The College of Health and Human Services is excited to welcome two new faculty to the college, each with unique knowledge and expertise within their field of study! Learn more about each of them below.
Dr. Hatun Zengin-Bolatkale is an assistant professor in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies, specializing in speech-language pathology. She brings more than 12 years of clinical experience to the classroom and prides herself in being a teacher by training, where she has completed a variety of certificates and courses directed to excellence in college-level teaching. Zengin-Bolatkale shows great pride in teaching, having taught a wide range of courses at the college- and graduate-level in areas such as fluency disorders, childhood language disorders, speech science, neurogenic communication disorders, neuroscience of speech and language and specific learning disorders among others.
Zengin-Bolatkale earned her Ph.D. in hearing and speech sciences from Vanderbilt University, where she later taught in the same field. She most recently taught at the university level in Instanbul, Turkey. Her broad clinical, academic and research interests involve developmental speech and language disorder, with a focus on childhood stuttering. Learn more about Zengin-Bolatke below:
Your name is very unique. How is it pronounced?
Thank you for asking! The phonetic pronunciation is HA-toon ZEN-ghin Boh-LOT-kah-leh.
What do you enjoy most about your field of study?
I truly enjoy being a teacher-scholar and a clinician scientist. Communication is such a basic, critical human right. Helping individuals communicate whatever they want, whenever they want, with whomever they want makes our job as speech-language pathologists very rewarding. I love training the next generation of speech-language pathologists and I truly enjoy instilling in them a strong sense of evidence based-practice.
I make a specific effort to involve students in my program of research as much as possible and I teach them how to critically read the available evidence. I enjoy seeing my students grow into confident clinicians who base their decision making in solid scientific evidence and it makes me so excited when some of them decide to pursue further training in research to contribute to generation of clinical evidence.
What inspired you to work at Fresno State?
I was truly inspired by the diversity of the student body and faculty at Fresno State. I am an academic from an underrepresented group who has benefited greatly from the support of institutions and individuals that value diversity and inclusion. Therefore, I know the impact and the importance of an academic environment where diversity is valued and inclusion is a collective goal. It makes me very excited that Fresno State has a specific mission and commitment to diversity and equity and efforts for inclusion.
What is one thing you’re looking forward to about living here in the Central Valley?
The Central Valley holds so much potential, and I am looking forward to getting involved in outreach activities and making a significant difference in the community along with my students.
What is a fun fact about you?
I enjoy learning new things (anything from economics to politics to forestry) and I like to discover new podcasts or listen to audiobooks while taking long walks or running errands.
What kind of research can we expect to see in the future?
My current research focuses on investigating social, emotional, cognitive and linguistic aspects of developmental stuttering from a multifactorial perspective, using various psychophysiology methods such as heart rate, skin conductance, evoked response potentials (ERPs), and eye-tracking. Involving students in my ongoing research projects and guiding students through their research experience are extremely rewarding and valuable aspects of my career.
Dr. Ting-fen Lin is an assistant professor in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies in the area of speech-language pathology. Her research interests include swallowing and swallowing disorders (dysphagia), as well as the interaction between mind, body, and breath during the eating and drinking process. While the traditional management of swallowing has generally been focused on the physiology of the disorder and the impairment level, Lin aspires to shift dysphagia management toward a more holistic approach. Her research aims to improve patient quality of life via alternative and complementary person-centered approaches.
Prior to earning her Ph.D. in communication disorders and sciences from the University of Oregon, Lin worked as an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist in the acute care setting, with a focus on dysphagia evaluation and rehabilitation. Outside of the clinical setting, Lin has presented her research on a global scale, and garnered recognition from the Dysphagia Research Society, who awarded her a third place poster presentation award in 2019, among other accolades. Learn more about Lin:
What is one thing you’re looking forward to about teaching at Fresno State and living here in the Central Valley?
I have noticed some very fresh produce in town. The university even has its own farmer’s market. It’s always great to support local businesses and eat locally sourced foods. I’m also excited about having mountains and the ocean accessible just within a few hours.
As for teaching at Fresno State, I’m most excited to work with such a diverse student body.
Beyond academia, what are some of your other areas of expertise?
I started practicing breathwork, meditation, and yoga when I was a master’s student at Ohio State. I enjoy this form of self-care so much that I became a certified volunteer facilitator for breathwork, meditation, and yoga in 2017.
What is a fun fact about you and/or what are your hobbies?
I enjoy being in nature, cooking, and swimming.
What do you enjoy most about your field of study?
I enjoy food and so it’s rewarding to help others eat and drink safely 🙂
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