Staff Profiles

Audiologists

Marcia Clark Adunka

Angela Byrd

Nissele Franco

Mark Haythorn

English King

Corinne Macpherson

Sarah Martinho

Laura McCall

Ellen Pearce

Patricia Reitz

Jill Ritch

Patricia Roush

Au.D. Externs

Alexandra O'Dell

Brittany Richardson

Ashley Timboe

Speech Pathologists

Krista Arnone

Shannon Aumer

Krisi Brackett

Jocelyn Crawford

Jillian Cruz

Sarah Deitz

Leslie Johnson

Brian Kanapkey

Leah MacMillan

Ellen Markus

Betsy Rambusch

Candace Seibert

Stefanie Veno

Terra' Wiggins Bellavance

CFY-SLP

Amy Kujawa

Administrative Staff

Shanta Beard

LeSonia Foxx

Jessica Hill

Stacy Jordan

Stephanie McAdams

Kelly O'Brien

LeeAnn Wilkie 

Marcia Clark Adunka, Au.D., CCC-A
Dr. Adunka is a clinical audiologist with UNC Health Care where she specializes in the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of adults with severe and profound hearing loss. Dr. Adunka functions as the Clinical Coordinator of the Adult Cochlear Implant Program with over 600 recipients and she actively participates in the mentoring of doctoral candidates in audiology.

Angela Byrd, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA
Dr. Byrd recently joined our team in May 2011 after relocating from an ENT practice in Ohio. She obtained her B.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Washington in 2001, and then completed her M.S. in Audiology from Central Institute for the Deaf at Washington University in St. Louis in 2003. Her dedication to the field of Audiology was seen when she pursued her Au.D. from the University of Florida in 2007. Dr. Byrd is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Dr. Byrd works mainly with adults who have hearing loss and their family members to help improve their communication.

Nissele Franco, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA
Dr. Franco received her B.S. in Biology from Harding University in 2004 and her Au.D. in 2010 from The University of Southern Mississippi.  She joined the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology at UNC Hospitals in June 2010 as a Pediatric Audiologist after completing her one-year externship with UNC Hospitals.  Dr. Franco has a special interest in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss in infants and children.  Currently, she is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.  She is also licensed by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Speech and Language Pathologists and Audiologists.

Mark Haythorn, Ph.D., CCC-A
Dr. Haythorn began practicing Audiology following his graduation from the University of Tennessee in 1981. He joined UNC Hospitals in 1984 when there were only two audiologists. With the addition of more staff it became possible for him to specialize in adult hearing aids.

English King, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA
Dr. King has been a clinical audiologist with UNC Health Care since 2007.  She received her Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in Communication Studies with a concentration in Speech & Hearing Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001.  From there, she headed to Texas and worked as an office manager for an audiologist which led her in the direction of wanting to be an audiologist herself.  She received her Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA in 2007.  Dr. King works primarily with adult cochlear implant recipients and finds her work very rewarding.  Dr. King is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Corinne Macpherson, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA
Dr. Macpherson received her B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from James Madison University in 2000, and her M.S. in Audiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2002.  The following year, she completed a Clinical Fellowship at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.  Dr. Macpherson proceeded to obtain her Au.D. from the University of Florida in 2006.  She joined the UNC Hospitals Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology in 2003, where she currently practices as a pediatric audiologist.  Her main interest involves the diagnosis and management of hearing loss for infants and children.  Dr. Macpherson is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and is a licensed Hearing Instrument Specialist with the North Carolina State Hearing Aid Dealers and Fitters Board.

Sarah Martinho, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA
Dr. Martinho received her B.A. in Communication Disorders and Sciences from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1998, her M.S. in Audiology from SUNY Buffalo in 2000 and her Au.D. from the University of Florida in 2005.  Dr. Martinho completed her clinical fellowship year in 2001 at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, NC where she currently practices as a Pediatric Audiologist.  Her primary interests involve the early diagnosis and treatment of infants and young children with hearing loss.  Dr. Martinho is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.  She is also licensed as a Hearing Instrument Specialist with the North Carolina State Hearing Aid Dealers and Fitters Board.

Laura McCall, Au.D., CCC-A

Ellen Pearce, Au.D., CCC-A
Dr. Pearce received her B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Spanish from the University of Connecticut in 2007, and her Au.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011. Dr. Pearce spent her fourth year externship at UNC Hospitals performing diagnostic testing and working with cochlear implants and hearing aids. She joined our staff as a clinical audiologist in May 2011. Her primary interests include diagnostics, adult hearing aids and cochlear implants. Dr. Pearce is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.  She is also licensed by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Speech and Language Pathologists and Audiologists, and by the North Carolina State Hearing Aid Dealers and Fitters Board.

Patricia Reitz, M.S., CCC-A
Patricia Reitz has been working at UNC Hospitals since 2002 doing diagnostic testing for adults and children, working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit performing newborn hearing screen evalutations and supervising the graduate students enrolled in the UNC Division of Speech and Audiology Program as they complete placements at the hospital. She earned her M.A. in Audiology from Indiana University in 1981 and worked as a clinical audiologist at Indiana University Medical Center for 19 years prior to moving to North Carolina.  

Jill Ritch, Au.D., CCC-A
Dr. Ritch received her B.S. in Speech Pathology and Audiology from James Madison University in 1994, her M.Ed. in Audiology from James Madison University in 1996 and her Au.D. from A.T. Still University, Arizona School of Health Sciences in 2006. Dr. Ritch completed her clinical fellowship year in 1998 at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, NC where she currently practices as a Pediatric Audiologist. Her primary interests involve diagnosis, care and management of children with hearing loss. Dr. Ritch is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing association and she is licensed as a Hearing Instrument Specialist with the North Carolina State Hearing Aid Dealers and Fitters Board.

Patricia Roush, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA
Dr. Roush is a faculty member in the Department of Otolaryngology and Director of Pediatric Audiology at UNC Hospitals where she specializes in working with newly identified infants and young children with hearing loss and their families.  She earned her Master's degree in Audiology from The University of Iowa and her Au.D. from the University of Florida.  She has worked with infants and young children at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Denver Children's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and Duke University Medical Center.  While at Duke, she co-directed the cochlear implant program.  Dr. Roush has lectured nationally and internationally on topics related to hearing loss in infants.

Alexandra O’Dell, B.A.
Alex graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2008 where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. Original research for her honors thesis compared the ability of listeners with normal hearing and listeners with hearing to understand speech in the presence of complex background noise. Since beginning the Doctor of Audiology program at UNC, Alex’s main interests include cochlear implantation, auditory evoked potentials, and hearing preservation research. As an Au.D. student, Alex received training grants in pediatrics and from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Upon graduation, would like to be involved in cochlear implant research and is interested in teaching speech and hearing undergraduate and graduate students. Alex is a student member of the American Academy of Audiology.

Brittany Richardson, B.A.
Brittany Richardson graduated from Metropolitan State College of Denver in 2007 where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. She is currently a 4th year pediatric audiology extern at UNC Hospitals. She started the Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) program at UNC Chapel Hill in 2008 and has since been particularly interested in pediatric audiology and the promotion of early hearing detection and intervention programs. Brittany has received training grants in pediatrics, including LEND and MCH traineeships. Upon graduation, she would like to continue working with children with hearing loss and their families. Brittany is a student member of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and American Speech, Language and Hearing Association (ASHA).

Ashley Timboe, B.A.
Ashley Timboe graduated magna cum laude from Eastern Washington University in 2008 where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Disorders. Currently, she is a 4th year graduate student in the Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) program at the University of Washington. At UNC, Ashley is currently a 4th year pediatric audiology extern and the 2011-2012 Judy Gravel Fellowship Award winner. As an Au.D. student, Ashley has worked to expand her pediatric knowledge base by participating in the LEND training grant and completing research at UW in the area of pediatric amplification and speech understanding in noise. Upon graduation, she would like to continue working with children with hearing loss and their families in a clinical setting as well as educating and leading others toward a more comprehensive understanding of pediatric audiology.

Krista is a pediatric speech language pathologist at UNC Hospitals. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English and minor in Secondary Education from the State University of New York, and a Master's degree in Speech Language Pathology from the City University of New York at Queens College in 2000. Prior to moving to North Carolina from New York, Krista worked for 6 years with developmentally disabled and medically fragile children ages 0-21 years. At UNC, Krista's focus is largely in pediatric feeding and swallowing, yet she also provides evaluation and consultation for speech and language disorders. Krista also has a strong interest in Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

Shannon Aumer

Krisi received her MS in Speech Language Pathology in 1993 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has focused her career in the specialty area of Pediatric Feeding and Dysphagia intervention using a medical, motor, and behavioral approach. She trained with an intensive feeding program and is certified in pediatric neurodevelopmental training. She is a privileged endoscopist performing fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing on the pediatric population, as well as videofluoroscopic evaluation of swallowing. Krisi founded and publishes The Pediatric Feeding and Dysphagia Newsletter, an international quarterly publication on pediatric feeding issues now in its 10th year. Krisi provides feeding workshops nationally to professionals involved in the care of children with feeding problems. She is a member of ASHA and has participated in several ASHA committees including development of the ASHA FEES position statement, pediatric training development, and is currently serving on the SID #13 editorial staff. She has co-authored a chapter in an upcoming Therapro feeding book pending publication in 2011.

Jocelyn received her B.A. in Speech Pathology and Audiology in 2001 from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC, and her M. Ed. in Communication Disorders from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC, in 2005. She completed her Clinical Fellowship Year at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, NC, working with adults in acute inpatient rehabilitation, acute care, and long-term acute care settings. She also gained experience evaluating and treating swallowing and language disorders in adults with mental illness while working at Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh, NC. Jocelyn joined the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology at UNC Hospitals in September 2007. She works with the adult neurogenic population, specializing in aphasia and cognitive-linguistic disorders in acute inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient settings.

Jillian received her B.A. in Communicative Disorders in 2006 from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL, and her M.Ed. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA in 2008.  She completed her Clinical Fellowship Year working with adults and geriatrics within skilled nursing, assisted living, and home health settings.  She gained additional experience working with the adult neurogenic population within these settings as a CCC-SLP. She joined the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology at UNC Hospitals in September of 2009 as a per diem staff member within Adult Acute Rehabilitation. She transitioned into a full-time position within Adult Acute Care in October of 2010.  Jillian has a special interest in serving the adult population addressing dysphagia and cognitive-linguistic deficits. Currently, she is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and holds current licensure within the state of North Carolina. 

Sarah Deitz, M.S., CCC-SLP

Sarah is a pediatric speech-language pathologist at UNC Hospitals. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences at West Virginia University and her Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Chapel Hill, NC. After completing school, she moved to Phoenix, AZ where she worked in a pediatric acute care setting at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She then transitioned to a community hospital in Richmond, VA before returning to Chapel Hill. Areas of interest include pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders with medically complex children.

Leslie received her B.A. in Communication Studies in 2001 and her M.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences in 2003 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She completed her Clinical Fellowship at UNC Hospitals working with adults in the acute care setting and in the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic.  After continuing her training at Duke University Medical Center, Leslie returned to UNC Hospitals in May 2006.  She continues to concentrate on the adult neurogenic population, specializing in dysphagia and cognitive-linguistic disorders. 

Brian holds a Master's Degree in Speech Pathology from the University of Louisiana Monroe.  He has worked in a variety of settings including home health, nursing homes, hospitals, outpatient clinics, acute care, rehab and schools.  Currently, he works as a speech pathologist for the UNC Ear Nose and Throat Clinic and specializes in voice restoration and swallowing disorders. He also teaches the swallowing disorders class in the UNC Graduate School Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences. Brian's other interests include pharyngoesophageal interrelationships in swallowing disorders, pediatric FEES for swallowing disorders in newborns through toddler-age children, and he is currently working with Dr. Robert Buckmire on a pilot study of larynx effects after upper esophageal dilation.  He is in the process of gathering data to delineate the effect of C5-6 cervical osteophytes on Upper Esophageal Sphincter Function. Brian worked with Dr. Eric Blom in designing a new type of TEP prosthesis.  He pioneered the Dual Valve Tracheoesophageal Voice Prosthesis that resulted in commercial manufacture of the device. He runs a specialty service for coverage of oversized tracheoesophageal fistula using silicone augmentation of TEP prosthesis when surgical closure is not deemed a safe option. Brian has worked with Krisi Brackett to start pediatric endoscopy for swallowing disorders in newborn infacts through toddler-age children.  He is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, International Association of Laryngectomees, Dysphagia Research Society, and the North Carolina Speech, Hearing & Language Association.  Brian is married with two beautiful little girls and in his free time enjoys reading, playing guitar, boating, and having fun with the kids. 

Amy Kujawa

Leah received her B.A. in Communicative Disorders in 1991 and her M.S. in Communicative Disorders in 1998 from the University of Redlands, CA. She has worked most recently as an acute care therapist for the past 5 years at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Leah joined the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology at UNC Hospitals in December 2005. Her specialties are in pediatrics and include feeding and swallowing disorders and working with patients who have experienced traumatic brain injuries. Leah is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina.  

Dr. Markus is a speech pathologist with a specialty in voice disorders and a singing voice specialist. She has a B.A. in music from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master's (MM) and Doctorate (DMA) in Vocal Music Performance from the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Markus was a faculty member in the Department of Music, teaching singing for 7 years at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro prior to pursuing studies in speech pathology. She has been at UNC Hospitals since 1991 where she developed and promoted the Voice Wellness Clinic, now the UNC Voice Center. Her practice is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with voice disorders with a special emphasis on the singer, professional and amateur.  In addition to her work in the clinic, Dr. Markus has been an adjunct professor at UNC Chapel Hill, where she has taught the graduate level course in Voice Disorders and continues to supervise graduate student interns. She continues to actively lecture throughout the state about and care and prevention of voice disorders and is the coordinator of the UNC Voice Center.

Betsy is the coordinator of the inpatient adult acute care speech pathology program at UNC Hospitals. She holds a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in speech pathology from the University of Texas, Austin, with an emphasis on bilingual and medical populations. Her practice is dedicated to the evaluation and treatment of patients with swallowing disorders, and she has been happily employed at UNC since 2000. In addition to her work in acute care, she is a frequent guest lecturer on swallowing disorders in the graduate programs at UNC Chapel Hill and supervises graduate student interns in the hospital. She frequently lectures throughout the state on swallowing disorders as well as cultural competence in the hospital setting, and has traveled throughout South America working as part of a craniofacial medical team, providing speech and swallowing services to children and adults.

Candace Seibert, M.A., CCC-SLP, a graduate of Hostra University, came to the UNC Hospitals Acute Rehabilitation Center in 2004 from the Brady Institute for Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit at Jamaica Hospital in Jamaica, New York. As a rehab therapist she treats individuals with cognitive, communication, and swallowing disorders resulting from traumatic brain injury, stroke, and other neurological insults. For Candace, it is both a joy and a privilege to work with individuals and their families in these early days and weeks of their recovery journey, as well as later in an outpatient context, as they work toward goals of reintegrating to home, community, and work environments. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and was certified as a brain injury specialist in 2008. Candace's many personal interests include spending time with her adult children and her husband of 40 years, gardening, playing golf, reading, and enjoying beautiful North Carolina.

Stefanie M. Veno, M.S., CCC-SLP

Stefanie received her B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2005 and M.S. in 2007 in Speech-Language Pathology both from Syracuse University.  She completed her Clinical Fellowship Year at John J. Rhodes Rehabilitation Institute at Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa, AZ, working with adults in acute inpatient rehabilitation and acute care settings.  Stefanie joined the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology at UNC Hospitals in April 2011.  She works with the adult neurogenic population in acute inpatient rehabilitation, acute care and outpatient settings. 

Terra' received her B.A. in Elementary Education in 2002 from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Masters in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2005 from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She joined the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology at UNC Hospitals after a year and a half at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston Salem, NC, where she also completed her Clinical Fellowship Year. Terra' has a special interest in serving the adult population addressing dysphagia and cognitive-linguistic disorders. Currently, she is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Shanta Beard

LeSonia Foxx

Jessica Hill

Stacy Jordan

Stephanie McAdams, M.A., CCC-SLP
Director of Speech Pathology and Audiology 

Mrs. McAdams received her Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology from Western Michigan University.  She has been a practicing Speech Language Pathologist for 20 years, specializing in the treatment of adult neurogenic disorders, especially those related to Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke.   For the past 15 years, she has been employed at the University of North Carolina Health Care System in the Rehabilitation and Acute Care settings.  She frequently lectures on topics related to cognitive dysfunction and treatment strategies for individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury.  Mrs. McAdams serves as the Chair on the Board of Directors for the Brain Injury Association of NC.  In addition, she acts as program chair for BIANC’s annual TBI training convention in NC. 

Kelly O'Brien, M.A., CCC-SLP
Clinical Supervisor

Kelly received her B.A. in Communicative Disorders and Sciences in 2000 and her M.A. in Speech Pathology in 2002 from the State University of New York College at Geneseo. She has eight years of experience in acute rehabilitation and adult acute care. Kelly joined the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology at UNC Hospitals in June of 2008 as the Senior Speech Pathologist on the inpatient rehabilitation unit. Her specialties include neurogenic speech, language, swallowing, and cognitive disorders in adults as well as adult aural rehabilitation.  Kelly is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, Triangle Aphasia Project, Unlimited, and currently serves as the Clinical Supervisor for the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology.

LeeAnn Wilkie