Southeastern NSSLHA chapter and advisor receive honors
Thursday, June 3, 2021
by: Tonya Lowentritt 
SOUTHEASTERN NSSLHA CHAPTER AND ADVISOR HONORED – The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association has recognized retired Professor of Southeastern Louisiana University’s Communication and Sciences Disorders program and Chapter Advisor Lillian Stiegler with Chapter Advisor Honors. Southeastern’s chapter of NSSLHA was also awarded 2021 Gold Chapter Honors.
HAMMOND – The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association has awarded
the NSSLHA chapter at Southeastern Louisiana University with 2021 Gold Chapter Honors.
National NSSLHA Chapter Honors are awarded to affiliated chapters that demonstrate
an outstanding effort to support the organization’s national mission to inspire, empower,
and support students in communication sciences and disorders programs, said retired
Professor of Southeastern’s Communication and Sciences Disorders program and Chapter
Advisor Lillian Stiegler.
“The Communication Sciences and Disorders program offers an undergraduate curriculum
leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science,” said Stiegler, a resident of Covington.
“The four-year curriculum prepares students to serve individuals with communication
disorders. Clinical practica are required.”
The program also offers curriculum and external clinical practica leading to
a Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, added Stiegler,
a specialist in the field of autism spectrum disorders.
Graduate student Mary Grace Kelley of Slidell nominated Stiegler for the Chapter
Advisor Honors Award, which she received for the first time this year.
“Dr. Stiegler has served as our NSSLHA Chapter Advisor for 25 years—always emphasizing
the importance of advocacy, voting, philanthropy, and service. She has a visible and
contagious love for speech-language pathology, which spreads like wildfire through
her students and chapter members,” said Kelley.
Kelley explained that Stiegler motivated her students to overcome obstacles created
by COVID-19 and encouraged them to launch a mentorship program. Their efforts helped
build
relationships within the CSD program, as well as connect the students virtually with
audiologists and speech language pathologists across the world.
“With Dr. Stiegler’s leadership, our chapter has received National NSSLHA Chapter
Honors award multiple times, including Chapter of the Year in 2004, and the Award
of Excellence twice,” Kelley said. “Since Dr. Stiegler has retired from Southeastern,
we honor her efforts and achievements, and we truly believe she deserves this award.”
