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:
Department Chair
Pei-Tzu Tsai, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Professor and Continuing Education Administrator
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
Professor
[email protected]
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
Eduardo Europa, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Assistant Professor
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
Joanne Li, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Joanne Li has a multidisciplinary background in speech-language pathology, linguistics,
and neuroscience. Her research focuses on speech motor control, speech disorders,
and bilingualism. She integrates behavioral experiments and neural measures to investigate
how speech motor control develops and varies across languages, and to explore individualized
approaches for improving speech sound learning and therapy outcomes. Prior to joining
SJSU, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Speech & Hearing Sciences at University
of Washington.
Education
Ph.D., Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York University
M.Phil., Linguistics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
M.A., Chinese Linguistics and Language Acquisition, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong
B.A., English, Beijing Language and Culture University
Wendy Quach, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
SPEAKS Director
[email protected]
Wendy Quach, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a licensed, certified speech language pathologist and 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
Anita Schaack, M.S., CCC-SLP
Lecturer and Externship Placement Coordinator
[email protected]
Cynthia Van Laar, M.A., CCC-SLP
Lecturer
Director of Clinical Education, Program Director, & Student Placement Coordinator
Emeritus Faculty
Evelyn Merritt, M.A., CCC-A
Education
M.A., Audiology, San Jose State University
M.A., Romance Languages and Literature, Princeton University
Michael Kimbarow, Ph.D., F-CCC-SLP
Michael L. Kimbarow, Ph.D., F-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
Faculty Employment
Are you a certified and licensed SLP or audiologist with 5+ years in the field? Do you enjoy mentoring the next generation of professionals? If so, we’d love to have you join our department! Complete our CDS Lecturer and Supervisor Contact form and a member of our team will be in touch.
We’re especially excited to connect with applicants who bring experience working with diverse student populations and who share our commitment to creating greater access to higher education for underrepresented groups.
All positions with the California State University (CSU) require standard employment, credential, and reference verifications, as well as a background check. A satisfactory background check, including a review of criminal records, must be completed before a position can be offered.
