Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Meet Daniel Kempler
When Dr. Daniel Kempler became Chair of the Communication Sciences and Disorders department at Emerson College, he hoped to impact the educational experiences of students aspiring to be clinicians in communication disorders. "I was ready to seize the opportunity to find a home in an academic program, training the future generations of clinicians to do what I have found so rewarding."
Finding His Path
As an undergraduate student at the University of California at Berkeley, Dr. Kempler started his journey to the CD profession by way of Linguistics. "I was always interested in the relationship between language and psychological functions. An undergraduate course called 'Language and the Brain' grabbed me like no other course had. Before I knew it, I had finished the major in Linguistics and had taken many psychology courses as well."
Dr. Kempler continued his studies at UCLA where he earned a master's and PhD in Linguistics. He also earned a second master's degree in Communication Disorders from California State University, Los Angeles, while completing his PhD. "I loved graduate school and research, but always had a practical side: I wanted to be able to find a job and I wanted, after my work day was done, to be able to say I had made a difference in a tangible way. That led me to Speech Pathology, where I could combine my interests in brain and language with a helping profession."
Drawn by a Reputation for Clinical Training
In 2002, after 14 years as the Director of Speech Pathology at the Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center, Dr. Kempler came to Emerson College to serve as Chair of the Communication Sciences and Disorders department. "I came to Emerson because of the reputation for clinical training. Once I joined the faculty, I realized how the reputation came to be: Emerson provides students with an incredible combination of clinical opportunities in our clinics and community, first-rate supervision, and an academic curriculum that prepares them for the field."
Communication Disorders (MS) AT A GLANCE
54-credit program
Full-time enrollment
Fall admission
Students usually complete the degree in two years (including one or two summer sessions).
Meet the Graduate Program Director
Joanne Lasker's teaching and research focus on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), specifically for adults living with acquired neurogenic disorders. Learn more »
The master's program in speech-language pathology at Emerson College is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Jena Casbon, MS '05, discusses how Emerson prepared her for a career as a speech-language pathologist. Watch »
Graduate Studies
FOR CURRENT STUDENTS
To read the Graduate Handbook and learn about research and fellowship opportunities, visit the Graduate Studies website.
