Judy Rudebusch Rich Becomes 2022 President of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
January 3, 2022
(Rockville, MD) Judy Rudebusch Rich, EdD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, took office January 1 as the 2022 President of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
As ASHA President, Rich will work to advance the objectives of ASHA and its more than 218,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students in communication sciences and disorders.
“I am honored to serve as ASHA’s 2022 President,” Rich said. “I look forward to working collectively to eliminate barriers and make connections that activate ASHA’s vision of ‘making communication, a human right, accessible and achievable for all.’ The global pandemic and social justice conditions call for different questions that allow us to think and solve problems in ways that support ASHA members and enhance our capacity to improve quality of care.”
President Rich is Professor of Practice at the University of Texas at Dallas in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. A Board Certified Specialist in Child Language, she enjoys sharing with graduate students her passion for quality services in child language within school-based settings.
Previously, Rich worked in Texas public schools for 35 years in various roles. These roles included campus speech-language pathologist, program specialist for speech and language services, special education director, executive director, and assistant superintendent for student services. She also provided school district leadership for state and federal programs having to do with bilingual/ESL education, special education, and gifted–talented education. In addition, Rich promoted the application of systems theory and best practice models for continuous improvement that were based on data-driven and team decision making, and she applied to school-based speech-language pathology continuous improvement models that pertained to workloads, treatment that was evidence and outcomes-based, eligibility and dismissal guidelines, and staffing and funding.
An ASHA Fellow, Rich has been a frequent and long-serving ASHA volunteer, leading or serving on finance- and school-focused committees as well as on boards and councils. At the state level, she has an extended record of service to the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association, where she has been President as well as Vice President for Research and Development, Vice President for Professional Services, and a member of various task forces and committees.
About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 218,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) identify, assess, and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders.
