Charles Sturt University has just released their Sustainability Development Goals Report. The report highlights the university’s continued commitment to environmental and social sustainability.
Here is the CSU media release: https://news.csu.edu.au/latest-news/charles-sturt-university-releases-sustainability-development-goals-report
Here is the report: https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/files/552252729/M3125_SDG_REPORT_2023_WEB_FINAL_VERSION_2.pdf
We are featured on pages 18 and 67
Today Charles Sturt University has announced the Children's Voices Centre via a media release:
https://news.csu.edu.au/latest-news/new-research-centre-champions-childrens-communication-rights
This is a very exciting milestone and gives us great direction for our research with and for children from 2025-2027. Our new centre focusses on children, families, professionals, workforce and policy – and is truly interdisciplinary with members across all three faculties.
The Early Childhood Interdisciplinary Research Group won the CSU RED Award for Research. We received the following email:
Good morning,
You are receiving this email because you have a team member who has been awarded a 2024 Charles Sturt Excellence Award.
The 2024 Charles Sturt Excellence Awards received 94 nominations across our four strategic categories. The quality of the nominations was high in 2024 and we would like to congratulate not only our winners, but everyone who played a role in the Awards.
Log in to RED to see an overview of our winners here: Introducing RED | RED
Kind regards,
The RED Team
Recognising Excellence Daily
Division of People and Culture
Here is the award information
What is the nomination for:
The Early Childhood Interdisciplinary Research Group (ECIR) is an inspiring productive research group with global impact. ECIR collaboratively builds research capacity, profile and track record of ~50 early-mid career researchers and higher degree research (HDR) students by providing research mentoring and opportunities via an internship model using co-design and knowledge creation. ECIR increases research capacity for engaging in transformative research regionally, nationally, and internationally through interdisciplinary projects, such as the Children Draw Talking project presented at four 2024 conferences, including the International Conference on Sustainable Development (New York). The bi-annual Early Childhood Voices Conferences (to be held in November 2024) already has 620 registrations from 45 countries and 150 peer-reviewed presentations. ECIR supports members to write grants and publications, present at conferences, apply for promotion and publish from their PhDs. By engaging with ECIR members and activities, early career researchers have competitive CVs ready to apply for promotion and grants.
Why is this Excellence Award worthy?
ECIR has demonstrated sustained excellence in impactful research and support for researchers and HDR students during the Sturt Scheme funding period (2021-2024). ECIR members edited and co-authored 12/18 chapters in the book “Early Childhood Voices: Children, Families, Professionals” published by Springer in 2024 (269 pages). Additional achievements over the past 12 months (to Sept 2024) include books (6 published/in press + 1 proposal), book chapters (19 published/in press), journal articles (28 published/accepted), keynotes/public lectures (10), conference papers (42 presented/accepted), editorials (3), and media (3). During 2024, 2 ECIR members completed their PhD and ECIR members supervised 33 HDR students. Achievements over the past 3 years were recognised in a 2024 CRO impact case study demonstrating impact in policy and practice nationally and internationally, including at the World Health Organization
There were four winners in the research category
1. Groundbreaking research in AI and digital health - Dr Mohammad Ali Moni -
2. Developing and sustaining opportunities for growth in data-science and cyber-security research - Azizur Rahman, Anna Shillabeer, Ashad Kabir, Manoranjan Paul, Philip Charlton, Zahid Islam, Xiaodi Huang, Rafiqul Islam, Michael Bewong, Muhammad Arif Khan, Lihong Zheng, Yeslam Al-Saggaf, Sabih Rehman, Jan Li, Mostafa Dahshan, Tanmoy Debnath, Quazi Mamun, Oliver Burmeister, Terry Bossomaier, Dmitry Demskoy, David Tien, Irfan Altas, Maumita Bhattacharya, Jason Howarth -
3. The Research Productivity Index Project- Samantha Phegan, Josh Kent, Deepa Narayanan, Karen Sinclair, Katie Dunn, John Burns, Helen Stephens, Veera Gogineni, Boram Kwon, Dale Curran, Rory Hock, Emmaline Lear, Lynne Creasy, Latha Bheemaneni, Amanda Shepherd, Samantha Phegan, Josh Kent, Deepa Narayanan, Karen Sinclair, Katie Dunn, John Burns, Helen Stephens, Veera Gogineni, Shyam Mohan, Ben Speirs, Andrew Paul, Simon Eriksson, Jason White, Paul Bristow, Darren Browne -
4. The Early Childhood Interdisciplinary Research Group - Sharynne McLeod, Suzanne C. Hopf, Sarah Verdon, Elizabeth (Libbey) Murray, Julian Grant, Carolyn Gregoric, Josephine Ohenewa Bampoe, Sarah Bartlett, Helen L. Blake, Kate Crowe, Jessamy Davies, Lysa Dealtry, Cheree Dean, Laura Delli-Pizzi, Belinda Downey, Tina Du, Jenny Dwyer, Sheena Elwick, Belinda Friezer, Leanne Gibbs, Kasey Hillyer, Laura Hoffman, Carmen Huser, Marie Ireland, Nicola Ivory, Janine Krecko, Linda Mahony, Olebeng Mahura, Kate Margetson, Cathie Matthews, Holly McAlister, Nicole McGill, Anne McLeod, Michelle Milan, Ben Pham, Azizur Rahman, Arifa Rahman, Mehdi Rassafiani, Goutam Roy, Shukla Sikder, Lindsay Smith, Sarah Stenson, Van H. Tran, Kelly Tribolet, Audrey (Cen) Wang, Emily-Jane Woodhead, Cherie Zischke
I was delighted to receive an email this morning to indicate that my work function has changed to being research focused. Since 1999 my work function has been 35% research, 65% teaching, 10% administration. At different times, I have sought funding to change my work function to focus on research, however, this has been on an ad hoc basis and reliant on special funding. I have been asking for an official change in my work function since 2016 in my Employee Development and Review Scheme (EDRS) and am thrilled to see the signatures on the official document today. I believe that this accurately reflects my role at Charles Sturt and simplifies conversations and expectations. I look forward to continuing to undertake impactful research with my colleagues and students.
During the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association convention I was delighted to spend time with Lynn Williams - and to share our passion and commitment for communication as a human right.
Lynn mentioned to me that while she was ASHA President she promoted communication rights based on the special issue of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology that I edited:
McLeod, S. (2018). Communication rights: Fundamental human rights for all. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2018.1428687
It is exciting to see communication rights on ASHA t-shirts and merchandise and now mentioned in ASHA's mission/masthead
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Making effective communication, a human right, accessible and achievable for all.
The ASHA conference held in
Seattle this week has 13,005 registrations from 58 countries
https://convention.asha.org/. Tonight I was honoured to receive the Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Contributions in International Achievement from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) at the Awards Ceremony (https://www.asha.org/about/awards/certificate-of-recognition-for-outstanding-contributions-in-international-achievement/).
Here is some of the text from the 2-page nomination by Prof. Lynn Williams' (Past ASHA President)
Dr. McLeod is a distinguished clinician-researcher whose groundbreaking work on child speech acquisition and disorders in over 100 languages, dialects, and cultures has had a profound impact on children’s lives and has influenced health and education professionals worldwide. Her contributions have been recognized by a number of awards, including ASHA Fellow and Honors of the Association. As a speech-language pathologist and professor of speech and language acquisition at Charles Sturt University, Australia, Dr. McLeod has demonstrated exemplary dedication and leadership in this field...
In summary, Dr. McLeod’s outstanding contributions in international education, publications, and research have not only transformed the field of speech-language pathology but have also had a profound impact on children’s lives globally. Her dedication to advancing knowledge and fostering international collaboration exemplifies the spirit of this award.
I wholeheartedly endorse Dr. McLeod’s nomination for the Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Contributions in International Achievement. Her unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation makes her a truly deserving recipient of this honor.
ASHA currently has over 230,000 members https://www.asha.org/. In the history of the award, there have only been 21 people/groups who have received the award. Here is the list of past recipients (https://www.asha.org/about/awards/certificate-of-recognition-for-outstanding-contributions-in-international-achievement-recipients/). I was particularly thrilled to share the 2024 award with my colleagues from Turkiye (Ahmet Konrot, İlknur Maviş, Seyhun Topbaş). I have worked with Seyhun Topbaş since 1996.
It is wonderful to celebrate both awards with my colleagues from across the world in 2024. In 2021 I was awarded ASHA Honors - but was unable to attend the ceremony due to COVID-19 lockdowns in Australia (https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2021/11/asha-awards-ceremony.html). I was one of 11 colleagues receiving ASHA Honors in 2021 and was the first ASHA International Affiliate to receive the award since it began in 1944. The CSU News story about my award is here: https://news.csu.edu.au/latest-news/unique-international-honour-for-speech-and-language-acquisition-expert. Here is the video that ASHA created to announce my award at the ceremony: https://vimeo.com/644073807.
Information about the ASHA Awards Ceremony (from the ASHA website) https://convention.asha.org/networking/awards-ceremony/
The Awards Ceremony celebrates the highest achievements and excellence in the professions. Awards presented this evening include the Honors of the Association—ASHA's most prestigious award, which recognizes lifetime achievement—and ASHA Fellows, whose recipients' contributions are the cornerstones of the communication sciences and disorders (CSD) professions. ASHA will present additional awards to honor other members who have also contributed to the professions and to ASHA.
The Annie Glenn Award will also be presented. It is named after the late Annie Glenn, a devoted champion for people with communication disorders. It honors individuals or groups who are champions much like the award’s namesake. This year, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, an advocate for people who stutter and a former college basketball national champion who went on to play in the National Basketball Association will receive the Annie.
Each evening at the ASHA convention there are receptions and events that are fantastic opportunities for networking and planning future collaborations. Here are some of the events Holly McAlister (my PhD student) and I have been invited to and attended:
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
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| Researcher-Academic Town Meeting (RATM) with Prof. Nat Munro (Australia) on the screen |
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| ASHA President Tena L. McNamara, AuD, CCC-A/SLP with Holly McAlister, Julie Malone and Sharynne McLeod |
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| Hong Kong Speech Therapists' Association representatives with Holly and Sharynne and the ASHA President's reception |
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| President's reception with Julie Malone - Board Member at Large |
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| International Reception - Holly McAlister, Cara Jane Millar (Australia), Kath Broofield (UK), Anthony Pak (Hong Kong SAR China), Eddy Wong (Hong Kong SAR China), Sharynne McLeod |
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| RATM: Nicole, Karla Washington, Chelsea Sommer, Holly McAlister, Kath Broomfield, Lynn Williams, Anthony Pak, Kelly Farquharson, Sharynne McLeod |
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| Asia Pacific Caucus (Holly and I are on the right) |
Each year at ASHA I connect with many friends - and make many new ones. Here are a few photos.
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| Dr. Lynn Williams (USA) |
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| Dr. Kelly Farquharson (USA) |
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| Dr. Leah Fabiano and Dr. Katie Hustad (USA) |
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| Past ASHA Presidents Dr. Tommie Robinson and Dr. Elise Davis-McFarland with current SPA President Kathryn McKinley |
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| Prof. Seyhun Topbas and Prof. Ilknur Mavis from Turkiye |
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| Dr. Lilly Cheng, Dr. Carol Westby and Lesley Magnus (updating Barbara Hodson's book) |
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| Dr. Mark Guiberson |
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| Dr. Scott Yaruss and Holly McAlister |
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| Dr. Rebecca McCauley, |
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) convention is held in Seattle this week. At the opening ceremony they announced that there were 13,005 registrations from 58 countries and all 50 states of the US https://convention.asha.org/.
Our session titled "Culturally Appropriate Assessment in International Contexts: Assessing Children's Speech in Their Home Language(s)" was selected for live-broadcast:
Congratulations! Your in-person, 1-hour oral seminar (listed below) has been selected by the 2024 ASHA Convention Co-Chairs to be live-broadcast as part of the Virtual Program. During the submission process you indicated that you would agree to have your slides and audio broadcast to the virtual platform in real-time if selected. Only 77 sessions were chosen to be broadcast live, with consideration given to the overall strength and value to virtual-only participants and alignment with our 2024 theme, ELEVATE!...The live broadcast is a real-time feed of your presentation onsite in Seattle. Your session will not be recorded and will not be available as an on-demand Virtual Program session after it concludes.
Congratulations to Holly McAlister who is presenting her PhD and attending ASHA for the first time. I am so proud of how well she is networking and making the most of this unique opportunity.
I was also invited to host an ASHA Research Round Table - “Engaging in International Research Collaborations” with Dr. Giang Pham
Congratulations to my colleagues from Türkiye: Prof. Seyhun Topbaş, Prof. Ahmet Konrot and Prof. İlknur Maviş who were nominated by Prof. Kenneth St Louis to receive the Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Contributions in International Achievement at the ASHA Awards Ceremony. Seyhun and I have collaborated over many years. It was wonderful to celebrate together.
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| Prof. Ahmet Konrot, Prof. Kenneth St Louis, Prof. Seyhun Topbaş, Prof. İlknur Maviş, Prof. Sharynne McLeod |
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| ASHA Awards Ceremony rehearsal |
I have enjoyed exploring Seattle while getting over jetlag with Holly McAlister, my PhD student and my husband. I have enjoyed and learning more about the traditions of the Coast Salish people - particularly at the Seattle Children's Museum. Seattle has gorgeous scenery and is also the home of many innovative companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, and Alaska Airlines.
The Fish! Philosophy (https://fishphilosophy.com/what-is-fish/) is also from the Pike Place Fish Market Seattle. The central four ideas are:
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| Note the shadow of the Space Needle - looking towards the University of Washington |
I continue to get ideas for the Children's Voices Centre and The Treehouse as I travel to different parts of the world. This week I got a lot of ideas from the excellent Seattle Children's Museum (https://seattlechildrensmuseum.org/) as an "unaccompanied adult". I enjoyed sock skating, making a melting snowman, and learning about the Coast Salish people and nature of the Pacific North West.
Congratulations to my research students who have graduated during 2024.
Due to CSU changing the graduation ceremony dates - they clashed with my previously organised international travel - so I was unable to attend their graduations ceremonies. So, over the past few weeks, I was able to borrow academic gowns and celebrate in person.
Congratulations!
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| Dr. Marie Ireland (celebrating at ASHA 2024) |
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| Sarah Bartlett - Graduate Certificate in Research |
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| Celebrating at The Treehouse during ECV2024 |
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| Dr Kate Margetson |
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| Dr Belinda Downey |
What would I do without Helen Blake working with me. She is magnificent. Here are a few of the thinks she has accomplished this year. Wow!
1. Conduct ethical, high-quality research through scholarship, publication and presentation:
2. Work closely with the Professorial Fellow to organise and take part in research initiatives, events, mentorship:
3. Identify and create opportunities for collaborative research projects:
4. Establish and maintain strategic relationships and networks:
5. Provide leadership and manage small research teams:
The Early Childhood Voices Conference 2024 (ECV2024) was held from 25-28 November 2024. Organised by the Charles Sturt University Early Childhood Interdisciplinary Research Group (ECIR), this virtual and asynchronous event brought together 1,338 researchers and professionals from 54 countries:
LAUNCH: On Monday 25th November, the conference was officially launched by Professor Renée Leon, Vice-Chancellor and President, at a livestreamed event on the Bathurst campus. Professor Tony Dreise presented a keynote address entitled Giving voice to ‘villages’, listening to ‘Country’: It’s time to unlock the power of ‘place’. The audience enjoyed the music played by the Assumption Catholic Primary School Band. Students from the band also formed a press gallery to report on the launch. Afterwards, guests on campus visited the Treehouse for popcorn and refreshments.
KEYNOTES: Over four days, ECV2024 showcased the work of the four keynote presentations,
STREAMS: 147 oral presentations, and 200+ children’s drawings across three streams - early childhood voices: international interdisciplinary research, multilingual children's speech development and children draw playing global online gallery.
SYNCHRONOUS PARTICIPATION: Participants also engaged in six yarning circle discussions and a workshop on understanding different communications methods presented by Shirley Wong, who has lived experience of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.
WEBSITE: The conference website can be viewed here https://earlychildhoodresearch.csu.domains/early-childhood-voices-conference-2024/
Here is the summary Dr Carolyn Gregoric wrote for the School of Education newsletter:
Early Childhood Voices Conference 2024
The Early Childhood Voices Conference 2024 (ECV2024), held from November 25 to 28, has just concluded, leaving a lasting impact on all participants. Organised by the Charles Sturt University Early Childhood Interdisciplinary Research Group (ECIR), this virtual and asynchronous event brought together 1,338 researchers and professionals from 54 countries.
On Monday 25th November, the conference was officially launched by Professor Renée Leon, Vice-Chancellor and President, at a livestreamed event on the Bathurst campus. Professor Tony Dreise presented a keynote address entitled Giving voice to ‘villages’, listening to ‘Country’: It’s time to unlock the power of ‘place’. The audience enjoyed the music played by the Assumption Catholic Primary School Band. Students from the band also formed a press gallery to report on the launch. Afterwards, guests on campus visited the Treehouse for popcorn and refreshments.
Over four days, ECV2024 showcased the work of the four keynote presentations, 147 oral presentations, and 200+ children’s drawings across three streams - early childhood voices: international interdisciplinary research, multilingual children's speech development and children draw playing global online gallery.Participants also engaged in six yarning circle discussions and a workshop on understanding different communications methods presented by Shirley Wong, who has lived experience of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.
The conference website can be viewed here https://earlychildhoodresearch.csu.domains/early-childhood-voices-conference-2024/