Dr. Amber Heape is a proud alumna of the first-ever Clinical Doctorate in Speech-Language Pathology (CScD) program at RMU. She has been a part of the university’s faculty since 2023, after serving as an adjunct professor since 2016. With more than 20 years of experience in various professional settings and administrative roles, Dr. Heape has worked as a clinical specialist for over 100 skilled nursing facilities under a large healthcare corporation. Throughout her career, she has also collaborated with various universities to provide clinical supervision and facilitate graduate student placements. Apart from her role at RMU, Dr. Heape also teaches as an adjunct professor at South Carolina State University, offering courses on dysphagia, voice disorders, communication in aging, dementia, healthcare payer types, and regulatory issues.
Her exceptional teaching skills have been recognized through the 2024 Hartgraves Award for Excellence in Teaching from RMU. Additionally, Dr. Heape has authored several peer-reviewed publications and presented continuing education courses at state, national, and international events. She has also served as a President of the South Carolina Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is a co-founder of their Leadership Development Program. Currently, she is the coordinator for ASHA’s Special Interest Group 15 (Gerontology) and a topic co-chair for the ASHA Convention. Dr. Heape also serves on the ASHA Journals Editorial Board and the RMU Faculty Development Committee.
Dr. Heape’s primary research interests are in clinical supervision, student learning and success, medical speech-language pathology, and geriatric practice.