Assistant Professor, Speech-Language Pathology
What is your educational background?
I have a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UCLA, and a master’s degree in counseling psychology and a master’s in speech-language pathology from the University of Kansas. I worked in the field for about seven or eight years before I decided to return to Kansas to complete my Ph.D.
How long have you been at DelVal?
About two years now, going on three.
What brought you to DelVal?
I was drawn to DelVal primarily due to the University's intimate size and the favorable faculty-to-student ratio. Additionally, the opportunity to contribute to a brand new speech pathology program intrigued me. Given my experience in bilingualism and multiculturalism, I aspire to incorporate these aspects into the program's framework. While numerous speech-language pathology programs exist, there are not many that offer a bilingual emphasis.
How do you harness the pillar of experiential learning in your everyday teaching?
Even though we are online, we developed the curriculum to maintain an emphasis on hands-on learning. One thing we do is require our students to perform oral mechanism exams on someone they know, record the procedure, and report what they’ve learned. The oral mechanism exam is a practice that speech-language pathologists use to diagnose speech disorders or impediments, so it is very practical.
What brings you the most satisfaction in your job?
I really enjoy collaborating with my colleagues and I think that’s so important in what we do, especially given that we are online. I also love the discussions I have with my students and working through problem solving tasks with them. We do a lot of didactic courses and when I see their wheels turning and see the moment when the make the connection from what they’re learning in class and how it’s applicable, that’s very rewarding.
Do you have any student success stories that stand out to you?
Well, we have our first cohort graduating from our program this summer so that’s top of mind right now. I’m just so proud of all the students that are representing this first cohort and I’m excited to see what their futures hold for them.
What are the characteristics of a successful student in your cohorts at DelVal?
Being open to learning and taking it seriously. What they’re learning is going to apply to their careers right away so taking responsibility for their learning and not making excuses is crucial.
Any specific activities or initiatives that you prioritize while mentoring students?
I just try to always remind them that through this program they have a lot of support. Our professors are very knowledgeable and have a lot of experience so I always encourage them to leverage that and not be afraid to ask questions or ask for help
If you were to have a YouTube channel or a Tikok Channel and you're an influencer, what would your channel be about, or would the content be?
I don’t really know, I feel like I don’t even have time for hobbies anymore. I do make a mean Mexican rice that I’ve always gotten compliments for and I make a great keto coffee shake so maybe something along the lines of cooking with some speech-language tips and tricks mixed in.
About Dr. Fierro
Veronica Fierro, PhD, CCC-SLP, received a master of science degree in counseling psychology and a master of arts degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Kansas. Fierro obtained a PhD in speech-language pathology from the University of Kansas in 2017. As a bilingual (English/Spanish) speech-language pathologist since 2001, Fierro currently works part-time in the field. Fierro's interests include assessment and intervention in bilingual populations, multicultural issues in speech-language pathology, and global issues in speech-language pathology.