Melissa Garcia, EdD, CCC-SLP

Dr. Melissa P. Garcia serves as Clinical Assistant Professor and Clinical Assistant Director of the online graduate program in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. She has taught in higher education for over 18 years and has practiced speech-language pathology for 26 years in numerous pre-schools and schools and clinical settings, including outpatient rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities and community health clinics. 

Dr. Garcia developed and led a mission trip to Belize during the Spring of 2024. She is the past president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)-Hispanic Caucus. She served on the ASHA SIG 14 committee, the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association Professional Development Committe,e which she is chair, and University Committee. She serves on the APCSLH International Advisory Committee. Dr. Garcia has presented at the local, state, national and international levels. Most recently, she presented at the Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association state convention, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association convention, in Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Guangzhou, China; Belize City, Belize; Ackland, New Zealand; The University of Oxford in Oxford, England. She serves her community by serving on the board of the South Texas Food Bank, Pan American Round Table-Laredo, and Laredo Stroke Survivor Group.

Areas of Research Interest

• International Service-Learning 
• Fostering Cultural Competence and Responsiveness  
• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations  
• Bilingual Pediatric Communication Disorders  

Current Courses Taught 

• CSD 5150 Introduction to Clinical Practice 
• CSD 5334 Multicultural Populations in SLP 
• CSD 5152 Clinical Practicum -P2 
• CSD 5316 Motor Speech Disorders
• CSD 5319 Evidence Based Practice 
• CSD 5354 Research Experience in CSD