Faculty

Our Communicative Disorders and Sciences Department is home to dedicated and experienced faculty members. Information about each faculty member, their areas of expertise, and research can be found below:

• Faculty Directory
• Faculty Employment

Interim Department Chair

Pei-Tzu Tsai, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

• Associate Professor and Continuing Education Administrator
• NSSLHA Advisor
• peitzu.tsai@sjsu.edu
• Peitzu's Spotify playlist

• Dr. Tsai's Bio

  • Pei-Tzu's research focuses on underlying factors and clinical management of stuttering, gender diverse voice and communication services, and graduate training of cultural-linguistic diversity in speech-language pathology.  She teaches fluency disorders and voice disorders, and provides clinical education and services in stuttering and voice.

    Education

    Ph.D., Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland - College Park
    M.A., Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland - College Park
    B.A., English, National Chengchi University

Faculty Directory

• Paul W. Cascella, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

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    Professor
    paul.cascella@sjsu.edu

    Paul Cascella’s research focuses on three distinct strands, 1) services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities (i.e., intellectual disability, vision impairment, deaf-blindness, and autism spectrum disorders) across the lifespan, 2) systematic inquiry about student learning, and 3) measuring the impact of higher education programs and infrastructure elements. His body of work includes 35+ publications and 75+ conference and workshop presentations.

    Education

    Ph.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Special Education, University of Connecticut
    M.A.,Master of Arts, Speech-Language Pathology, State University of New York at Buffalo
    B.S., Bachelor of Science, Speech-Language Pathology, Marquette University

• Kathleen Castillo, M.A., CCC-SLP

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    Lecturer

    kathleen.castillo@sjsu.edu

• Eun-Ae Choi, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

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    Assistant Professor

    eunae.choi@sjsu.edu

• Cynthia Van Laar, M.A., CCC-SLP

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    Lecturer

    Director of Clinical Education

    cynthia.vanlaar@sjsu.edu

• Danielle DeWitt, M.S., CCC-SLP

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    Lecturer
    danielle.thissell@sjsu.edu

• Cindy Esquivias, M.S., CCC-SLP

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    Lecturer
    cindy.esquivias@sjsu.edu

• Eduardo Europa, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

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    Assistant Professor

    Graduate Program Director

    eduardo.europa@sjsu.edu

    Eduardo Europa is a speech-language pathologist and teacher-scholar that specializes in language and cognitive disorders caused by neurodegenerative disease (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration) or stroke. Using behavioral methods and MRI, Dr. Europa studies the nature and treatment of stroke-induced and primary progressive aphasia. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling with his husband and their dog and exploring his Filipino roots through cooking and baking.

    Education

    Ph.D., Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University
    M.A., Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University
    B.A., Cognitive Science, minor in Music, University of California, Berkeley

• Zoe Giatis, M.A., CCC-SLP

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    Lecturer
    zoe.giatis@sjsu.edu

• Joseph Hinz, Au.D., CCC-A

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    Lecturer (Audiologist)
    joe.hinz@sjsu.edu

• Alicia Henderson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

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    Lecturer
    alicia.henderson@sjsu.edu

• Daniel Krass, Au.D.

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    Lecturer
    daniel.krass@sjsu.edu

• Reiko Kataoka, Ph.D.

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    Lecturer
    reiko.kataoka@sjsu.edu

• Nidhi Mahendra, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

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    Professor and Director, Spartan Aphasia Research Clinic (SPARC)
    Co-Founder, Healthy Development Community Clinic
    nidhi.mahendra@sjsu.edu

    Twitter: @NidhiMahendra

    Nidhi Mahendra is a teacher-scholar and leader who is passionate about improving the quality of life of persons with cognitive-communication disorders through contributing to science, service, equity design, community engagement, and international collaboration.

    Education

    Ph.D., Speech Language Hearing Science, minor in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Arizona
    M.S., Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, University of Mysore
    B.S., Speech and Hearing Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences

• Marcella McCollum, Ed.D., CCC-SLP

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    Assistant Professor
    marcella.mccollum@sjsu.edu

    Twitter: @M_McCollum

• Erin Nokes, AuD.

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    Lecturer (Audiologist)
    erin.ginney@sjsu.edu

• Wendy Quach, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

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    Professor
    Wendy.quach@sjsu.edu

    Twitter:  @wq_aac

    Wendy Quach, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a licensed, certified speech language pathologist and associate professor in the Communicative Disorders & Sciences Department at San José State University. Her teaching and research interests are in the areas of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for people with complex communication needs and motor speech disorders. She also is also the department Graduate Program Director and manages grants from the US Department of Education and National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Field Initiated Program grant that focuses on assessment for people with complex communication needs.

    Education

    Ph.D., Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    M.S., Speech-Language Pathology, University of Alberta, Canada
    B.A., Linguistics, University of Alberta, Canada

• Lupe Ramirez-Steele, M.A., CCC-SLP

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    Lecturer
    lupe.ramirez-steele@sjsu.edu

• Anita Schaack, M.S., CCC-SLP

  • Lecturer and Externship Placement Coordinator
    anita.schaack@sjsu.edu

• Theresa Yao, SLPD, CCC-SLP

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    Lecturer
    Theresa.yao@sjsu.edu

• Carol Zepecki, Ed.D., CCC-SLP

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    Lecturer
    carol.zepecki@sjsu.edu

Emeritus Faculty

• June McCullough, Ph.D., CCC-A

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    Professor
    june.mccullough@sjsu.edu

• Jean Novak, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

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    jean.novak@sjsu.edu

• Evelyn Merritt, M.A., CCC-A

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    evelyn.merritt@sjsu.edu

    Education

    M.A., Audiology, San Jose State University
    M.A., Romance Languages and Literature, Princeton University

    LinkedIn profile

• Michael Kimbarow, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

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    michael.kimbarow@sjsu.edu

    Michael L. Kimbarow, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a professor in the Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences. Dr. Kimbarow has more than 42 years of clinical and teaching experience related to working with adults with neurogenic communication disorders. Kimbarow is a past-president of the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS) and former chair of the ANCDS Certification Board. He is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

    Education

    Ph.D., Communication Disorders, University of Minnesota
    M.S., Communicative Disorders, University of Michigan
    B.A., Speech-Language Pathology, Herbert H. Lehman College

• Henriette Langdon, Ed.D., F-CCC-SLP

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    henriette.langdon@sjsu.edu

• Gloria Weddington, Ph.D., F-CCC-SLP

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    gloria.weddington@sjsu.edu

Faculty Employment

If you are an SLP or audiologist with 5+ years of experience and seeking an opportunity to work with undergraduate and graduate students, come join our department. Complete this LCDS Lecturer and Supervisor Contact form and a department representative will contact you.

We are particularly interested in applicants who have experience and expertise working with diverse students and have a clear commitment to improving access to higher education for underrepresented groups.

Positions are subject to employment verification, education/credential verification, reference checks and criminal record checks. A background check (including the criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position by the California State University (CSU). Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect applicant status or continued employment of current CSU employees.