Lorraine Olson Ramig

2009 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI RECIPIENT

PhD 1980, Speech Pathology/ Audiology

Lorraine Olson Ramig, a professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Colorado, is widely recognized as a leading authority on speech disorders and Parkinson’s disease. Ramig, also a senior scientist for the National Center for Voice and Speech, has been investigating neurological voice disorders for more than 15 years and developed the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT), the first successful voice therapy for the treatment of speech and voice problems related to Parkinson’s disease. An established researcher, she has authored numerous refereed journal articles and book chapters and dedicates much of her time to studying the mechanism of change accompanying successful speech treatment and scaling up access to efficacious speech treatment for people with Parkinson’s disease. “Purdue offered me a solid and enhancing academic experience, a rich research education, and lifelong friends and colleagues who have shaped my professional life,” she says.