People

Program Directors

Courtney Byrd, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathology Program Director
Email: Courtney.Byrd@austin.utexas.edu

Julia Campbell, PhD, AuD, CCC-A, F-AAA

Audiology Program Director
Email: julia.campbell@austin.utexas.edu

Rajinder Koul, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Department Chair
Email: Rajinder.Koul@austin.utexas.edu

Clinic Faculty

Kristy Armer

Office: CMA 2.256
Email: karmer@austin.utexas.edu
Phone: (512) 471-2019

Kristy Armer, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. Mrs. Armer received her Master’s degree in Communication Disorders from Texas Tech University Health Sciences. She is also a Certified Brain Injury Specialist (ACBIS).

Mrs. Armer is a certified speech-language pathologist and has experience with adult populations in a variety of settings including acute care, inpatient and outpatient rehab, private practice, and long-term residential care facilities. In addition to clinical work, she has supervised graduate students, SLP assistants and clinical fellows. Her primary interest is adult swallowing and speech-language-cognitive disorders related to aphasia and brain injury.

Jessica H. Franco

Office: CMA 2.248
Email: jfranco@austin.utexas.edu
Phone: (512) 471-2017

Jessica H. Franco, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCBA-D, joined the UTSHC as a Clinical Assistant Professor in summer, 2011. She holds degrees from the University of Kansas and University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Franco has focused her clinical practice and research on assessment and treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). She founded a diagnostic and training center in San Antonio and has traveled as a consultant for schools and autism centers around the country.

Dr. Franco has experience with a variety of approaches for teaching communication skills and methods for reducing severe challenging behaviors. She is active in many autism-related committees and boards, including the Texas Autism Resource and Research Center, Texas Autism Council Advisory Task Force, and the Autism Community Network.

Monike Garabieta

Office: CMA 2.258
Hours: By appointment only
Email: monike.garabieta@austin.utexas.edu
Phone: (512) 232-1517

Monike W. Garabieta, MS, CCC/SLP is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Garabieta received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Baylor University. She has experience with pediatric populations in outpatient, private practice, home health, NICU, and public-school settings. Additionally, Ms. Garabieta gained familiarity with adult patients with swallowing and neurogenic disorders during previous employment at Baylor Scott and White in Temple and Cedar Park’s Regional Medical Center. Ms. Garabieta has particular interest in narrative-based intervention across various domains and ages in order to increase processing, receptive-expressive skills, phonological awareness, and recall. She lives in Austin with her husband and two cats, Toby and Waffles.

Kelsey Hatton

Office: CMA 2.250
Hours: By appointment only
Email: kelsey.hatton@austin.utexas.edu
Phone: (512) 471-2015

Kelsey Hatton, Au.D. joined the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences January 2022. She received her Bachelor's in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Texas at Austin in 2008 and her Doctorate of Audiology from Vanderbilt University in 2013.

Dr. Hatton's clinical specialties include vestibular and hearing evaluations for all ages. She also has experience fitting hearing aids and programming cochlear implants. During her clinical work, she has supervised audiology graduate students as well as being shadowed by undergraduate students, physicians in training, and physical therapy graduate students. Her research interests include validity and specificity of audiological test battery, outcome measures, migraines with balance disorders, and falls risk assessment.

Sangeeta Kamdar

Office: CMA 2.252
Email:sangeeta.kamdar@austin.utexas.edu
Phone: (512) 471-2019

Sangeeta Kamdar, Au.D joined the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences in August of 2016. Dr. Kamdar received her doctorate of audiology (AuD) from The University of Texas at Austin in 2007. Her research interests include exploring the contribution of cognition in speech perception.

Dr. Kamdar specializes in diagnostic audiology, amplifying systems, and aural rehabilitation. Prior to lecturing, she worked as a clinical audiologist for over 9 years at an ENT practice that focused exclusively on diseases of the ear.