FACULTY PROFILE
Dr. Danielle Osmelak is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Governors State University. As a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist (SLP), the majority of Dr. Osmelak’s clinical experiences have been as a medical SLP. Dr. Osmelak’s clinical focus has centered around medically complex populations: neurodegenerative diseases, trach and vent dependent patients, and head and neck cancer. Her background as a practicing medical SLP has shaped her current research that is clinically driven, collaborative, and interdisciplinary in nature. Dr. Osmelak’s research interests include interprofessional dysphagia management, interprofessional education and curriculum implementation, and ethical clinical decision-making.
Professionally, Dr. Osmelak is a Fellow of the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ISHA) and a Distinguished Fellow in the Speech-Language Pathology Academy of the National Academies of Practice. Dr. Osmelak was named the 2023 Illinois Innovator of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Dr. Osmelak enjoys volunteering for ISHA and ASHA. Dr. Osmelak was the ISHA Vice President for the Division of Professional & Consumer Communication (2019-2022) and she is currently a member of the ISHA Ethics Education Committee and the ISHA Telepractice Committee. Dr. Osmelak is currently serving four-year term as a member of the ASHA Board of Ethics.
FREQUENTLY TAUGHT COURSES:
CDIS 7200: Voice & Resonance Disorders
CDIS 7700: Motor Speech Disorders: Differential Diagnosis & Treatment
CDIS 7800: Dysphagia in Adults & Children