Rate My Professor Cara Singer

Cara M. Singer, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an Associate Professor and Director of the Speech-Language Pathology program in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Grand Valley State University. She earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan, an M.A. from the University of Iowa, and a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. Previously serving as Assistant Professor and Interim Director of the SLP program, Dr. Singer directs the Stuttering in Pediatrics and Adults (SPA) Lab, where research explores stuttering persistence and recovery, the role of feedback in speech-language treatment, and strategies to address explicit and implicit biases related to speech-language disorders. Lab projects include caregiver-led bibliotherapy interventions to enhance resilience in children with speech sound and fluency disorders, surveys gathering perspectives from speech-language pathologists and caregivers on discussing stuttering with children, and assessments of resilience in children who stutter. Her teaching interests encompass stuttering, pediatric speech and language disorders, research methods and evidence-based practice, and counseling.

Dr. Singer has published extensively on stuttering and related topics. Key publications include the co-authored textbook Stuttering: Foundations and Clinical Applications (Plural Publishing, 2025), the meta-analysis Clinical Characteristics Associated With Stuttering Persistence: A Meta-Analysis (Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2020), Predicting Persistent Developmental Stuttering Using a Cumulative Risk Approach (Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2022), Stuttering Practice Self-Assessment by School Speech-Language Practitioners (Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 2020), Differences in the Relation Between Temperament and Vocabulary Based on Children’s Stuttering Trajectories (Journal of Communication Disorders, 2019), and Validation of the Vanderbilt Responses to Your Child's Speech Rating Scale for Parents of Young Children Who Stutter (Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2022). She contributes to the Faculty Research and Development Committee and mentors students whose work has been showcased at university events, such as Summer Scholar presentations on bibliotherapy and attitudes toward stuttering. Her research influences clinical practices in prognosis evaluation and treatment for pediatric stuttering.