Rate My Professor Catherine Easton

Catherine Easton is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at Federation University, Ballarat, and serves as Adjunct Associate Professor in Speech Pathology within the School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences at Charles Sturt University. Holding a PhD, her career focuses on advancing education and practice in speech-language pathology. Easton's research specializations include curriculum design, online learning, instructional technology, teaching and learning methodologies, speech language pathology, linguistic racism, and cultural safety. She investigates key issues such as the effects of linguistic bias on clinical decision-making, strategies to enhance diversity in the speech-language pathology workforce, pathways for professionals entering rural practice, and system-strengthening approaches for international speech-language pathology services.

Easton has produced a body of work comprising at least nine publications on ResearchGate, accumulating 96 citations on Google Scholar. Her most cited paper, "The influence of linguistic bias upon speech-language pathologists’ attitudes toward clinical scenarios involving nonstandard dialects of English" (2021), has 46 citations and explores biases in professional attitudes toward dialects. Closely following is "The impact of linguistic bias upon speech-language pathologists’ attitudes towards non-standard dialects of English" (2020) with 41 citations. Additional impactful publications include "Building the speech-language pathology workforce in Cambodia through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals" (2022), which examines workforce development in low-resource settings; "Building diversity in the speech-language pathology workforce through a blended online Master of Speech Pathology" (2022); and "‘Each person’s experience is different’: speech-language pathologists’ perspectives regarding their pathway to the Australian rural workforce" (2023). Recent contributions feature "Clinical educators’ perspectives on transitioning to telesupervision: Experiences piloting a telepractice stuttering simulation placement" (2024) and "Application of Ethnography of Communication in Speech–Language Pathology Practice: Creating an Accessible Communication Environment in a Dance Class for Adults with Intellectual Disability" (2024). Earlier works encompass "Educating Speech-Language Pathologists for the 21st Century: Course Design Considerations for a Distance Education Master of Speech Pathology Program" (2014), "Ethnography and its use in communication disorders research" (2019), "Discourses of orthography development: Community-based practice in Milne Bay (PNG)" (2007), and "Manual for alphabet design through community interaction for Papua New Guinea elementary teacher trainers" (2012). Easton's scholarship promotes critical reflection to address homogeneity and biases in the profession, influencing inclusive training and culturally responsive clinical practices.