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Endowed scholarship named for department chair

Oct. 19, 2006

KALAMAZOO--An endowed scholarship fund has been named after a longtime department chair in Western Michigan University's College of Health and Human Services.

The scholarship will be named after Dr. John "Mick" Hanley, chair of the WMU Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, it was announced Thursday, Oct. 12. The announcement came as part of the kickoff of the 24th annual Van Riper Lecture Series.

A surprise for Hanley, the scholarship benefiting graduate students was established by department faculty, staff, alumni, family and friends to honor him for his achievements in his field and his commitment to the department, the college and the University.

Hanley has served on the speech pathology and audiology faculty for 27 years and has been department chair for 17. His work with fluency disorders, such as stuttering, has made him well known in his field and has allowed him to help countless clients at the WMU Unified Clinics, where Hanley does evaluation and treatment. Hanley will retire from his position in June 2007.

"Mick has taught every undergraduate and every graduate student in our program for the past 27 years," says Dr. Helen Sharp, WMU assistant professor of speech-pathology and audiology. "An endowed scholarship that will continue to support our students is a wonderful way to continue his legacy here at WMU."

Dr. Janet Pisaneschi, WMU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and formerly dean of the college, opened the lecture series with the announcement. The 24th Van Riper Lecture, "Evidence-Based Practice in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology," featured guest speakers from the University of Texas- Dallas Northeastern University in Boston.

For more information about the scholarship or to contribute to the endowment, please contact Helen Sharp at (269) 387-8024.

Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu

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