Directions for Research and Service Development
Research and Service Development Directions
Given that the field of speech-language and hearing sciences encompasses a broad range of professional disciplines, the Department not only focuses on its primary research directions but also progressively collaborates with experts from related fields. The Department aims to become an interdisciplinary hub for the integration and exchange of research information related to communication disorders, while also promoting talent cultivation, strengthening industry–academia collaboration, enhancing the quality of healthcare services, and fostering a positive cycle of societal development.
Faculty members of the Department actively apply for various research and industry–academia collaboration projects. Funding sources are diverse, including internal research grants from Mackay Medical University, grants from the National Science and Technology Council, external industry–academia collaboration programs, cross-hospital projects with Mackay Memorial Hospital, and projects supported by the Health Promotion Administration. Detailed information on each faculty member’s research topics can be found on their individual profile pages.
Research and Service Characteristics of Faculty and Students
1. Faculty Research
- Multiple funding sources support faculty research and promotion.
- Faculty expertise is highly diverse and aligned with research interests, including neonatal hearing screening, geriatric hearing, hearing assistive devices, elderly voice disorders, literacy development, emergent literacy, and neurolinguistics.
- Many faculty members hold professional qualifications as clinical speech-language pathologists, audiologists, or physicians, which greatly enhances the development of integrated clinical research.
2. Faculty Service
Faculty members actively engage in a wide range of academic and professional service roles, including journal peer review, thesis examination committees, examination committees for national certification exams for speech-language pathologists and audiologists, conference session chairs, board members or consultants of professional associations, and speakers for professional outreach activities. These contributions have had a broad and lasting impact on the development and promotion of the profession.
3. Student Research
- Through various curricular designs, students are encouraged to apply for undergraduate research projects to enhance their clinical and research competencies.
- Students are also employed as full-time research assistants in faculty-led research projects.
4. Student Service
- First- and second-year students participate in community service activities organized by student associations, which support their personal growth and learning. Junior and senior students engage in advanced professional courses combined with practicum experiences, including screenings in nearby kindergartens, elementary schools, and junior high schools, thereby enhancing their professional service competencies.
- The Department provides continuous services to rural and underserved populations. Students participate in winter and summer programs such as Mackay Medical Camp, the Taitung Taromak Camp, and Taiwan–U.S. exchange camps. These activities promote speech-language and hearing education, rural outreach (multicultural exposure), and international perspective development.
