Anne C. Reed, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Texas State University, has been selected as one of 10 recipients of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) 2026 Advancing Academic-Research Careers (AARC) Award.
The AARC Award provides funding and mentorship for early-career faculty. Reed will use it to strengthen school-based collaboration and better prepare TXST speech-language pathology students.
"Being selected is both humbling and motivating. As an early-career faculty member, this recognition affirms the value of research that improves outcomes for children with language and literacy needs and the importance of mentoring the future speech-language pathologist workforce,” Reed said. “It is a meaningful milestone and a reminder of the responsibility and privilege of conducting research that makes a difference for children, families, and the profession.”
Reed studies how children develop language and literacy, and how educators and clinicians can better support students with communication needs in the classroom.
“My goal is to generate evidence that improves educational and communication outcomes for children and helps bridge the gap between research and practice,” Reed said.
Through the award, Reed will build a local partnership among speech-language pathologists, teachers, and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and develop practical, effective approaches for schools.
The AARC Award will also provide mentorship in stakeholder-engaged research, intervention development, external funding preparation, and evidence-based teaching. Reed will use the TILT Higher Ed framework across her TXST courses to make assignments, expectations, and grading criteria clearer for students.
“By clarifying the purpose of each assignment, students will have a clear view of how each assignment supports their growth as a future speech-language pathologist based on the standards set forth by ASHA for obtaining the Certificate of Clinical Competence,” Reed said.
Farzan Irani, Ph.D., chair and professor in the Department of Communications Disorders, underscored the AARC Award’s lasting impact through mentorship and support.
“Within six years, 92% of participants in AARC and related programs secured external funding—fueling faculty growth, strengthening teaching, expanding academic capacity, and elevating preparation of the next generation of SLPs serving healthcare and education,” said Irani. “This exceptional honor reflects Dr. Reed’s tremendous promise as a scholar, educator, and academic leader.”
Together, the research and teaching components support workforce development by preparing future speech-language pathologists for practice while strengthening collaboration among the educators and clinicians serving children with communication and literacy needs.