Myers-Jennings Named Diversity Champion

VALDOSTA -- Dr. Corine Myers-Jennings, department head of Communication Sciences and Disorders, was named Diversity Champion for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) -- the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for speech, language, and hearing scientists and pathologists.

Myers-Jennings, who has worked at VSU for 14 years, said the award acknowledges her drive to provide services and knowledge about people of all cultures through teaching, research, recruitment and publications.

“As a professor and clinician, it is vitally important that I make students aware that they have to provide ethically appropriate services to all populations, while recognizing their own cultural/linguistic background or life experiences and that of the client/patient they serve,” said Myers-Jennings, who is in the Florence County Schools Hall of Fame for outstanding achievements and contributions to education. “So as we are training students to demonstrate what we say (in our code of ethics) with what we do.”

She has been involved in ASHA since 1978 and worked in communication sciences at the university level for 29 years. She plans to attend and present at the ASHA convention in New Orleans this year alongside a graduate student whose research thesis has been accepted as a poster session.

Myers-Jennings said her motto in life guides her passion to advance multiculturalism and encourage respect for all cultures and outlooks on life among her students.

“I live by the motto, 'Always do the best job that you can do and remember that all of your work is not in vain,'” she said. “'Continue to give to others your knowledge and skills and promote ethical practices in everything that you do.'”