Longwood University is pleased to join the Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Va-LEND) program https://virginialend.partnership.vcu.edu/. Va-LEND is a grant-funded program at Virginia Commonwealth University. It provides trainees with an interprofessional experience including weekly seminars, policy and advocacy opportunities, a family mentorship experience, and clinical and community-based practicum. Longwood University is the first university to join Virginia Commonwealth University in Va-LEND. We could not be more delighted to form this partnership and help Va-LEND expand statewide.
Two faculty members at Longwood University, Dr. Lissa Power-deFur (Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders and Interim Dean of the College of Education and Human Services) and Dr. Christine Eubanks (Clinical Audiologist) have been with Va-LEND for many years, serving as the speech and language pathology and audiology faculty members. With the new partnership, Dr. Erin Wallace (Assistant Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders), joined the team. Erin was a Va-LEND trainee, graduating with the 2020 cohort. The Longwood faculty are looking forward to sharing the Va-LEND experience with their students, colleagues, and the entire Lancer community.
Two Longwood University students will participate in each Va-LEND cohort. Students from the disciplines of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Education, Special Education, and Counseling are eligible. For the 2021-2022 academic year, first year gradate Communication Science and Disorders student Carissa Strum and second year gradate Communication Science and Disorders student Kurusten Musick have been selected. Their participation will focus on leadership, interprofessional collaboration, and family-centered models of care. Additionally, they will receive invaluable experiences working with a variety of professionals through research, seminars, and clinics. We look forward to seeing how Longwood students will be applying the leadership skills they gather in Va-LEND in their careers.