The SCOPE Speech & Hearing Clinic (SCOPE: Student Community Outreach Program of Excellence) seeks to provide exceptional patient- and family-centered care to underserved clinic populations by increasing accessibility to intervention services while simultaneously providing excellence in student clinical training through evidence-based evaluation and treatment principles, community engagement, advocacy, and scholarship.
Clinic Director
Shannon M. Theis, PhD, CCC-SLP
Audiology Coordinator
Megan Worthington, AuD, CCC-A
Clinic Coordinator
Cielo Colon
Lisa Gardner, MS, CCC-SLP
Current studies
- The Collaborative Referencing Intervention (CRI) in Aphasia: Replication and Extension of a Phase-II Treatment Study
- Principal Investigator: Suma Devanga, PhD
- Use of Technology in Speech Sound Training for Children with Cleft Lip/Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies
- Principal Investigator: Shannon M. Theis, PhD
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation Clinical Research Grant
• RUSH University College of Health Sciences Pilot Grant
• Laryngology Education Foundation Travel Grant
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation International Student Scholarship
• Foundation for Hearing and Speech Resources grant to support hearing aids and pediatric audiology services
Our tribute
Remembering Dr. Emily Wang
Emily Wang, PhD, CCC-SLP, professor emerita in the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, died on March 13, 2024. Prior to her retirement in 2023, Dr. Wang worked at RUSH for 29 years and was a close colleague and a dear friend to many in the RUSH community. As academic faculty, she trained generations of speech-language pathologists, and as a highly sought-after clinician, she provided superb clinical care to countless patients in Chicago, the United States and around the world. Her sudden death is deeply mourned by all those whose lives she had touched. Dr. Wang is survived by her husband and son.
Dr. Wang joined RUSH in 1995 shortly after completing her doctoral training at Haskins Laboratories of Yale University and the University of Connecticut. With a primary focus on adult neurogenic motor speech disorders, she taught 15 different courses in the master’s program in speech-language pathology. For her excellent teaching, she was selected to be a graduation hooder seven times by her students.
In addition to her home Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, Dr. Wang worked closely with colleagues in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, and especially in the Movement Disorders Section of the Department of Neurological Sciences. Her research on speech and swallowing disorders in Parkinson’s disease was highly recognized nationally and internationally, and was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Prior to her death, she had been serving as the co-director of the Pan American section of the Train-the-Trainer program of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
The SCOPE Clinic symbolizes a growing legacy to Dr. Wang’s vision of service, clinical excellence, intellectual achievement and dedication to improving the lives of others.
From 2017 through 2023, Dr. Wang served as the chairperson of the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, comprised of two graduate programs: Doctor of Audiology and Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. Dr. Wang also oversaw a successful national reaccreditation of both programs by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in 2022.
An exemplary teacher-practitioner with a passion and dedication for serving others, Dr. Wang had conceptualized, founded and successfully developed the SCOPE Speech and Hearing Clinic at RUSH for patients with significant barriers to accessing medical care. This pro bono clinic, which opened in May 2022, combines three components central to RUSH’s overall mission: clinical training of graduate students, community outreach and service, and clinical research. Today, the SCOPE Clinic symbolizes a growing legacy to Dr. Wang’s vision of service, clinical excellence, intellectual achievement and dedication to improving the lives of others.
To make a donation, visit rushgiving.com/scope.
To make an appointment, call (312) 563-4722 or email CDS_SCOPE@rush.edu.