Professor Dr. Julie Masterson is among a small group of individuals receiving the Honors of the Association award — the highest honor that the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) bestows. She will be recognized Nov. 13 at the annual ASHA Convention in Denver, Colorado.
About Masterson
Masterson has been an ASHA member since 1980. Throughout her career, she has focused on the design and application of computer software to support assessment and treatment for language and literacy skills.
She and her research partner, Dr. Kenn Apel of the University of South Carolina, developed a model of spelling and reading skill acquisition that highlights the roles of sound awareness, vocabulary skills and grammar knowledge. Masterson and Apel are also the authors of “Beyond Baby Talk: A Caregiver’s Guide to Language and Literacy Development” which has sold approximately 40,000 copies.
Masterson received her Ph.D. from the University of Memphis and worked at the University of Mississippi and Arizona State University before coming to Missouri State in the early 1990s. She is a professor of communication sciences and disorders (CSD), and became associate provost and dean of the Graduate College in January 2015.
She served as vice president of research for ASHA and president of the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is currently associate editor for “Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools,” a journal published by ASHA, and chairs the national advisory committee for the Central Application Service in CSD.
About the award
The Honors of the Association award recognizes individuals whose contributions have either enhanced or altered the course of the profession. Members are encouraged to nominate individuals who are well-known throughout the world for a lifetime of innovative clinical practice, insightful and rigorous research, creative administration, effective legislative activity, outstanding teaching or other distinguished professional contributions.
About ASHA
ASHA is the national professional, scientific and credentialing association for 182,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel and students.