ASHA to Recognize “Stars of Communication” at Annual Convention
ROCKVILLE, Md. (PRWEB) October 22, 2018 -- The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) announced today that it will recognize NASA Astronaut Andrew “Drew” Feustel and his spouse, Indira Bhatnagar Feustel, as “Stars of Communication” at the ASHA 2018 Convention in Boston, November 15–17.
A veteran astronaut, Drew recently completed a months-long mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Indira is an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist, who has dedicated her career to the importance of communication. Over the past year, the couple worked together, Drew from space and Indira on the ground, to highlight the importance of communication in the context of space flight.
In an interview with The ASHA Leader before he launched on his most recent mission, Drew emphasized how vital communication is to his work as an astronaut. As if to underscore the point, with Indira’s assistance, his personal effects for his journey to the ISS included a miniature replica of The Annie, an ASHA award named for Annie Glenn, who spent much of her life advocating for persons with communication disorders. Her husband, the late Senator John Glenn, was one of the first seven U.S. astronauts and the first American to orbit the earth.
With Indira’s work as a speech-language pathologist specializing in adult neurogenic disorders, the importance of communication is a central cause for the couple. In May, Drew helped mark this year’s Better Hearing and Speech Month in a special way. During his mission, Drew wore an “Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists Rock” t-shirt onboard the space station, and the photo set a popularity record on ASHA’s Instagram account.
Clear communication is critical among crewmembers in space, as well as with the support teams on the ground.
“Whether here on Earth, or orbiting around it, this year’s Stars of Communication have helped share our message in a unique way,” said ASHA President Elise Davis-McFarland, PhD, CCC-SLP. “We are grateful to the Feustels for the work they have done to help heighten awareness.”
The ASHA Convention is the premier annual professional education event for audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists.
About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 198,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems, including swallowing disorders. http://www.asha.org
Francine Pierson, ASHA, http://www.asha.org, +1 301-296-8715, [email protected]
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