Meet Cynthia Bartlett

For Cindy Bartlett, a teacher, lecturer, author, researcher, and specialist in adult neurogenic communicative disorders, creating a supportive learning environment for students is essential.

"It's important never to be too busy for a student and to take the time to embrace different learning styles."

Finding Her Path

Her serendipitous discovery of speech-language pathology during her senior year in college changed the course of Bartlett's life and opened her eyes to a profession that encompassed all her interests. "Medicine, analysis of language, psychology, and interpersonal connections—everything was pulled together in one field." A week after a professor introduced her to the idea, the French and Spanish major began applying to graduate programs in speech-language pathology and started on a career path that eventually led to a PhD and her current position as Graduate Program Director and Associate Professor at Emerson College.

Encouraging & Advising Students

In her work at Emerson, Bartlett draws on her 15 years of experience as a clinician treating adult patients in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and chronic care facilities. Working in the field, she had the opportunity to team with patients and other professionals at all levels, from the hospital to the home. Bartlett treasures the opportunity to help her students evolve into highly skilled professionals.

"You have to create a supportive climate where real communication can happen."

She strives to foster a non-competitive, collaborative environment among her students and between students and faculty members, like the one in which she thrived as a clinician. To this end, the department hosts regular forums, which allow graduate students to discuss whatever is on their minds.

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