Susan Riley
Lecturer
Staff Speech Pathologist
Communication Sciences & Disorders

Susan Riley is beginning her well earned retirement from the University of Maine. During her almost 27 years in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders has experienced tremendous growth in their undergraduate and graduate programs and Susan has been a vital part of this growth. Her contributions to the department and the University centered on mentoring students in the art and science of speech-language pathology and facilitating the delivery of quality services at the Conley Speech, Language and Hearing Center. Susan was interested in and pursued the development of a model for the provision of family-centered treatment for clients seeking services. At the heart of this model is the belief that families are integral to fostering change and are partners in the therapy process.

Susan has also been a teacher in the truest sense of the word, engaging students in the critical thinking and problem solving processes needed to become competent clinical practitioners. Many students have described Susan as “an excellent instructor”. One student stated, “Susan is respectful of each student’s particular backgrounds and recognizes that [each student] comes to the program with different skills”. Susan has been involved in the professional development of many Speech-Language Pathologists in the state of Maine.

The faculty in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the larger University of Maine community congratulates Susan on her many accomplishments. We will miss her contributions to our program, but sincerely wish her the best in retirement.