Catherine Balthazar, Ph.D.

I am Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, overseeing seven academic departments. I am also a certified speech-language pathologist with an active interest in research related to treatment of children with developmental language disorders. I have been at GovState for over 25 years, starting as an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Disorders, where I hold the rank of full professor. 
Although my roles and experiences have varied since beginning a career in higher education, I have been consistently dedicated to improving the quality of services provided – whether to patients/clients, students, faculty, or community. I am proud of our programs, faculty, and students – all making a difference in the lives of the people in our region.

GovState combines a dynamic environment with a unique mission. The institution’s commitment to civic engagement and serving the needs of the surrounding community make it a very satisfying place to work. I am continually inspired by our committed students and my creative, energetic colleagues.
 

Honors

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award - Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (2024) 
Fellow - Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2019) 
Founding member - Alpha Eta Honor Society / Gamma Psi Upsilon Chapter 
Governors State University Faculty Excellence Award 
 

Credentials and Affiliations 

ASHA CCC-SLP American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certificate of Clinical Competence, Speech-Language Pathology
Illinois Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist
ASAHP Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions www.asahp.org Institutional Member 
COHD College of Health Deans www.CoHDeans.org Vice President
Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce Member, Health Committee
IDFPR Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board Member
ISHA Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association www.ishail.org Member
Will County MAPP Collaborative Executive Board https://willcountyhealth.org/mapp/ Executive Board Member


 

Balthazar, C.H., and Scott, C.M. (2023). Sentences are Key: Helping School-age Students Build Sentence Skills Needed for Real Language. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology (special forum on treatment of developmental language disorders).

Balthazar, C.H., and Vendrely, A.M.(2021, Eds.). Rehabilitation Research, 6th Edition. Elsevier.

Balthazar, C.H., Ebbels, S.E., and Zwitserlood, R.M. (2020). Syntactic intervention for developmental language disorder. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 51, 226-246.

Click here for further research information.