donna


Donna Fitzgerald DeJean

Adjunct Professor

Email Address:
ddejea4@lsu.edu

College:
Humanities & Social Sciences

Department:
Communication Sciences & Disorders

Areas of Expertise

  • Child language
  • Adult neurological conditions
  • Aural rehabilitation

 

About

Dr. Fitzgerald-Dejean joined the LSU COMD Faculty in Fall, 2020 as an adjunct professor. Since attaining her doctorate in 2008, she has had the opportunity to serve in numerous communicative sciences and disorders programs teaching a wide variety of courses related to  child language, adult neurological conditions and aural rehabilitation. She has provided clinical supervision for undergraduate and graduate students in pediatric and adult cases of a wide range of etiologies.  Dr. Fitzgerald-Dejean has a particular interest in effectively preparing students to enter the field of speech-pathology who are from culturally diverse and non-traditional backgrounds. To that end, she has served on faculty in a small rural university, an online program and a historically black university which has afforded her a rich network of new colleagues.

Prior to attaining her doctorate, Dr. Fitzgerald-DeJean was a healthcare consultant in physical medicine and rehabilitation for 16 years for numerous national rehabilitation and skilled nursing companies. In her 2008 dissertation, The Investigation of Treatment Outcomes for Adults with Chronic Brain Injury Following Intensive Multidisciplinary Treatment, she was privileged to provide a clinical service to underserved individuals from the community who had experienced a stroke or traumatic brain injury, while being able to afford a gifted group of master’s degree candidates a unique clinical opportunity.

Dr. Fitzgerald-DeJean has vast experience in the assessment and treatment of children and adults with communication impairments. She has worked with children and adults in medical and private practice settings with acquired functional voice impairments and neurological impairments such as stroke, traumatic brain injury and progressive neurological conditions, as well as head and neck cancer. Additionally, she has seen children in private practice and educational settings with developmental, intellectual and/or learning difficulties.

Dr. Fitzgerald-Dejean serves as a Medical Advisor to the Social Security Administration. As an ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist, Donna is a past President of the Louisiana Speech-Hearing-Language Association, a member of the International Neuropsychological Society, a Certified Brain Injury Specialist, and is certified to provide Vital Stim swallowing therapy. Locally, Donna serves on the board of the Baton Rouge Area Speech-Language Pathologists.

 

Professional Presentations

  • Invited Presentations at Professional Meetings
  • Fitzgerald-DeJean, D. M. (2014, June) Who am I now? Living with aphasia or cognitive-linguistic impairment. BRASLP Summer CE Event, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
  • Fitzgerald-DeJean, D. M. (2013, April) Neuro Rounds: Cognition VS Language: A Chicken: Egg Scenario. Seventeenth Annual LBESPA Workshop, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
  • Clancy, A.B. & Fitzgerald-DeJean, D.M. (2011, June). ACBIS Examination Certification Preparation Course. LSHA Annual Convention, Shreveport, Louisiana.  
  • Oral/Platform Presentations at Professional Meeting Fitzgerald-DeJean, D. M. & Milliken, L. (2015, November) Tools to Treat the Dementia Patient, from Evidenced-Based Practice to Reimbursement. ASHA Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado.
  • Fitzgerald-DeJean, D. M. (2014, March). NAH Faculty Podium. Presentation: Communication Disorders Research Update. Nicholls State University, Tenth Annual Research Week, Thibodaux, Louisiana.
  • Fitzgerald-DeJean, D. M. (2014, June). Differential diagnosis: The evaluation starts in the waiting room. LSHA Annual Convention, Lafayette, Louisiana.
  • Fitzgerald-DeJean, D. M. & Bourgeois, C. (2013, March). NAH Faculty Podium                             Presentation: Case Study: Alaryngeal Speech, Nicholls State University, Eighth Annual Research Week, Thibodaux, Louisiana.

Poster Sessions at Professional Meeting

  • Jenkins Gillis, T., Fitzgerald-DeJean, D., Lewnau, E., Wynn Moland, C., Baker, L., & Seibert, M. (2017, November). EBP. Can Your Students Find the Evidence in Practice? Poster presented at the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association annual conference, Los Angeles, CA.
  • Ogburn, A.C., Jones, A.L, Fitzgerald-DeJean, D. & Carol, R. (2017, November). Motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ) as a predictor of GPA in CMDS. Poster presented at Annual ASHA Convention, Los Angeles, California.         
  • Buhr, H., Weissling, K., Fitzgerald-DeJean, D., Harvey, J., & McKelvey, M. (2015, November). What are They Doing? Speech-Language Pathologists’ Perspectives on Assessment and Treatment for Individuals with Dementia. Poster presented at Annual ASHA Convention, Denver, Colorado.
  • Ogburn, A.C., Jones, A.L, Fitzgerald-DeJean, D. & Carol, R. (2015, November). Self-regulated learning and motivation as predictors of GPA in SLPA students. Poster presented at Annual ASHA Convention, Denver, Colorado.
  • Fitzgerald-DeJean, D., Champagne, A., & Butterfield, R. (2015, June). Speech 101Public Speaking: The Reciprocity of Service Learning. Poster presented at LSHA Annual Convention, Lafayette, Louisiana.
  • Ogburn, A.C., Jones, A.L, Fitzgerald-DeJean, D. & Carol, R. (2014, November). Self-regulated learning and motivation as predictors of academic success in SLPA students. Poster presented at Annual ASHA Convention, Orlando, Florida.
  • Fitzgerald-DeJean, D. M. & Rubin, S. S. (2012, March). Multidisciplinary treatment for brain injury. Nicholls State University, Seventh Annual Research Week, Thibodaux, Louisiana. 

Awards

  • Life Member of ASHA, awarded July, 2018.

  • SUBR Graduate Faculty, Level I Membership, appointed 6/2/2017.

  • ASHA Award for Continuing Education 1984-Present.

  • LSHA-Honors of the Association, 2016.

  • Meritorious Poster Submission by 2015 ASHA Convention Committee for: Self-regulated learning and motivation as predictors of GPA in SLPA students, by A. C. Ogburn, A.L Jones, D. Fitzgerald-DeJean, & R. Carol.

  • Allied Health Sciences, Nicholls State University, Outstanding Department Faculty Member, 2014-2015.

  • Allied Health Sciences, Nicholls State University, Apple Award, Spring 2014, Fall 2014 and Spring 2015.

  • LSHA-Fellow of the Association, 2014.

Grants

  • Nicholls Student Technology Fee Grant for 2013-2014 (w/ C. Bourgeois, B. Blake & S. Gremillion; 12/2013).      

Publications

Peer Reviewed Publications

  • Fitzgerald-DeJean, D. M., Rubin, S. S., & Carson, R. L. (2012). An application of the experience sampling method to the study of aphasia: A case report. Aphasiology 26(2), 234-251.
  • Fitzgerald, D.M. (2006, April). Getting your Ph.D.: Making the decision and applying. ASHA Leader 11(5), 6-7.
  • Fitzgerald, D.M. (2006, March). Discharge planning: Return on investment for the patient, speech-language pathologist and medical setting.    ASHA SID 11 Newsletter 14(1), 2-5.
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