CDIS debuts voice and swallowing lab OSU’s Air Force ROTC commissions its first Space Force second lieutenant Oklahoma State University Air Force ROTC commissioned its first Space Force second lieutenant, Cadet Jacquelyn Harsha, this spring. The Air Force Detachment 670 has looked forward to the commissioning ever since the establishment of the U.S. Space Force to the armed forces in 2019. “I am the first who specifically applied to switch to USSF, interviewed for it and got to wear the Space Force uniform as a cadet,” Harsha said. “It is crazy to see underclassmen looking up to me and wanting to take the same path as me. I am honored to set the precedent for excellence here at Det. 670 for future Space Force cadets.” From a young age, Harsha knew she wanted to join the military, and the addition of the Space Force branch gave her a focus for her passion. The Department of Communication opened its new Voice and Swallowing Lab in the basement of the Social Sciences and Humanities Building on the OSU-Stillwater campus at a ribboncutting ceremony inMay. “The lab gives CDIS students a chance to learn and practice procedures that would normally be learned Harsha is currently awaiting orders to report to her first base at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, where post-graduation,” said Sherri Norton, clinical assistant professor and head of the lab. “This gives them an advantage over other schools and helps to build their confidence and understanding.” Norton explained that voice and swallowing disorders are areas of speech pathology treatments that often need more attention during students’ academic careers in order to she will attend undergraduate space training to begin her career as a space “Everyone needs community during their time in college, and the people you surround yourself with will directly impact not only your experience in college, but also the person you will be at the end of college,” Harsha said. “Choosing a program like AFROTC is sure to challenge you, but also provide you with a community of driven individuals who will help you through the hard times.” For those interested, the OSU AFROTC program has multiple scholarship opportunities and does not require an after-graduation military commitment. For more information about the AFROTC and Space Force program, visit afrotc.okstate.edu. better prepare them for the workplace. With the help of CDIS faculty, the lab’s equipment —which includes a computerized speech lab, laryngoscope, anatomically correct head and neck models and more —will do just that. “I ammost excited to allow students the chance to perform simulated and live flexible endoscopic evaluations of swallowing because this is an opportunity that most universities do not provide,” Norton said. “We may be the only university in the state that has this equipment for students to utilize at the undergraduate and graduate levels.” The lab is currently being used to treat clients in the Speech-LanguageHearing Clinic. However, plans include mobile appointments in local nursing homes, research studies related to breathing exercises, Parkinson’s disease research, and collaboration with the music department to research voice and vocal pathologies that influence the singing voice. Sherri Norton (second from left) and CAS Interim Dean Keith Garbutt (seated) gather with Cadet Jacquelyn Harsha NEWS AROUND CAS STORIES BELLA VU AND SYDNEY HOLDER | PHOTOS JACQUELYN HARSHA AND GARY JONES 24 CONNECT 2023
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