2024 Outstanding Alumni Academy
Congratulations to the College of Health and Human Services Outstanding Alumni Academy, class of 2024.
- Dr. Brandi Newkirk-Turner – Class of 2004, Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
- Shacara Burrel - Class of 2019, Department of Social Work
Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
Dr. Brandi Newkirk-Turner (2004)
Dr. Brandi Newkirk-Turner graduated from WMU in 2004 with a M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology and is currently a professor at a University in Mississippi. In addition, she received her Ph.D. in Communication Disorders (Linguistics, minor) from Louisiana State University and a B.S. in Audiology and Speech Sciences from Michigan State University.
Dr. Newkirk-Turner's research interests include Acquisition and Development of Child African American English; speech and language assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse children; barriers, opportunities, and potential impacts in reducing or eliminating equity gaps of underserved student population in higher education.
Dr. Newkirk-Turner has authored several book chapters and has published her research in peer-reviewed journals in her field including Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, and Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.
She has secured approximately 2.3 million dollars in grants to support her research, provide research experiences to undergraduate and graduate students, and prepare graduate students for careers in speech-language pathology.
School of Social Work
Shacara Burrel (2019)
Shacara Burrel graduated from the WMU School of Social Work in 2019. She was the first and only graduate of the joint MSW-JD program at Western before they navigated away from the Cooley Law School. Burrel is working locally in community mental health and owns her own company (Becoming Balanced LLC). With a Juris Doctorate and a deep commitment to mental health advocacy, Shacara empowers individuals and couples to find balance in life's challenges.
Burrel's therapeutic approach is a bridge between the complexities of today and your desired destination of tomorrow. Advocacy, equality, and relatability are the pillars of her practice, fostering relationships that empower and motivate.