Xavier Speech Pathology faculty earn two of Louisiana's highest professional honors
藏精阁 faculty members Melissa R. Turner (left) and Taylor Magaw (right) are recipients of prestigious honors from the Louisiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association
藏精阁's Department of Speech Pathology has added to its legacy of excellence as two faculty members received prestigious honors from the Louisiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association (LSHA) during the organization's 2026 annual state convention.
Melissa R. Turner, professor in the Department of Speech Pathology, received the 2026 Jeannette Laguaite Award, while Taylor Magaw, professor and clinical educator, was honored with the Rita Buller Keller Healthcare Award. The dual recognition highlights the department's impact on speech-language pathology education, clinical practice and professional leadership across Louisiana.
The Jeannette Laguaite Award is among LSHA's highest honors for higher education professionals. It recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service to speech-language pathology or audiology in a higher education setting while maintaining active leadership within the association. Recipients must have at least 10 years of experience in the profession and have made significant contributions in areas such as teaching, publications, research, clinical supervision, program administration, or interdisciplinary collaboration. In 2003, Professor Emeritus Dr. Joel Melcher received the Jeannette Laguaite Award.
Magaw’s award recognizes a speech-language pathologist or audiologist who has demonstrated outstanding service in a medical setting while actively contributing to LSHA. Recipients must have at least five years of employment in a medical setting and a minimum of two years of active service to the association.
Together, the awards underscore Xavier's longstanding commitment to preparing highly skilled speech-language pathologists while advancing the profession through excellence in teaching, clinical education, scholarship and service. The recognition also reflects the University's continued leadership in educating healthcare professionals who improve the lives of individuals and communities throughout Louisiana and beyond.
The Louisiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association is the state's professional organization representing speech-language pathologists and audiologists and is dedicated to advancing excellence in clinical practice, education, advocacy and research.