Additional Resources
Learn more about The Blank Center and our mission to change the world for people who stutter. Get started and connect with our growing community.
Our Team
Courtney Byrd, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a Full Professor, Associate Chair, and Graduate Advisor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin, where she also serves as Founding and Executive Director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research, which has three core branches each of which she also founded and directs, including the Michael and Tami Lang Stuttering Institute, the Dealey Family Foundation Stuttering Clinic, and the Dr. Jennifer and Emanuel Bodner Developmental Stuttering Lab. Dr. Byrd developed the Blank Center CARE™ Model, a strengths-based approach to stuttering treatment refined over decades of research, and founded Camp Dream. Speak. Live.® and the When I Talk, I Stutter animated series. She has over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has dedicated her life’s work to advancing understanding of the etiology across culturally and linguistically diverse populations, as well as improving treatment and training practices to better serve people who stutter.
Our Team
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Liam studied journalism right here at the University of Texas at Austin. Highlighting the compelling stories of Austinites led him to write for KUT, Austin Monthly, and Orange Magazine. After his time as a writer, he spent four years with GoDaddy managing social media accounts for hundreds of local businesses around the U.S. Supporting these businesses helped him grow into a designer and writer who can create content on behalf of an established brand. On days outside of work, you can find Liam singing karaoke from his extensive song list, trying out a new recipe, or taking his dog to Zilker.
Telling stories about underserved communities was at the heart of my storytelling as a writer. When I received the offer, I couldn’t help but smile knowing I would get a chance to create content that inspires and informs everyone about the invaluable work that goes on at the Blank Center. Incredible things are happening all around us, and what we can do best is share that with the rest of the world.
My first day just so happened to be the first day of Camp Dream. Speak. Live. Top of the agenda was introducing yourself to the room. Speaking to a roomful of brand-new faces sucked the courage out of me immediately. After seeing how incredible all the participants were at communicating, I couldn’t help but think they were the ones who should’ve gotten the job! This week alone, I’ve learned so much more from the participants about being a better communicator than in any of the years I spent in classes or practicing presentations. Their courage and skills are contagious, and they’ve shown me how to Dream. Speak. Live.® and accept every part of me that makes me unique.
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Marshonntri Austin is our new Assistant Director of Administrative Management. She has over a decade of successful experience in planning events and leadership training. In addition, Marshonntri specializes in providing excellent customer service. Marshonntri enjoys volunteering, spending time with her family, and watching college football. She graduated from Jacksonville State University, the friendliest campus in the south, in Jacksonville, Alabama. Marshonntri believes a smile and positive thinking are vital in making our world a little better.
She resides in Atlanta with her husband, Deryan, and daughter Reid.
I chose to work with Dr. Byrd and the Blank Center because, as a servant leader, it provides an opportunity to be a part of the solution by helping others conquer their fears and live out their purpose.
Dream. Speak. Live.® – means taking action to achieve your goals
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Andrea Chee, M.S., CCC-SLP is a Clinical Research Associate. Andrea received her BS from the University of Texas at Austin and her MS in speech-language pathology from Texas Christian University. Andrea completed her clinical fellowship in her hometown of El Paso, TX working primarily with bilingual, Spanish-English speaking children in the school setting.
I was most drawn to the sense of passion that the team at the Blank Center holds for the work they are doing. Everyone there feels like they’re part of something bigger than themselves, all working together to achieve something great.
To me, Dream. Speak. Live.® means to live your life without limits. Everyone deserves to build a life that fits them, in which they are able to speak freely and to go after their wildest dreams.
Para mi, Dream. Speak. Live. quiere decir que uno debe de vivir la vida sin límites. Cada persona merece la oportunidad de crear un estilo de vida especialmente para ellos, en donde puedan hablar libremente y trabajar para alcanzar sus sueños.
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Geoffrey A. Coalson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a Associate Director of Research and Grant Development for The Blank Center. Prior to this role, Dr. Coalson served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Founding Director of the LSU Stuttering Lab. Dr. Coalson received his BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders and BA in Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin, and his Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from Vanderbilt University. After a clinical fellowship in Houston, Texas, he returned to UT-Austin to complete his Ph.D. in Speech-Language Pathology. His research has focused on the contribution of phonetic and phonological factors to stuttering, with a secondary interest in the description of multilingual speakers in stuttering research. Dr. Courtney Byrd and her team at UT-Austin have been at the forefront of stuttering research for the past decade. Based on her clinical and behavioral data, The Blank Center was founded to advance our understanding of stuttering beyond the typical narrative and to embrace a bolder vision of the stuttering experience for our clients. For Dr. Coalson, it is an honor to be a part of The Blank Center team as we further refine our role as clinicians and redefine what it means to communicate truly. As a person who stutters himself, Dream. Speak. Live.® captures the essence of what many children who stutter believe they can never fully attain: to speak, to dream, and to live unapologetically. To authorize a new future for these children at The Blank Center – one wherein stuttering will never dictate the choices they make – is to provide a welcome and long-overdue message to people who stutter of any age, to their families, and to those dedicated to serving them.
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Edward G. Conture, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-FD, is the Director for Grant and Research Development for The Blank Center. Dr. Conture received a Bachelor of Science degree from Emerson College, a Master’s from Northwestern University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. Dr. Conture has over 150 publications and presented to over 350 (inter)national audiences. For 40+ years, his clinical/scholarly interests have involved developmental stuttering, with particular emphasis on children and their families. Dr. Conture joined The Blank Center because of its comprehensive, current, and inclusive clinical, educational, and research approach to stuttering, people who stutter, and their families. For him, Dream. Speak. Live.® is an innovative, data-supported means of helping people who stutter, of all ages, do what they most want to do: communicate effectively.
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Robyn Albaum, MS, CCC-SLP is a Doctoral Student and Speech-Language Pathologist for the Blank Center. A true longhorn through and through, Robyn received BS in Speech-Language Pathology at The University of Texas at Austin, MS in Speech-Language Pathology at Texas Christian University, and is now back at UT-Austin pursuing her Ph.D. studying under the direction of Dr. Courtney Byrd. For her, being a part of the Blank Center started as an undergraduate student; because the individuals in this community – the people who stutter and their families, students, SLPs, clinical researchers, and staff – are truly the kindest, brightest, most engaging, and empathetic people she has ever met. The opportunity to work alongside these individuals in pursuit of changing the world for people who stutter is one of immeasurable value. For Robyn, Dream. Speak. Live.® means embracing your inner spark, the qualities, the voice, the ambitions, the causes that distinguish you from anyone else in this world. It means nurturing and trusting this spark even when it defies the majority or feels intimidated. It means trying new things and understanding that pursuing your dreams is not always a linear path, and that is okay. But, most of all, it means being who you truly are and knowing that the world will be better because of it.
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Elizabeth Hampton, MA, CCC-SLP, is the Director of Clinical Research at The Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research in Austin, Texas. Elizabeth received her bachelor’s in communication sciences and disorders from Boston University and is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin master’s program in speech-language pathology. She has had the privilege to learn from and collaborate with Dr. Courtney Byrd since 2006, dedicating her professional career to serving people who stutter and their families and mentoring students. Her outreach efforts and publications reflect her commitment to furthering best treatment practices for stuttering and providing clinicians with the tools and information necessary to confidently meet the needs of people who stutter. Elizabeth has played an integral role in the growth of programming at the Michael and Tami Lang Stuttering Institute, the Dealey Family Stuttering Clinic, the Bodner Developmental Stuttering Lab. She is now honored to continue her work within the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research. She is inspired daily by the phenomenally talented individuals who walk through its doors – her dedicated colleagues, committed students, and the remarkable participants and their families. Each unique individual she encounters reminds her of the importance of dreaming both big and small, always speaking truth, love, kindness, and living in a way that changes the world for the better.
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Caitlin Franchini is a speech-language pathology clinical fellow at The Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research in Atlanta. Caitlin is a person who stutters and is very passionate about working with and advocating for others in her community. Caitlin is passionate about implementing person-focused treatment that builds positive attitudes toward stuttering and confidence when communicating.
Before working at the Blank Center, Caitlin worked as a graduate research assistant for Georgia State’s Stuttering and Bilingualism Lab and as a counselor for the Stuttering Association for the Young. She has also presented about her experiences as an SLP who stutters at universities such as Rutgers and Georgia State.
Originally from Canton, GA, Caitlin graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She also holds a master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Caitlin loves to travel, hike, cook, and make homemade pasta in her spare time.
Why did you want to work for the Blank Center?
I wanted to work at the Blank Center because of the unique philosophy and person-focused approach that the center has towards treating and interacting with people who stutter. I love that the Blank Center values helping its participants increase their communication skills and confidence, not necessarily their fluency. The team at the Blank Center is truly showing people who stutter all over the world that stuttering cannot stop them from achieving their dreams, and I wanted to be a part of it.
What does Dream. Speak. Live.® mean to you?
Dream. Speak. Live.® reminds me to not let my stutter get in the way of how I want to live my life. People who stutter dream big and can do anything they set out to do, whether they are “fluent” or not. I refuse to let my stutter be a limitation and stop me from living the life I want and being heard.
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Lauren Henchey, MA, CCC-SLP, is an Assistant Director of Clinical Research at the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research. She is a 2019 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin MA program in Communication Sciences and Disorders and completed her Clinical Fellowship at the Blank Center under the mentorship of Elizabeth Hampton, MA, CCC-SLP. Before coming to the field of speech-language pathology, she earned her BA in English from Georgetown University and worked in the community mental health and alternative education fields for 6 years. After her classroom and clinical experience as a graduate student at UT Austin, Lauren jumped at the chance to become a member of the incredibly special community at the Blank Center. Not only does her work help to advance the field of speech-language pathology through clinical training, research, and advocacy, she is so grateful to get to walk alongside the most phenomenal children, teens, and adults on their journeys with stuttering each and every day. In her role at the Blank Center, Lauren implements innovative evaluation and treatment models for people who stutter and their families, supports ongoing program development and research efforts, and maintains collaborative relationships within the university, the greater Austin community, and beyond. To her, “Dream. Speak. Live.®” is an affirmation of life – a joyous self-permission to live life fully and authentically and, in the process, to inspire others to do the same.
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Kia Noelle Johnson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is the Associate Director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research Satellite in Atlanta, Georgia. She completed her doctoral studies at Vanderbilt University, where she earned a Ph.D. in Hearing and Speech Sciences. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Communication Disorders from Howard University and Truman State University, respectively. Dr. Johnson specializes in Fluency and Fluency Disorders with a focus on childhood stuttering. Her research interests include the examination of speech disfluencies in culturally and linguistically diverse children who do and do not stutter. As one of the team’s newest members, being a part of the Blank Center gives the opportunity to make a broader impact on the lives of children who stutter and their families. Dr. Johnson understands that as a child gets older, they begin having dreams and aspirations of what they will be when they ‘grow up.’ They start to understand how they are viewed by the world and how the world views them. Dr. Johnson does not want stuttering to be a barrier in any child’s journey towards their dreams in life; nor does she want stuttering to taint the lens through which they view themselves. Words – regardless of fluency – are a powerful tool. When children and adults who stutter say what they want to say, when they want to say it, whether it’s stuttered or not – that is when life becomes living!
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Santa LeSure
Program Manager
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Lindsay Lowy
Assistant Director of Clinical Research
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Laura McKnight joined the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research in January 2021 as Director of Development. In this role, she has the privilege of working with individuals and foundations who want to help change the world for people who stutter through their philanthropy and involvement. Prior to the Blank Center, Laura worked in development at the Moody College of Communication, working with alumni and friends who support initiatives across Moody College, including the incredible work of Dr. Courtney Byrd. Laura’s other experience in development, external relations, and constituent relations comes from her roles at The University of Texas System, the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and the Office of US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. In addition, Laura is a proud graduate of the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin.
For Laura, the Blank Center’s motto of Dream. Speak. Live.® means dream big, no matter how you speak or what challenge you may be facing; speak, because communication is how we connect with people – the most essential thing in life; and live, with joy and gratitude.
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John Paiz, MPA received his Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he also received his Graduate Certification in Nonprofit Administration & Leadership and BA in Psychology. John worked with startups and non-profits before entering the higher education field.
To John, Dream. Speak. Live.® means to not let anything hold us back when we’re working to accomplish our dreams. Developing confidence in your voice and our ability to communicate is a crucial part of reaching your goals, once we have that confidence nothing will stop us from living and achieving.
Para mi Dream. Speak. Live. significa que no dejemos que ningún obstáculo nos detenga cuando estamos trabajando para cumplir nuestros sueños. Desarrollando confianza en nuestras voces y en el modo en cuál nos comunicamos es importante para lograr nuestras metas, con esa confianza nada nos puede para de vivir y cumplir nuestros sueños.
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Daniel is an Austin native with six-plus years of experience as a speech-language pathologist in a variety of settings, including collaborations in the medical field and most recently his own private practice, Speech Without Limits. Early in his academic training, he was drawn to photojournalism as a way of challenging himself to approach unfamiliar people and gain the rapport needed to tell meaningful stories. As an undergraduate he pursued a degree in visual communications from the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Afterwards, he became familiar with the cutting-edge research at UT-Austin on perceptions of people who stutter and on new therapeutic techniques. There he was led to pursue graduate-level academic training, where his master’s thesis focused on the effects of self-disclosure for people who stutter. Under the graduate mentorship of Dr. Courtney Byrd and as a person who stutters himself, he has directly experienced the benefits of the Center’s philosophy and training.
Daniel is excited to work with Dr. Courtney Byrd and the team at The Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research because as a central mission of his life, he seeks to contribute to the advancement of stuttering education and research. The opportunity to collaborate with a team that is aligned on this mission to serve a community of people who stutter, train future clinicians, and improve access to care where evidence-based theory is translated into practice is particularly exciting to him. To Daniel, the Center’s philosophy of Dream. Speak. Live.® means that at any age, people deserve to communicate effectively–what’s on their minds and in their hearts, form close relationships, and lead fulfilling lives.
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Jack Rodriguez
SLP Clinical Fellow
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Juliet Walker works as Educational Media Specialist for The Blank Center. After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Florida, Juliet worked as a Post-Production Supervisor on popular TV shows like HBO’s, The Sopranos. Joining the Blank Center team was a career shift, but ultimately, she knew even before she began working here, the Blank Center is a special place.
For Juliet, Dream. Speak. Live.® means being your authentic self, saying what you want to say, and doing what fills your soul and creates a meaningful life, whatever that may be.
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Ariah Asrat is the Student Scheduling Coordinator for The Blank Center. Just this past spring, Ariah completed her undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders as well as a minor in Health Communication from the University of Texas at Austin. This Fall she will be returning to UT-Austin to begin her first year as a graduate student in the MSSLHS graduate program for speech-language pathology. Ariah wanted to be a part of the Blank Center to build meaningful connections with outstanding individuals and learn more about stuttering. To her Dream. Speak. Live.® means being unapologetically yourself, speaking your truth, and enjoying life to the fullest!
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Danielle Werle, Ph.D., CCC-SLP serves as Associate Director of Clinical Research at the Atlanta satellite center. Dr. Werle received her undergraduate training at Western Michigan University, followed by her MA at the University of Iowa. She completed her Ph.D. at The University of Texas at Austin under the mentorship of Dr. Courtney Byrd. Dr. Werle most values the culture of the community of the Blank Center. Being a part of a team that genuinely seeks to listen to, lift up, and celebrate the voices of every person they encounter is a unique privilege. To Dr. Werle, Dream. Speak. Live.® means the opportunity to be your most authentic self. Allowing yourself to dream your biggest goals, speak freely about what is on your mind and heart to create a life that embodies what you value most.
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Malena Pennycook
Administrative Assistant
Ph.D. Students
Doctoral students conducting research under the mentorship of Blank Center faculty.
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Amanda Ortiz-Alvarez, MS CCC-SLP is a doctoral student and Spanish-English bilingual speech-language pathologist at the Blank Center. Amanda received her BA in Foreign Languages and Linguistics, as well as her MS in Speech-Language Pathology, at the University of New Mexico. Currently, Amanda is pursuing a PhD in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences while working as a teaching and research assistant alongside her mentor, Dr. Courtney Byrd. As she began her foray into academia and the stuttering community, Amanda was thrilled by the boundless passion and innovation at the core of the research and clinical initiatives underway at the Blank Center. Collectively, the unapologetic endeavors toward openness, communication, and celebration of stuttering in all its forms were strongly aligned with Amanda’s desire to explore how to best empower and support people who stutter on their own terms. For Amanda, Dream. Speak. Live.® is exemplified through the cultivation of knowledge, agency, and pursuit of authenticity.
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Enjoli M. Richardson, MS, CCC-SLP is a doctoral student in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin under the mentorship of Dr. Kia Noelle Johnson and Dr. Courtney T. Byrd in Austin, Texas. Enjoli received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Texas State University-San Marcos and her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Lamar University. Enjoli holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence as a Speech-Language Pathologist with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and state licensure with Texas. Enjoli has always believed that life at its purest form is about relationships; the rest is just details. Similarly, she finds the Blank Center to also share those same sentiments with a mission to not only provide opportunities for the stuttering community but also foster meaningful relationships through active partnerships, quality research, and impactful service. A new educational and research facility creates a need for trailblazers with a heart of giving a helping hand to those who come after, which is all the more reasons why Enjoli is grateful to be a part of.
For Enjoli, Dream. Speak. Live.® means the gift we are all purposed to share. It is the ability to DREAM in ways that are limitless, SPEAK life into ourselves and others, and LIVE a meaningful life with our full authentic selves.
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JoLynn Riojas
Ph.D. Student
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Einat Oz Vecht
Ph.D. Student
Global Ambassadors
Public figures who stutter and share the Blank Center’s mission with the world.
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Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Professional Golfer
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Shaquille O’Neal
Former NBA Player, Sports Analyst, Actor
Our Team
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