Michelle VeyvodaView profile
Associate Professor
Dr. Michelle Veyvoda serves as Associate Professor and Chair of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at Iona University, where she also co-directs the Interdisciplinary Advanced Certificate in Working with Young Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and their Families (IACD) and moderates the American Sign Language Club. Her leadership extends to campus committees including the Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning Community and Faculty Senate, reflecting her commitment to inclusive education and social justice in professional practice. Dr. Veyvoda earned her Ph.D. from Columbia University, M.S. from Gallaudet University, and B.S. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, establishing a foundation for her specialized work with deaf and hard of hearing populations. Her certifications include ASHA CCC-SLP and New York State TSSLD credentials. Her research program centers on optimizing clinical preparation for speech-language pathologists serving deaf and hard of hearing children, with significant interdisciplinary work on accessible arts programming for deaf children—particularly those with multiple disabilities who use sign language. She champions asset-based family engagement approaches and cultural humility in professional practice, examining how systemic barriers impact service delivery and developing innovative training models for future clinicians. Analysis of her publication record reveals consistent focus on pandemic-era adaptations in clinical education, service-learning pedagogy, and professional competency development. Her work demonstrates growing emphasis on intersectional approaches that bridge deaf education, arts accessibility, and anti-racist teaching practices, with recent publications highlighting collaborative community partnerships and family-centered frameworks. Dr. Veyvoda's significant recognition includes a $1.25 million U.S. Department of Education grant (2021) for training graduate students to work with deaf/hard of hearing children, alongside multiple university grants and prestigious scholarships from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her awards portfolio reflects sustained excellence in research, teaching innovation, and community engagement. As an educator and mentor, she directs the IACD certificate program that trains graduate students through interdisciplinary collaboration between Communication Sciences and Disorders and Special Education programs. Her grant-funded initiatives have created sustainable pipelines for professionals serving deaf children, with particular focus on culturally responsive practices and family partnership models. Through the American Sign Language Club and campus committee work, Dr. Veyvoda cultivates institutional awareness of Deaf culture and accessibility needs. Her collaborations with arts organizations and schools demonstrate practical applications of research in community settings, creating tangible pathways for deaf children's participation in cultural programming.
