Published on July 31, 2020 by Sara Roman  
Koch ASHA
Carol Koch, Samford University Communication Sciences and Disorders professor and masters of Speech Language Pathology program director, has been named a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Fellowship is retained for life and is one of the highest honors ASHA bestows.
 
Fellowship recognizes outstanding professional or scientific achievement; selection is extremely rigorous and competitive. Koch was one of just twenty communication sciences and disorders professionals selected for fellowship this year.
 
“It is an immense honor to be selected as an ASHA Fellow. The class of 2020 initiates are extremely impressive and highly regarded members of our profession; I am humbled to have been selected among them,” said Koch. “I am incredibly grateful to serve the speech-language-hearing community and to prepare the next generation of communication sciences and disorders professionals.”
 
Koch was nominated for selection by Samford University Communication Sciences and Disorders department chair Margaret Johnson. Johnson was elected as an ASHA fellow in 2012.
 
Koch Teaching Students in ClassroomKoch has served the communication sciences and disorders profession through higher education for 15 years and she has served clinically for more than 30 years. Her clinical, teaching and research interests include: pediatric speech sound acquisition and speech sound disorders, assessment and intervention for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, family and sibling experiences with a child who has special needs, early intervention, trauma-informed care, and clinical education/supervision. She recently published a textbook on assessment and intervention for pediatric speech sound disorders in addition to her numerous professional publication and presentation contributions. 
 
ASHA is the national professional, scientific and credentialing association for 211,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students. The organization seeks to empower and support audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists through advanced science, setting standards, fostering excellence in professional practice and advocating for members and those they serve.
 
The full list of 2020 ASHA award recipients can be viewed here.
 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.