Contact Information
Dr. Jack Pickering & Dr. David Debonis
Department Chairs
School of Education
1009 Madison Avenue
Albany, NY 12203
Communication Sciences & Disorders Faculty
Meet Our Team
Experienced, knowledgeable practitioners with a passion for teaching
Our CSD faculty combine cutting-edge theory with hands-on practice to provide you with a rich, fulfilling learning experience. While they’re experts in the field, they’re also approachable, sympathetic, and dedicated to helping you achieve your goals.
Dana Ardovini
Winkler Center Clinical Supervisor
Katelynn Carroll
Instructor/Winkler Center Clinical Supervisor
Dr. David DeBonis
Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. DeBonis has been a CSD faculty member at Saint Rose since 1992, and is a part-time audiologist at Sunnyview Hospital. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in audiology and research methods, and has published papers on auditory processing disorders, clinical practices, ADHD, and other CSD topics.
Lottie Dunbar G'99
TBI Program Clinical Supervisor
Professor Dunbar has worked as a speech-language pathologist in outpatient neurorehabilitation, with a specialized focus on cognition, counseling needs, and the use of technology following traumatic brain injury. She has also been a clinical supervisor of graduate students from Boston University, Northeastern University, and Massachusetts General Hospital School. She has presented at the annual Neurorehabilitation conference, the Brain Injury Assn of Massachusetts, and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Assn.
Dana ArdoviniWinkler Center Clinical Supervisor
Katelynn CarrollInstructor/Winkler Center Clinical Supervisor
Dr. David DeBonisProfessor of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. DeBonis has been a CSD faculty member at Saint Rose since 1992, and is a part-time audiologist at Sunnyview Hospital. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in audiology and research methods, and has published papers on auditory processing disorders, clinical practices, ADHD, and other CSD topics.
Lottie Dunbar G'99TBI Program Clinical Supervisor
Professor Dunbar has worked as a speech-language pathologist in outpatient neurorehabilitation, with a specialized focus on cognition, counseling needs, and the use of technology following traumatic brain injury. She has also been a clinical supervisor of graduate students from Boston University, Northeastern University, and Massachusetts General Hospital School. She has presented at the annual Neurorehabilitation conference, the Brain Injury Assn of Massachusetts, and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Assn.
Jessica Evans
Placement Coordinator/Winkler Center Clinical Supervisor
Professor Evans has been a clinical supervisor and the placement coordinator at Saint Rose since 2013. Her previous experience includes serving as a speech-language pathologist for Achievements, and working in private practice with a focus on early-intervention and preschool populations.
Kelly Fagan '92
Winkler Center Clinical Supervisor
Professor Fagan has worked as a speech-language pathologist in local school districts and facilities, as well as in private practice, since 1995. Her teaching interests include augmentative and alternative communication, feeding and swallowing disorders, early intervention, interdisciplinary collaboration, and autism-spectrum disorders
Julie Hart
Director of TBI Medicaid Waiver Services
Professor Hart has been the director of TBI Medicaid Waiver Services at the Pauline K. Winkler Center since 2010, in which capacity she teaches courses on adult language disorders, anatomy and physiology for speech and swallowing, neuroanatomy for speech pathologists, and medical speech-language pathology. Prior to this, she had taught at Saint Rose since 1997. Other experience includes serving as a speech-and-swallowing or speech-language pathologist for numerous Capital District healthcare facilities since 1989. She has published research on counseling techniques, traumatic brain injury, and meditation in adults with aphasia, among other subjects.
Zhaleh Lavasani '14, G'16
Winkler Center Clinical Supervisor
Professor Lavasani, as the clinical supervisor, provides services and evaluations to preschool-aged children with speech, language, and fluency disorders. She has copresented research on rethinking conventional procedures for collecting and analyzing language samples with Dr. Robert Owens and other researchers.
Jessica EvansPlacement Coordinator/Winkler Center Clinical Supervisor
Professor Evans has been a clinical supervisor and the placement coordinator at Saint Rose since 2013. Her previous experience includes serving as a speech-language pathologist for Achievements, and working in private practice with a focus on early-intervention and preschool populations.
Kelly Fagan '92Winkler Center Clinical Supervisor
Professor Fagan has worked as a speech-language pathologist in local school districts and facilities, as well as in private practice, since 1995. Her teaching interests include augmentative and alternative communication, feeding and swallowing disorders, early intervention, interdisciplinary collaboration, and autism-spectrum disorders
Julie HartDirector of TBI Medicaid Waiver Services
Professor Hart has been the director of TBI Medicaid Waiver Services at the Pauline K. Winkler Center since 2010, in which capacity she teaches courses on adult language disorders, anatomy and physiology for speech and swallowing, neuroanatomy for speech pathologists, and medical speech-language pathology. Prior to this, she had taught at Saint Rose since 1997. Other experience includes serving as a speech-and-swallowing or speech-language pathologist for numerous Capital District healthcare facilities since 1989. She has published research on counseling techniques, traumatic brain injury, and meditation in adults with aphasia, among other subjects.
Zhaleh Lavasani '14, G'16 Winkler Center Clinical Supervisor
Professor Lavasani, as the clinical supervisor, provides services and evaluations to preschool-aged children with speech, language, and fluency disorders. She has copresented research on rethinking conventional procedures for collecting and analyzing language samples with Dr. Robert Owens and other researchers.
Lynn LaVoie-Stephens
Coordinator of Early Intervention and Preschool Services
Professor LaVoie-Stephens has taught and supervised at Saint Rose since 2013. Previous experience includes owning and operation of the Discovery Place Learning Center LLC, serving clients through her private speech-language pathology practice, and serving as speech-language therapist at Unity House of Troy. Her areas of interest include feeding disorders, augmentative and alternative communication, language impairment, articulation and phonological delay, and childhood apraxia of speech.
Dr. Deirdre Muldoon
Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Muldoon teaches graduate and undergraduate students topics in speech-language pathology (SLP), and pursues a research agenda in evidence-based practices in SLP and applied behavioral analysis (ABA). She is a consultant SLP to Albany Medical Center on the Developmental Behavioral Clinic team, and has taught and practiced in New Mexico, Dublin, and New Jersey.
Grace Paster '98
Coordinator of the Winkler Center
Professor Paster has served as the clinical supervisor of the Pauline K. Winkler Center at Saint Rose since 2018, and has been a speech-language pathologist at various local school districts and private schools.
Dr. John Pickering
Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Pickering has been on the Saint Rose CSD faculty since 1993. His teaching interests include voice disorders, transgender voice and communication, motor-speech disorders, and speech-language pathology counseling; he is a noted author and speaker on transgender voice and communications issues.
Lynn LaVoie-StephensCoordinator of Early Intervention and Preschool Services
Professor LaVoie-Stephens has taught and supervised at Saint Rose since 2013. Previous experience includes owning and operation of the Discovery Place Learning Center LLC, serving clients through her private speech-language pathology practice, and serving as speech-language therapist at Unity House of Troy. Her areas of interest include feeding disorders, augmentative and alternative communication, language impairment, articulation and phonological delay, and childhood apraxia of speech.
Dr. Deirdre MuldoonAssociate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Muldoon teaches graduate and undergraduate students topics in speech-language pathology (SLP), and pursues a research agenda in evidence-based practices in SLP and applied behavioral analysis (ABA). She is a consultant SLP to Albany Medical Center on the Developmental Behavioral Clinic team, and has taught and practiced in New Mexico, Dublin, and New Jersey.
Grace Paster '98Coordinator of the Winkler Center
Professor Paster has served as the clinical supervisor of the Pauline K. Winkler Center at Saint Rose since 2018, and has been a speech-language pathologist at various local school districts and private schools.
Dr. John PickeringProfessor of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Pickering has been on the Saint Rose CSD faculty since 1993. His teaching interests include voice disorders, transgender voice and communication, motor-speech disorders, and speech-language pathology counseling; he is a noted author and speaker on transgender voice and communications issues.
Jennie Portney
Early Intervention/Preschool Services Clinical Supervisor
Ellen Rose Duffy
Office Assistant
Melissa Spring
Director of Clinical Services
Coordinator of the Winkler Center, Professor Spring began her career as a speech-language pathologist in a public-school setting, later providing outpatient pediatric services at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Center, and later through her own private practice. She has taught and supervised in the Saint Rose CSD program for several years. She teaches clinical methods at the undergraduate level, and the first practicum seminar and the language-and-hearing-loss course at the graduate level.
Fiona Thompson
Primary College Supervisor/Winkler Center Clinical Supervisor
Jennie PortneyEarly Intervention/Preschool Services Clinical Supervisor
Ellen Rose DuffyOffice Assistant
Melissa SpringDirector of Clinical Services
Coordinator of the Winkler Center, Professor Spring began her career as a speech-language pathologist in a public-school setting, later providing outpatient pediatric services at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Center, and later through her own private practice. She has taught and supervised in the Saint Rose CSD program for several years. She teaches clinical methods at the undergraduate level, and the first practicum seminar and the language-and-hearing-loss course at the graduate level.
Fiona ThompsonPrimary College Supervisor/Winkler Center Clinical Supervisor
Dr. Julia Unger
Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Unger’s teaching interests include fluency and fluency disorders, applied clinical research, and clinical applications. She has taught and practiced in Germany and Colorado, and published papers on topics including social justice perceptions in clinical practitioners, and the mechanisms and treatment of stuttering.
Dr. Julia UngerAssociate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Unger’s teaching interests include fluency and fluency disorders, applied clinical research, and clinical applications. She has taught and practiced in Germany and Colorado, and published papers on topics including social justice perceptions in clinical practitioners, and the mechanisms and treatment of stuttering.
Explore Our Programs
Bachelor's Degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders
Saint Rose speech-language pathologists (SLPs) help others overcome communication and swallowing (also known as dysphagia) challenges of everyday life.
Master's Degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders
Saint Rose speech-language pathologists (SLPs) help others overcome communication and swallowing (also known as dysphagia) challenges of everyday life.
