|
This year's theme, United in Science and Service, highlights a topic that is near and dear to my heart: linking research and practice. For some time now, we have all heard the importance of evidence-based practice and using research and theory to guide our clinical services. The 2004 convention is poised to hit these issues square on. Our theme is meant to emphasize connections between researchers and clinicians, collaborative efforts among audiologists and speech-language pathologists, and links between those in the United States and colleagues abroad. By showcasing how researchers and clinicians can contribute to the scientific basis of our discipline and develop clinical procedures grounded in science, we as a profession will grow in uniting science and service for the individuals we serve.
I want to encourage you to submit to the convention this year, as it is a specific way to contribute to the knowledge base of your profession. Keep in mind, you can submit research you are conducting or have completed (group designs, single subject research, case studies, etc.). You also can submit ideas for an educational seminar that seeks to use current research as the foundation for our assessment and intervention services.
I am proud and honored to be co-chairing this convention in a city that represents independence, unity, and teamwork. We have assembled a stellar group of Program Committee Topic Chairs who have been hard at work brainstorming and creating new and innovative ideas for the convention. As we prepare for this year, I am acutely aware that I have been going to ASHA conventions for over 20 years (I was a teen when I started!). Each convention has been exciting and enlightening, professionally and personally. This year's convention will be no less and, I choose to believe, much more. Please join us as we become United in Science and Service!
Kenn Apel, PhD, CCC-SLP
2004 ASHA Convention Co-Chair
|