Dr. Jean Neils-Strunjas is a tenured professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is a certified speech-language pathologist, researcher, and teacher. Her academic and administrative experience spans the University of Cincinnati and Armstrong State University of the University System of Georgia (now Georgia Southern University) to her former appointment as Department Head at Western Kentucky University.

Dr. Neils-Strunjas conducts clinical research with teams across the US in speech-language pathology, rehabilitation, psychology, and neurology. One area of research concentration addresses the cognitive and linguistic impairments that affect adults with acquired neurogenic disorders. She served on the Joint Committee on Interprofessional Relations of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Division 40 (Clinical Neuropsychology) of the American Psychological Association as one of 4 professionals representing the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association from 2011-2015 and as Chair from 2013-2015.

She is one of the founding members of the Center for Applied Science in Health & Aging (CASHA). Her goal is to provide graduate students with the knowledge, clinical experience, and research background to impact those with communication disorders.  She is the CHHS Faculty Fellow for Research.  She also serves as a Site Reviewer for the CAA (Council on Academic Accreditation).

Link to Dr. Neils-Strunjas' journal articles: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jean_Neils-Strunjas

External Grants

• Neils-Strunjas, Jean: Co-Investigator with PI, Jason Crandall. Bingocize®: An evidence-based health promotion program to improve the quality of life of Kentucky certified nursing facility residents. Funded 2-27-17 to 1-1-20. Civil Money Penalty Grant, United States Center for Medicare Services: $744,202 (across 2017 to 2020).

Peer-Reviewed National and International Journals

• Neils-Strunjas, J., Crandall, K.J., Shackelford, J., Dispennette, K., Stevens, L.R., & Glascock, A. (2018): Students report more positive attitudes toward older adults following an interprofessional service-learning course, Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, DOI: 10.1080/02701960.2018.1479262.
• Morrow-Odom, K.L., Moser, D.C., & Neils-Strunjas, J. (2017). Current practices in the assessment of quality of life in individuals with aphasia. Clinical Archives of Communication Disorders, 2, 185-195, https://doi.org/10.21849/cacd.2017.00143
• Neils-Strunjas, J., Paul, D., Clark A. N., Mudar, R., Duff, M.C., Waldron-Perrine, B., & Bechtold, K.T. (2017). Role of resilience in the rehabilitation of adults with acquired brain injury. Brain Injury, 31:2, 131-139, DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2016.1229032
• Sotto, C.D., Redle, E., Bandaranayake, D., Neils-Strunjas, J., & Creaghead, N.A. (2014). Fricatives at 18 months as a measure for predicting vocabulary and grammar at 24 and 30 months. Journal of Communication Disorders, 49, 1-12.
• Sacks, S., Flipsen, P., & Neils-Strunjas, J. (2013). Effectiveness of the SATPAC approach to remediate /s, z/: A preliminary study. Perceptual & Motor Skills: Perception, 117(2), 1-19.
• Riegler, L., Neils-Strunjas, J., Boyce, S., Wade, S., & Scheifele, P. (2013). Cognitive intervention results in web-based videophone treatment adherence and improved cognitive scores. Medical Science Monitor, 19, 269-275.
• Musser, J., Kelchner, L., Neils-Strunjas, J., & Montrose, M. (2011). Patient compliance during 24-Hour dual pH Probe monitoring for extraesophageal reflux. International Scholarly Research Network Journal of Otolaryngology, 2011, Article ID 703936, 7 pages, doi: 10.5402/2011/703936.
• Musser, J., Kelchner, L., Neils-Strunjas, J., & Montrose, M. (2011). A comparison of rating scales used in the diagnosis of extraesophageal reflux. Journal of Voice, 25(3), 293-300.
• Harnish, S.M., Neils-Strunjas, J., Eliassen, J., Reilly, J., Meinzer, M., Clark, J.G., & Joseph, J. (2010). Visual discrimination predicts naming and semantic association accuracy in Alzheimer's disease. Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, 23(4): 231-239.
• Reilly, J., Rodriguez, A., Lamy, M., Wilson, J., & Neils-Strunjas, J. (2010). Cognition, language, and clinical pathological course of non-Alzheimer's dementias: An overview. Journal of Communication Disorders, 43, 438-452.

Other Publications:

• Waldron-Perrine, B., Neils-Strunjas, J., Paul, D., Clark, A., Mudar, R., Maestas, K., Duff, M., & Bechtold, K.T. (2016). Integrating Resilience-building into the neurorehabilitation process. Brain Injury Professional, 12 (3). 22-25.
• Ball, A., Neils-Strunjas, J., & Krival, K. (2015). A longitudinal posthumous study of letter writing in a late elderly case. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Perspectives- IG 15 (Gerontology).