Laura Epstein

Laura Epstein is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at San Francisco State University (SFSU). She directs the Spanish-Bilingual Specialization program and the Laboratorio de Conexiones Comunitarias (Community Connections Lab). Her research focuses on Spanish-bilingual language issues, classroom-based interventions, and school-based clinical practices. Epstein holds a Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara (1994), and prior degrees including an M.S. in Bioarchaeology from the University of London (1983) and a B.A. in Anthropology from UC Berkeley (1982).

Epstein’s academic contributions include co-editing special journal issues on language disorders, publishing on bilingual speech sound acquisition, and developing clinical training methodologies. She teaches courses such as SLHS 707 (School Communities) and SLHS 714 (Interprofessional Education). As a clinical educator, she supervises undergraduate clinic aides, first-year graduate clinicians, and second-year interns. Her work emphasizes culturally responsive practice in multilingual settings and critical reflections on disability in clinical education.

• Certifications: Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) from ASHA since 1991, California State License in Speech-Language Pathology
• Key Roles: Director of Spanish-Bilingual Specialization, Community Connections Lab Director
• Educational Background:
  • Ph.D. (Speech and Hearing Sciences), UC Santa Barbara, 1994
  • M.A. (Speech and Hearing Sciences), UC Santa Barbara, 1990
  • B.A. (Anthropology), UC Berkeley, 1982

Her recent publications critique traditional difference/disorder paradigms in speech-language pathology and explore evidence-based practice in multicultural contexts. Epstein’s lab fosters community partnerships to address language access barriers in schools and clinics.