Meet Lisa

Lisa Erwin-Davidson is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at California State University Fullerton (CSUF). Before entering academia, Lisa was a practicing speech-language pathologist for almost 30 years serving children and adults who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in a variety of settings. For this reason, Lisa conducts applied AAC research in the communities where people live, work, and learn. One of the main reasons Lisa is excited to work at CSUF is the rich diversity of cultures and languages.

Lisa works with students, families, and community partners to accurately represent the many voices of this linguistically-rich community. Whether a person uses a no-tech or high-tech aided AAC system, Lisa strives to teach her students how to be culturally respectful and responsive, so persons who may be otherwise under-represented have an equal opportunity to voice opinions and actively shape their society.

Lisa’s research and instructional focus are community-engaged and interdisciplinary. She acknowledges a particular challenge for applied researchers working with low incidence populations. For example, it is challenging to select a unit of analysis that will adequately describe and fairly represent an inherently heterogeneous sample population. In fact, the only evidence of homogeneity in the low incidence population may be their significantly limited language and literacy.    

Lisa has an affinity for qualitative research. However, she feels it is necessary to approach a problem pragmatically and generate questions that may require both quantitative and qualitative answers. These answers address particular problems facing people who use AAC and those who serve them.

Married with four grown children, Lisa made the courageous decision in 2015 to follow-through on a 30-year goal: to seek an advanced degree that would make possible an academic and research career. Lisa obtained her doctoral degree and now hopes to inspire the next generation of speech-language pathologists and special educators to work collaboratively in the field of AAC.

In current pandemic times, Lisa enjoys riding her bike around Southern California, taking long walks with her husband, plugging into a new podcast, or listening to music. At all times, she will be wearing a mask and following physical-distancing guidelines in respect of her fellow humans.