Christine (Chris) M. Carmichael, PhD, CCC-SLP
Professor of Communication Disorders
Woolfolk School Director
Harry Jersig Center, Room 121
210-528-7067
ccarmichael@ollusa.edu
Areas of Expertise
I am Director of the Woolfolk School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Our Lady of the Lake University (ş«ąúAV). I am a Full (Tenured) Professor, Graduate Programs and Admissions Director, and Director of the Voice and Swallowing Clinic and Lab in the Harry Jersig Speech-Language-Hearing Center. I earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the University of Central Florida, and PhD at the University of Florida. I have served ş«ąúAV since 2008.
I specialize in and teach voice disorders and dysphagia. I maintain an active laboratory investigating neuromuscular electrical stimulation, myofascial release, respiratory dysfunction and respiratory training related to voice and swallowing deficits in neurogenic and COVID-19 populations. I also treat clinical voice and swallowing disorders.
I serve on state and national committees, editorial boards, and as reviewer for national journals and publishers. I have several grants and publications, and have presented at numerous local, state, national, and international conferences.
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching is a process of instilling the concepts and necessary skills for life-long learning. Standards of excellence—high, yet attainable—are used to facilitate optimal student learning experiences. In teaching, my overarching goal is to develop a student-centered environment. I endeavor to make my classroom an arena for students to learn skills and demonstrate outcomes in speech pathology using the latest evidence-based techniques and instrumentation/technology. This involves cycles of gaining and applying knowledge, discarding out-of-date information, and gaining new information that builds upon and updates previous knowledge. The process of learning, unlearning, and relearning is an essential aspect of personal growth and professional development. Alvin Toffler, futurist in the 1970’s, and author of the classic Future Shock, said it best: "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
Outside Interests
Outside of the university, I serve and support animal rescues, food drives and food pantries, external scholarship funds, and national organizations such as the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association. I enjoy do-it-yourself projects, cooking, and beach time.
Certifications and Professional Memberships
- License, Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC)-American Speech-Language Association # 12081083
- License, Speech-Language Pathologist, Texas #106000
- ASHA Special Interest Group (SIG) 03 Voice and Upper Airway Disorders
- ASHA Special Interest Group (SIG) 10 Issues in Higher Education
- ASHA Special Interest Group (SIG) 11 Administration and Supervision
- ASHA Special Interest Group (SIG) 13 Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders
- Texas Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (TSHA)
- Ampcare ESP (Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation), Certified Researcher/Clinician, 2018-present
- Myofascial Release, Certified Clinician, 2013-present
- VitalStim by Chattanooga Group (Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation), Certified Researcher, 2005-present
- Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT), Certified Clinician, 2002-present
Awards
- Hearst 2023 Research Award for TSHA Conference presentation, “Dysphagia in Long COVID”
- ASHA 2022-2025 Award for Continuing Education (ACE)
- Hearst 2022 Research Award for CAPCSD Conference presentation, “Problem Solving Information Exchange: Interviewing Processes for Facilitating Holistic Admissions in Graduate Programs”
- Carmichael, C.M. “Expiratory muscle strength training post COVID-19” (2021). Our Lady of the Lake University Faculty Research Grant.
- ASHA 2019-2021 Award for Continuing Education (ACE)
- Hearst 2020 Research Award for ATIA conference presentation, “Delayed Auditory Feedback: What Do We Know?”
- 2018 Virginia A. Lindskog Endowed Clinical Service Award-Harry Jersig Center
- Carmichael, C.M. “Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for dysphagia in Parkinson’s disease” (2017). Our Lady of the Lake University Faculty Research Grant.
Education
- PhD - Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Florida
- Master of Arts - Communicative Disorders, University of Central Florida
- Bachelor of Arts - Communicative Disorders, University of Central Florida