معرفی
Dr. Laura Hoffman serves as a Lecturer in Speech Pathology and Faculty Academic Integrity Officer at Charles Sturt University within the Faculty of Science and Health and School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences. She has held significant leadership positions including Course Director for Speech Pathology (bachelor and masters) and Occupational Therapy programs, and Course Lead for the Bachelor of Speech and Language Pathology program. As a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist, Dr. Hoffman brings extensive clinical experience across diverse settings throughout the lifespan.
Dr. Hoffman holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (GCLTHE), and BHlthSci(Speech Path)(Hons). Her teaching spans undergraduate and master's level courses in allied health, interprofessional practice, and speech-language pathology, delivered through both face-to-face and online modalities. She was recognized in 2021 when the Speech Pathology team won the inaugural Executive Dean's Teaching Award for 'Inspiring, motivating and supporting learning for students from diverse backgrounds through Australia's first blended online Master of Speech Pathology'.
Her research program demonstrates a cohesive trajectory toward developing culturally responsive speech and language assessment tools, particularly for Ghanaian-English speaking populations. This work addresses critical gaps in cross-cultural communication assessment and reflects her commitment to inclusive practices in speech-language pathology. Dr. Hoffman's publications reveal increasing interdisciplinary collaboration, connecting speech pathology with community development, education, and child advocacy initiatives.
Dr. Hoffman has received multiple university-level awards recognizing her contributions:
- Charles Sturt Executive Dean's Teaching Award (2021)
- Charles Sturt Staff Excellence Award: Successful Graduates (2021)
- Charles Sturt Excellence Awards: Research (2023)
- Charles Sturt Excellence Awards: Social Responsibility (Highly Commended) (2023)
- Charles Sturt University Excellence Award: Successful Graduates (2019)
As a dedicated academic supervisor, Dr. Hoffman guides Higher Degree Research students through honours and PhD projects. Her grant history includes learning and teaching grants at Charles Sturt University that supported innovative educational approaches. She actively participates in collaborative research networks including the Children's Voices Centre, contributing to projects that connect speech pathology with broader healthcare and educational policy initiatives. Dr. Hoffman's professional activities demonstrate sustained engagement with both national and international research communities through conference presentations and collaborative projects addressing speech-language pathology challenges across diverse cultural contexts.
