Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board Member Julie Case (PhD ’19; MA ’07) Awarded Hofstra’s Researcher of the Year Award

An alum of NYU Steinhardt’s Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Case’s research specializes in speech sound disorders, particularly childhood apraxia of speech.

Alum Julie Case (PhD ’19, Communicative Sciences and Disorders; MA ’07, Speech-Language Pathology) has been chosen as the Early Career Researcher of the Year for Hofstra University for her contributions to the field of speech-language pathology. 

Case’s work is specifically focused on advancing knowledge of a severe pediatric motor speech disorder called childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), in which the brain has difficulty in the ability to send accurate and efficient information to direct the movements of the lips, jaws, and tongue when speaking.

“Research is one of my favorite things about my work, and to be recognized across the whole university for the work I’m doing is a really big honor,” says Case. “I feel lucky to do what I do, and to know that I’m in an environment where I am supported is very special.”

Currently an assistant professor in the Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department at Hofstra University, Case began her career as a Spanish teacher before she decided she wanted to take a different direction—one that led her to NYU Steinhardt.

“I was at a crossroads in my teaching career, and I always had a love for and interest in speech and language and how we learn to talk,” says Case, who obtained her undergraduate degree in Spanish with a concentration in elementary education from Villanova University and her master’s in Spanish language and Hispanic literature and cultures from Central Connecticut State University. “My husband and I wanted to move to the city, so when I got into NYU it was such a gift. NYU Steinhardt offered me a place where I could get a top-of-the-line education along with wonderful mentorship.”

While at Steinhardt, Case worked closely with Maria Grigos, professor and chair of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, who is a leading scholar on the efficacy of motor-based intervention in CAS. Case’s current research focuses on the clinical management of the disorder in the context of motor-based intervention and includes multiple studies that look at how different aspects—such as the role of the caregiver or the frequency of treatment—can impact treatment outcomes for children with CAS.

“Before I became a professor and a researcher, I worked as a speech-language pathologist in the Bronx, and those experiences drive my work today,” says Case. “I know how it feels to be in the clinic and have an issue and not know how to solve it, so I’m always trying to develop clinically useful tools for current practitioners.”

Case has also recently launched a line of research looking at how CAS presents in bilingual children, which pulls together all her different paths: Spanish teacher, practitioner, and researcher. As part of her work, she’s connecting with clinicians around the world, having delivered in-person talks in Chile and virtually in Mexico.

In addition to her academic and scholarly work, Case has been a member of the NYU Steinhardt Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board since 2023. The Board offers guidance and input to help fulfill Steinhardt’s vision of being the leading school in the world devoted to a holistic understanding of, and commitment to, human development across the lifespan. 

“The Board work is fun and a great way to be able to give back to the department and highlight the work of other alumni,” says Case. “NYU Steinhardt was a place that allowed me to do what I loved while also being me, and it very much feels like home.”