SLP Faculty & Staff

Mrs. Joy Townsend

 
Joy Townsend is currently serving as the Interim Speech-Language Program Director and Department Chair. She is also the Graduate Practicum Coordinator. Mrs. Townsend earned her B.S. degree at the University of Mississippi and her M.S. degree at Mississippi University for Women. Before coming to MUW, Mrs. Townsend was employed as a speech-language pathologist in the public school system. She has been employed full-time at Mississippi University for Women since 1995. Particular areas of interest are family, books and reading, cooking, and SEC sports, particularly football. She is married with two sons. She became a proud grandmother in October, 2010. She is also quite fond of her Chihuahua, Mario.

Dr. Marie Byrne

 
Marie Byrne became a full time faculty member at the Mississippi University for Women in August, 1997. Her areas of interest include dysphagia and adult neurogenic communication disorders. Dr. Byrne has held the certificate of clinical competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association since 1980 and is a member of ASHA special interest divisions in dysphagia and neurophysiology/neurogenic speech and language disorders. She earned a bachelor of science degree from East Stroudsburg (PA) University, a masters of arts degree from the Trenton State University (now known as the College of New Jersey), and a Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University.

Mrs. Donna Burlingame

 
Donna Burlingame is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Speech-Language Pathology. She has returned to Mississippi after practicing in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Louis Special School District, St. Louis, Missouri, and private practice in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Her areas of interest are child phonology, language and literacy.

Mrs. Lynn Hanson

 
Mrs. Hanson is a magna cum laude graduate of MUW with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology. She has been on the faculty at MUW for 26 years as an instructor and clinical supervisor.  Her primary areas of expertise include preschool phonology and language with a recent interest in literacy. Mrs. Hanson and her husband have three sons, and she enjoys church activities and reading just about anything.

Dr. Michelle Harmon

 
Michelle Harmon is a full professor of Speech Language Pathology at Mississippi University for Women since August of 1982. She is a member of the American Speech Language Hearing Association and the Mississippi Speech Language Hearing Association. Her primary areas of interest are in the disorders of stuttering and voice. Dr. Harmon also teaches motor speech disorders and articulation disorders. She is a member of the ASHA special interest division in stuttering disorders and has presented nationally in the area of stuttering.

Dr. Johanna Price

 
Johanna Price is an assistant professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology. She received her Ph.D. in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from the University of Memphis, with an emphasis in child language and literacy. She then completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied the speech and language development of children with Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome. Dr. Price moved to Mississippi with her husband and began teaching at MUW in 2007, where she teaches classes in child language and research methods.  Her areas of interest include language and literacy development in children with language disorders as well as in children from culturally diverse backgrounds.  Dr. Price enjoys spending time with her family, reading, cooking, and walking.

Mrs. Cheryl Wright

 
Cheryl Wright is a 1996 graduate of MUW where she earned her B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in General Business. Mrs. Wright has served as the office manager at the MUW Speech and Hearing Center since January 1997. She also serves as loan officer for the MUW Federal Credit Union, is past secretary/treasurer for MUW Chapter 076 Phi Kappa Phi, and past regent of the Shuk-ko-ta Tom-a-ha Chaper of the DAR.  Her hobbies include scrapbooking, photography and genealogy.

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