Faculty and Staff

Janet Koehnke, professor and chair of both the Speech-Language Pathology program and the Clinical Doctorate in Audiology program, received a PhD in Communication Sciences from the University of Connecticut. Her research, which has been funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Hearing Health Foundation, focuses on investigating the effects of aging and hearing loss on spatial hearing. She teaches doctoral courses in scientific and professional writing and psychoacoustics. In 2012, she was named a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She has served as the Vice President for Academic Affairs in Audiology of the ASHA and is Past-President of the New Jersey Academy of Audiology.

Joan Besing, professor and program director of both the Speech-Language Pathology program and the Clinical Doctorate in Audiology program, received a PhD in Hearing Science from Louisiana State University. Her research interests include the effects of competing signals and reduction of message redundancy on speech perception and localization, the effects of bilingualism on speech perception in noise, and localization and spatial hearing in children. She teaches courses including Basic Medical Audiology: Genetics and Pathology, Clinical Instrumentation, Fundamentals of Audiology Assessment, Hearing and Speech Science, and Special Topics in Audiology. She has been recognized as an ASHA Fellow.

Mary Boyle, professor, received a PhD from Northwestern University. Her research interests include: aphasia, word-finding problems in aphasia, and neurogenic communication disorders. She teaches courses including: Language Disorders of Adults I and II, and Motor Speech Disorders.

Michael Boyle is an Associate Professor and serves as the Graduate Program Director of the Master’s program in Speech-Language Pathology. He received a PhD from Pennsylvania State University. His research interests include: the psychosocial aspects of stuttering (e.g., stigma, self-efficacy, quality of life, communicative participation). He teaches courses including: Fluency Disorders, Research in Speech-Language Pathology, Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing Mechanisms.

Elaine Hitchcock, associate professor, received a PhD from New York University. Her research interests include: the developmental aspects of phonology as well as visual biofeedback techniques for diagnosis and treatment of speech sound disorders. She teaches courses including: Diagnosis in Speech-Language Pathology, Speech and Hearing Science, and Voice Disorders. She is a certified speech-language pathologist with more than 20 years of clinical experience.

Subong Kim, assistant professor, received a PhD from University of Iowa His research interests include: the development of physiological and psychophysical measurements sensitive enough to capture individual noise tolerance and sensitivity to speech-cue distortions induced by noise-reduction processing in hearing aids, and has linked them to individual perceptual outcomes. He teaches courses in Auditory Anatomy and Physiology, Instrumentation, Diagnostics II – Evoked Potentials, and Neurophysiology for Hearing, Language and Speech.

Maryrose McInerney, associate professor, received a PhD from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. She teaches courses including: Basic Hearing Aid Technique and Fitting, Clinic Lab: Basic Hearing Aid Technique and Fitting, Directed Research I, II and III, Hearing Science, Pediatric Audiology, and Special Topics in Audiology.

Lesley Sylvan is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Montclair State University. Dr. Sylvan is a certified speech-language pathologist with over 12 years of clinical experience working with school-aged children both in public school and private clinical settings. She completed a Master’s degree in educational policy and management as well as a Doctorate degree in human development and education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Ilse Wambacq, associate professor, received a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas. Her research interests include neurophysiologic (ERP) correlates of speech perception in difficult listening situations across the lifespan. She has published research articles on this topic in professional journals such as Ear and Hearing, Cognitive Brain Research and the International Journal of Audiology. She teaches courses including Directed Research I, II and III, Research Methods, Speech-Language Pathology for Audiologists, and Speech Perception.

Robbie Lazarus is a certified speech-language pathologist and a part-time instructor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at Montclair State University. She works as a research supervisor in the Clinical Biofeedback Laboratory, providing direct supervision and project management for visual biofeedback intervention studies. She received her B.A. from the University of Michigan, an M.A. from American University and an M.A. from Montclair State University.

Tulay Chami is a supervisor in the Speech Language Pathologyclinic. She received an MA in Speech-Language Pathology from Montclair State University.

Rosemary DeStephan is the senior clinical supervisor in Speech Language Pathology. She received an MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Ithaca College.

Janice Dittelman is the Speech-Language Pathology Externship Coordinator. She received an MS in Communication Disorders from Southern Connecticut State University.

Faith Mogila is the Audiology Clinic Director. She received an ScD in Audiology from Montclair State University.

Kate Papas is the Speech-Language Pathology Clinic Director.  She received an MS in Communication Disorders from Emerson College.

Alexis Rooney is a clinical preceptor in the Audiology Clinic. She received an AuD from the Osborne College of Audiology at Salus University.

Elena Kagan-Weitz is a clinical preceptor in the Audiology Clinic. She received an AuD from the CUNY Graduate Center. She is the Director of the New Jersey Hearing Aid Project

Julie Green is the Assistant Clinic Manager for the Center for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. Julie assists with daily operation of the clinic. Her duties include: patient communication, patient scheduling and follow up; creating and maintaining patient records, processing of all incoming hearing aids.

Joann Kuebler is a professional services specialist for the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Sarah Mazurek is the Clinic Manager for the Center for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. Sarah oversees the daily operation of the clinic. Her duties include, but are not limited to, patient communication, scheduling, processing and tracking Medicare claims, Accounts Receivables and Payables, supply ordering, creating and maintaining patient records, and collecting and maintaining vendor contract documentation. She has a background in Medical Office Management as well as Early Childhood Education. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration.

Michael Boyle is an Associate Professor and serves as the Graduate Program Director of the Master’s program in Speech-Language Pathology. He received a PhD from Pennsylvania State University. His research interests include: the psychosocial aspects of stuttering (e.g., stigma, self-efficacy, quality of life, communicative participation). He teaches courses including: Fluency Disorders, Research in Speech-Language Pathology, Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing Mechanisms.

Deborah A. Verderosa is the admissions director and graduate advisor for both the clinical doctorate in audiology program and the master of arts in speech-language pathology program. She received an MA in Public and Corporate Communication from Seton Hall University.

Ilse Wambacq, associate professor, received a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas. Her research interests include neurophysiologic (ERP) correlates of speech perception in difficult listening situations across the lifespan. She has published research articles on this topic in professional journals such as Ear and Hearing, Cognitive Brain Research and the International Journal of Audiology. She teaches courses including Directed Research I, II and III, Research Methods, Speech-Language Pathology for Audiologists, and Speech Perception.