Rita Lenhardt

• Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist: State of Florida & the Province of Ontario, Canada

• 2021 Faculty Research Grant recipient
• Professional of the Year Award by the Ontario Brain Injury Association
• Alumnus of Excellence Award, The College of Saint Rose, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Dr. Master Scholarship, University of Toronto, Department of Hungarian Studies

• 2020 Inducted into the Alpha Eta Honor Society for high academic achievement and leadership within the Doctor of Health Science program
• 2006 Magna Cum Laude Graduate, The College of Saint Rose, Albany, New York

• Doctor of Health Science – Global Health Concentration; Nova Southeastern University, Davie, Florida, USA (2020)
• Master of Science in Education - Communication Sciences and Disorders; The College of Saint Rose, Albany, New York, USA (2006)
• Communicative Disorders Assistant Diploma; Durham College, Oshawa, Ontario, CAN (2004)
• Honours Bachelor of Arts - Sociology Specialization/Linguistics; University of Toronto at Mississauga, Ontario, CAN (2001)

• Assistant Professor, Speech-Language Pathology Program, Gannon University; Ruskin, Florida (2021 – Present)
• Stakeholder Engagement Specialist, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); St. George’s, Grenada (2020)
• Post-graduate Scholar, Leadership and Excellence in Academic Development (LEAD) Division; St. George’s University, Department of Educational Services, True Blue, Grenada (2020)
• Instructor and Clinical Supervisor, Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences; Davie, Florida (2017-2019)
• Speech-Language Pathologist/Owner/Director at Rita Lenhardt & Associates; Mississauga, Ontario, CAN (2007-2017)

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2007-Present)
• Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (2016-Present)
• College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (2007-Present)

• Publications in progress: Hinckley, J., Lenhardt, R., Gaziani, A. & Merlino, A. (in preparation). Evaluation of linguistic demand in multi-tasking assessment. Manuscript to be submitted to Applied Neuropsychology: Adult (January 3, 2022)
• Poster Presentation: ‘The Game Is On: An Interprofessional Escape Room Experience’ (February 5, 2022, San Antonio, Texas)
• Presenter at Canada International Conference on Education and World Congress on Education: Executive Dysfunction in the Classroom from the Speech-Language Pathologist’s Perspective, Mississauga, ON, Canada (June 22, 2021)
• Presenters (Gaziani, A., Merlino, A., Lenhardt, R., Hinckley, J.) Proposal Number: 12215 Multi-tasking Assessments with Low Linguistic Demand: Analysis and Demonstration of Published Tools. Proposal accepted at the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, San Diego, CA (November, 2020; Convention canceled)
• Technical Presentation at the 77th Annual ASHA Convention – ‘Ecologically Valid Multi-tasking Assessment in Neurologic Communication Disorders: Importance and Future Directions’, Orlando, FL (November 19, 2019)
• Webinar Presenter for the Brain Injury Association of America – ‘Rehabilitation for the Tough to Engage – Strategies that Work’ (February 7, 2018)
• Poster Presenter at the 75th Annual ASHA Convention - Focus on the Big Picture – ‘Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Study in Community Practice’, Los Angeles, CA (November 11, 2017)
• Presenter at the 24th Annual Conference on Neurobehavioral Rehabilitation in ABI – ‘Traumatic Brain Injury:  A Case Study in Community Practice’ (May 4-5, 2017)
• Presenter at Provincial Acquired Brain Injury Conference: 'The Power of Collaborative Projects in Community Practice' (October 29-30, 2009)

Dr. Lenhardt’s research focuses on the continuum of recovery following a traumatic brain injury and the resulting cognitive-communication disorders. She is also interested in cultural and global health issues related to the field of speech-language pathology (e.g., access to health services in the Caribbean). Lastly, she conducts interdisciplinary research with faculty and graduate students from the speech-language therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy programs at the university.

• National Student Speech Language Hearing Association Faculty Advisor (2021 – Present)
• Faculty Hiring Committee Member (2021 – Present)
• Communication Group Co-Facilitator with BIG@Gannon
• Gannon University’s GIVE Day Participant Organizing Committee Member