovation through donor support.
The professorship is funded by Shahid Khan and Ann Carlson Khan, whose longstanding ties to the university date back to their time as students. Their contributions span multiple colleges and initiatives, including major investments in facilities, academic programs and community outreach.
Shahid “Shad” Khan, who arrived in the United States from Pakistan to study industrial engineering, built a business empire after purchasing automotive supplier Flex-N-Gate. Ann Carlson Khan, who studied business at Illinois, later turned her focus to philanthropy, helping guide the family’s charitable efforts through the Khan Foundation. Together, they have supported causes ranging from education and the arts to healthcare and community development.
“It’s absolutely a joy and a privilege to be here … and all the ideas and thoughts we’ve had (and) what we wanted to do here, and it’s wonderful to see it come to life,” Shad Khan said.
Their gift establishing the Khan Professorship reflects a commitment to advancing research and leadership in applied health sciences. “Because of you, we are able to support leaders like Dr. Malandraki, whose work is improving lives across the globe,” Hanley-Maxwell said.
For Malandraki, the honor marks both a professional milestone and a personal homecoming.
An internationally recognized expert in swallowing disorders, she returned in January to her alma mater, Illinois, as head of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science after building a distinguished career at Purdue University. There, she led pioneering work in the Imaging, Evaluation, and Treatment of Swallowing Research Laboratory and Clinic, advancing understanding of how the brain controls swallowing and developing new approaches to rehabilitation.
Her research—supported by the National Institutes of Health and other major funders—has explored cutting-edge interventions, including telehealth and wearable technologies designed to expand access to care. Her work has earned numerous accolades, including the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Early Career Contributions in Research Award and designation as an ASHA Fellow.
Yet in her remarks, Malandraki focused less on accolades and more on the journey that led her to the moment.
“I’m profoundly humble to be given this distinguished honor and opportunity,” she said.
Born and raised in Crete, Greece, Malandraki is a first-generation college student whose path to academia was shaped by family, perseverance and early exposure to the transformative power of education. She recalled leaving Greece in 2002 for the United States with a book gifted by her sister, containing a handwritten Cretan poetic verse (mantinada) that would come to define her outlook: “Tree branches must never forget their roots, for when the roots run dry, the branches wither, too.”
Those roots, she said, began with her parents, Maria and Andreas Malandrakis, who never had the chance to attend college but insisted their children would. Education was not optional in their household; it was woven into daily life.
“My earliest memories are of our family gathered around the kitchen table, everyone studying,” she said. “Reading and education were simply part of daily life. My mother survived World War II as a child. (My parents) raised six children, and I was, believe it or not, the sixth. My mother often joked that raising me felt like raising six more all at once. Despite the issues they faced, including raising me, there was never any debate in our home. Their children would have the opportunities today they themselves did not.”
Tree branches must never forget their roots, for when the roots run dry, the branches wither, too.
Georgia Malandraki
SHS Department Head and Professor
Another formative influence was her nephew, Telemachus, who was born when she was 10 years old. Telemachus was diagnosed with autism at a time when speech and support services were scarce. Watching her family navigate those challenges helped shape her decision to pursue speech and language therapy, first in Greece and later in the United States.
“Growing up alongside Telemachus, I witnessed firsthand both his challenges and my family’s determination to support him, an experience that profoundly shaped my career path,” she said.
She earned her bachelor’s degree at the Technological Educational Institute of Patras, followed by a master’s degree from Ohio University and a doctorate from Illinois, making her return to campus especially meaningful.
“This moment is a full circle,” Hanley-Maxwell noted in introducing Malandraki.
Colleagues describe Malandraki as a leader who blends rigorous science with compassion and mentorship. Beyond her research achievements, she has served in key leadership roles, including as president of the Dysphagia Research Society, and is widely recognized for her commitment to evidence-based care and collaborative scholarship.
In accepting the professorship, Malandraki emphasized gratitude and responsibility.
“I accept the Khan Professorship with humility, gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility,” she said. “To my family, mentors, trainees, collaborators and colleagues, thank you for being my roots, my support system and my inspiration.”
Kim Graber, left, Georgia Malandraki, center, and Wendy Rogers, far right, are the three Khan Professors of Applied Health Sciences, as endowed by Shahid Khan, right. (Photo by Mike Heiniger)
She framed the honor not as an endpoint, but as a platform for continued impact, particularly in improving access to care and advancing research that bridges science and clinical practice.
“May our work continue to grow strong branches, deeply rooted in those who came before us, and reaching ever higher toward a future that improves lives,” she said.
The ceremony concluded with closing remarks from Hanley-Maxwell, who highlighted the collective effort behind the achievement, from donors and university leadership to colleagues and family members.
“Dr. Malandraki, congratulations once again,” she said. “We are proud to celebrate your achievements and excited for the impact you will continue to make as the Khan Professor.”
As attendees gathered for a reception following the ceremony, the significance of the moment lingered, not just as a celebration of one scholar’s accomplishments, but as a testament to the interplay of opportunity, philanthropy and purpose.
In the language of Malandraki’s sister’s verse, the investiture honored both the strength of the roots and the promise of the branches yet to grow.
Faculty members in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science brought “World Voice Day” to both cities and the University of Illinois.
Our vocal folds are roughly the length of our thumbnail, and yet they enable us to speak, sing, laugh and share our favorite stories.
On April 16, the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana—home to the University of Illinois—will recognize World Voice Day, an international celebration of the human voice that shines a spotlight on vocal health.
Behind the scenes, both proclamations were driven by clinicians and instructors at the Department of Speech and Hearing Science, based in the College of Applied Health Sciences.
“We wanted to bring World Voice Day to both Champaign and Urbana to raise awareness at the community level and emphasize that voice health is relevant to everyone, not just professionals or individuals already seeking care,” said Mariana Mendes Bahia, assistant professor of speech and hearing science. “Voice disorders can affect anyone in our community, and recognizing this day at the city level helps extend awareness beyond the clinic or classroom.”
Bahia was inspired by the advocacy of Dysphonia International, an association that supports people with voice disorders. Clarion Mendes, clinical associate professor at SHS, encouraged her to get the day recognized locally. The Department of SHS and officials from both cities were fully supportive.
Champaign city council member Matt Gladney reads the World Voice Day proclamation for the city, with Speech and Hearing Science students and faculty in attendance. (Jeff Hamilton | City of Champaign)
On Tuesday, April 14, Champaign city council member Matthew Gladney read the World Voice Day proclamation in the city council chambers, with Speech and Hearing Science faculty and students present.
On Thursday, April 16, at 11:15 a.m., Urbana city council member James Quisenberry will come to the Speech and Hearing Science building to proclaim World Voice Day for Urbana, with the whole department in attendance.
A wide range of professions rely on the voice—not just performers. Actors, singers and broadcasters may come to mind, but retail workers, healthcare providers and teachers also lean on their vocal ability and presence every day at work.
Mariana Mendes Bahia outside the Speech and Hearing Science Building. (Photo by Ethan Simmons | Applied Health Sciences)
And for reasons that aren’t fully understood, the rate of voice disorders appears to be rising in the United States, Mendes said. An estimated 17.9 million adults in the U.S. reportedly experienced a problem with their voice in the last year, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
“I think of individuals who may not realize the demands they place on their voice, and individuals experiencing voice disorders, for whom communication becomes effortful, limited or even distressing,” said Bahia, who researches swallowing disorders, clinically known as dysphagia.
To Mendes, World Voice Day is an “extraordinary confluence of art and science,” exciting her students about anatomy and physiology, while showcasing an important part of the speech-language pathology vocation: outreach, education and illness prevention.
“This day is a reminder that even if we studied and analyzed the voice 24/7, mysteries would still abound, and sometimes we can benefit from taking a pause and simply enjoy the wonder that is the human voice and its capacity for moving us through song or story,” Mendes said. “The Department of Speech and Hearing Science has a legacy of championing the human voice, and it’s incredible to share this with our students and the public.”
Undergraduate and graduate students in Speech and Hearing Science helped develop educational materials for World Voice Day; explainers on how to protect the voice and when to seek medical attention.
“Our goal is for individuals to better understand how their voice works, recognize early signs of potential problems, and adopt simple habits to protect their voice,” Bahia said. “We also hope these events encourage people to seek care when needed and to view voice health as an important part of overall well-being.”
The Department of Speech and Hearing Science will celebrate “World Voice Day” on Thursday, April 16, at 11:15 a.m. at the Speech and Hearing Science Building.
Recognized by the Office of the Provost: Speech and Hearing Science Associate Professor Mary Flaherty and Health and Kinesiology Instructor Christy Bazan
SHS Associate Professor Mary Flaherty (left) and HK Adjunct Instructor Christy Bazan were recognized for excellence in instruction.
Every year, the University of Illinois Office of the Provost recognizes faculty members for excellence in instruction, who are nominated by committees of faculty, staff and students at each college.
This year, two Applied Health Sciences faculty members won campus awards for their teaching and mentorship in the classroom: Speech and Hearing Science Associate Professor Mary Flaherty won for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, and Health and Kinesiology Adjunct Instructor Christy Bazan won for Excellence in Online Teaching.
Both instructors will be recognized at the university’s Celebration of Academic Excellence on Wednesday, March 25, at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
On top of mentoring student researchers through her Child Speech Research Lab, Flaherty teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in Speech and Hearing Science, such as SHS 358: Understanding Research Methods in Communications Sciences and Disorders and SHS 352: Hearing Health and Society, along with advanced SHS 552: Pediatric Audiology and SHS 570: Evidence-Based Practice for SLPs and AuDs.
Bazan, a licensed environmental health practitioner, teaches several community health-oriented classes in the college and Department of Health and Kinesiology, including AHS 199: Applied Data Solutions in Health Sciences, HK 204: Drug Use and Misuse—a subject she co-authored a book on—HK 207: Introduction to Epidemiology and HK 408: Environmental Health.
The College of Applied Health Sciences asked them about what this recognition means to them, and what they’d like to say to students past and present.
What does this recognition mean to you?
Bazan: I am honored and grateful to receive this online teaching award. With support from AHS and my colleagues, many doors were opened to me that allowed me to grow in teaching in online environments. From course redesign, Open Education development, video recoding lectures and developing online content, I have placed emphasis in my courses that shows how important it is to ensure students learn and have experiences just like they might when taking an in-person course.
Flaherty: This recognition means a great deal to me because my undergraduate teaching is centered on helping students learn how to evaluate information responsibly and use evidence thoughtfully in real-world decisions. Many students encounter an overwhelming amount of health and science information online, and a core goal of my teaching is to help them distinguish credible evidence from oversimplified or misleading claims. I aim to make research feel accessible and relevant, while also supporting students as individuals through structure, feedback, and mentorship. Being recognized for this work affirms the importance of teaching students not just what to learn, but how to think, question and apply evidence with care.
Anything you’d like to say to past and current students?
Bazan: My goal as an educator is to cultivate learners who are critical thinkers, empathetic communicators and lifelong learners. I want students to leave my courses not only with knowledge of content but with the confidence and tools to apply that knowledge ethically and creatively in their own lives and in their own communities. Keep learning, learn things in new ways, connect with your professor and your peers in your online classes and engage thoughtfully in an increasingly interconnected world.
Flaherty: This award belongs to my students. I love teaching, and I care deeply about undergraduates and their growth, both inside and outside the classroom. My students show up with curiosity, honesty and a willingness to engage deeply, and they continually remind me why this work matters. Their questions, perspectives and trust shape how I teach, and their commitment to learning pushes me to be a better instructor every year. I am grateful to every student who has shared their time, effort and openness with me. This recognition reflects what we have built together.
CAHME Announces the Initial Accreditation of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Master of Health Administration
Lynne Barnes is director of the MHA program and a longtime healthcare executive.
The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) Board of Directors approved the initial accreditation of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Applied Health Sciences’ Master of Health Administration for a four-year term.
The accreditation affirms that the Illinois MHA program meets CAHME’s high standards for healthcare management education and demonstrates a strong commitment to academic excellence, professional preparation and continuous improvement.
“We are pleased to have the recognition of the premier accrediting body for master’s degrees in health administration,” said Lynne Barnes, clinical professor and director of the MHA program and a longtime healthcare administrator. “The requirements are rigorous and further strengthen the quality of education and number of opportunities that we are providing for our students. This distinction will allow us to continue to attract top students from across the country and internationally.”
The four-year term of accreditation marks a significant milestone for the Illinois MHA program and reinforces its commitment to educating the next generation of healthcare leaders. An online MHA degree program will launch in 2026, along with several graduate certificates that will enhance specialized training in the field.
Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell, dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences—where the MHA program is housed in the Department of Health and Kinesiology—emphasized the significance of the milestone for the university and its students.
“This accreditation reflects the dedication and collaboration of our faculty and staff in building a curriculum that prepares graduates to become highly effective healthcare management professionals,” Hanley-Maxwell said. “Our mission is to equip students with the leadership skills, analytical expertise, and ethical foundation necessary to improve healthcare delivery systems and advance health outcomes in Illinois and beyond.”
CAHME accreditation is widely recognized as the benchmark of quality in graduate healthcare management education. Programs that earn accreditation undergo an extensive self-study process and peer review to ensure alignment with standards designed to prepare graduates for leadership roles in healthcare organizations.
“CAHME’s mission is to advance the quality of healthcare management education,” said Al Faber, interim president and CEO of CAHME. “CAHME-accredited programs have successfully navigated a complex and careful accreditation process managed by experts in the study and practice of healthcare management. The program meets the rigorous standards set by leading academicians and practitioners who are experts in their fields.”
“I welcome perspectives from everyone (…) because the future we create together will be stronger for it.“
Georgia Malandraki, professor and department head of Speech and Hearing Science, has begun her second month as department head. (Ethan Simmons/College of AHS)
Dear Speech and Hearing Science community,
It is with pride and a deep sense of responsibility that I begin my role as Head of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science. Returning to Illinois, where I completed my Ph.D. and where many of our distinguished faculty shaped my early career, feels like coming home. It is both humbling and exciting to now have the opportunity to give back to the community that supported me from the start.
Over the past several months, I have begun to learn the many stories, strengths, and aspirations that make SHS such a vibrant community. Every conversation with faculty, staff, and students has reminded me of something I have known since I was a student here: SHS is a community where excellence and compassion go hand in hand, and where people genuinely care about making an impact. I am grateful to join you as we continue building on that foundation together.
I am thankful to be joining the department at a time of remarkable momentum, built under the leadership of former Head and Professor Pamela Hadley and Dean Cheryl Hanley Maxwell. The shared governance model, the selfless and dedicated service of faculty, the collective passion for impactful research and clinical training, and the strong commitment to inclusion that I have witnessed during this transition are outstanding.
Equally impressive is the work ethic and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students, clear indicators of the remarkable potential ahead. Importantly, the support and enriching environment provided by the College of Applied Health Sciences and the University as a whole foster collaboration, innovation, and sustained excellence, creating the conditions for SHS to grow and continue its legacy as one of the leading departments in the state and the country.
As we look toward the future, I see a department that not only sustains this legacy but continues to grow its reach locally, nationally, and globally. Together, we will focus on our shared goals:
Strengthening our position as a global leader in research and clinical training in communication sciences and disorders
Empowering students through exceptional and forward-thinking education
Expanding our engagement with communities and partners who rely on our expertise
Growing the resources and support needed to enhance discovery, education, and service
These are meaningful goals, and I am confident we can achieve them. The talent, commitment, and heart I see within SHS are truly remarkable.
In the coming months, I look forward to hearing your ideas, learning from your experiences, and working with you to shape the next chapter of SHS. I welcome perspectives from everyone—students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends—because the future we create together will be stronger for it.
Thank you for the very warm welcome. I am inspired by this department, energized by its potential, and honored to walk forward with you.
With warmest regards, Georgia A. Malandraki, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-S, ASHA Fellow Professor and Head
