Kia Noelle Johnson, Ph.D., CCC-SLPKia Noelle Johnson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is Director of the Atlanta Satellite of The University of Texas at Austin's Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research, a clinical research institute with the mission to change the world for people who stutter. Dr. Johnson, a certified speech-language pathologist through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), is an expert in developmental stuttering with a focus on culturally and linguistically diverse individuals and communities. She is also a growing leader in the provision and facilitation of seminars and training workshops in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultural responsiveness in clinical and professional settings. Dr. Johnson has served the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology through volunteer roles such as a member of the ASHA Board of Directors (2020-2022) and past National Advisor to the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (2020-2022). She currently serves as the Immediate Past Chair of National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing Board of Directors and is a member of the ASHA Board of Ethics.
Karla McGregor, Ph.D., CCC-SLPKarla K. McGregor, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a Senior Scientist at Boys Town National Research Hospital where she also serves as the Senior Director of the Center for Childhood Deafness, Language and Learning. She is a Professor Emerita at the University of Iowa and a founding member and Chair of DLDandMe.org. Dr. McGregor’s scholarly work on developmental language disorder is funded by the National Institutes of Health and she has also benefited from the support of the National Science Foundation and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is the former Editor for Language of the Journal of Speech-Language-Hearing Research. Her awards include Honors of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Kawana Award for Lifetime Achievement in Publishing. She has been fortunate to mentor 12 doctoral students, six post-doctoral scholars, and numerous early-career scientists.
Scott Busteed, M.S., CCC-SLPScott Busteed, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a clinical speech-language pathologist who has served as the Manager of Speech-Language Pathology at Boys Town National Research Hospital since 2022. Scott completed his clinical fellowship with School District #89 in Melrose Park, IL, in 2014 before transitioning to outpatient pediatrics in 2015. Since that time, he has worked with patients & students in a variety of outpatient and contracted school settings throughout Illinois, Colorado & Nebraska. Scott’s prior supervisory experience includes serving as lead speech-language pathologist at a private practice, clinical director at a growing, national pediatric outpatient clinic, clinical supervisor of clinical fellows, and student extern supervisor of undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Colorado-Boulder and Rush University, respectively.
Tiana Cowan, Ph.D., CCC-SLPTiana Cowan, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a language scientist at Boys Town National Research Hospital. Her research program advances our understanding of how speech perception and language experience influence one another in bilingual development.
Natalie Mason, M.S., CCC-SLPNatalie Mason, M.S., CCC-SLP is a bilingual (Spanish/English) research speech-language pathologist at Boys Town National Research Hospital. Her clinical experience includes intervention and assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse children and adults in various settings across the United States and abroad in Guatemala, including early intervention, schools, daycares, in-home services, and tele-therapy.
Lisa Goffman, Ph.D., CCC-SLPLisa Goffman is a Senior Scientist and Endowed Chair in the Center for Childhood Deafness, Language and Learning at Boys Town National Research Hospital. Prior to her research career, she was a Speech-Language Pathologist in a transdisciplinary early intervention program. The central aim of her research is to develop an account of developmental language disorder that translates findings about shared motor and cognitive processes to the development of effective assessment and intervention practices. Her work has been funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
Krystal Werfel, Ph.D., CCC-SLPKrystal L. Werfel, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a Senior Scientist at Boys Town National Research Hospital. Her work is focused on early language and literacy in children who are deaf and hard of hearing, including understanding acquisition and leveraging that knowledge to develop effective and valid interventions and assessments. Dr. Werfel’s s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation, and the International Literacy Association. She is a former Editor for Language of the Journal of Speech-Language-Hearing Research. Her awards include Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Abby Bogatz, MA, CCC-SLPAbby is a bilingual speech-language pathologist at Boys Town National Research Hospital. She obtained undergraduate degrees in Spanish and Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a Bilingual/Multicultural Emphasis from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She completed the online Bilingual Extension Institute from Columbia University in 2021. For the past 8 years, Abby has served on a variety of SLP roles including preschool service delivery, in-home early intervention services, evaluation and treatment in the outpatient clinic, and research teams.
Benjamin Harder, MS, CCC-SLPBenjamin “Ben” Harder, M.S., CCC-SLP is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist currently employed by Boys Town National Research Hospital providing outpatient pediatric speech/language therapy services. Ben has clinical professional experiences over the last decade in public schools, contracted school placements, and outpatient/private clinical settings with children across the lifespan. Ben has extensive experience collaborating with teachers, related service providers, administration, and families to support children in achieving their communication goals. Ben has a special interest in working with autistic individuals and their families, interdisciplinary practices, as well as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
Allyssa LaRose, MS, CCC-SLPAllyssa LaRose, M.S., CCC-SLP is a school-based and medical SLP at Boys Town National Research Hospital working in their K-12 behavioral school programs, inpatient units, and outpatient clinics, as well as consulting on various teams. She works with birth through adulthood populations with a variety of diagnoses but specializes in language and literacy disorders as well as behavior management. Allyssa is trained in Boys Town’s Specialized Classroom Management and Safe Crisis Management, is a certified trainer of Reading with TLC’s Lively Letters program, was awarded ASHA's Distinguished Early Career Professional Certificate in 2022 and graduated from ASHA's Leadership Development Program in 2024.
Kate Shuster, MA, CCC-SLPKate Shuster M.A. CCC-SLP is a speech language pathologist and manager of the Early Education Programs at Boys Town National Research Hospital. She has worked in a variety of settings including public schools, private practice, and outpatient clinics. Her clinical experience includes intervention and assessment of children across those settings, specifically intervention and assessment of young children with hearing loss, specifically ages 0-5.
Amy Tyler Krings, MA, CCC-SLPAmy Tyler Krings is the Director of Clinical & Educational Programs in the Center for Childhood Deafness, Language and Learning at Boys Town National Research Hospital. Amy’s journey in the field of speech-language pathology is marked by diverse and impactful experiences across various settings, which have collectively shaped her leadership and vision. During Amy’s career at Boys Town, she has served on numerous teams, including early intervention, preschool, school-based contract services for K-12, cochlear implant team, outpatient speech-language clinic, and research. Amy leverages these varied experiences to lead with insight and compassion and is dedicated to ensuring that all programs under her direction adhere to the highest standards of quality, evidence-based practice, and ethical service delivery.
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