January 19, 2023 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
Danielle Varnedoe has more to celebrate than the start of a new year. This month, the director of the Montgomery Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic will retire after four decades of service to the Arnold School’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD). She also recently welcomed her first grandchild. The Clinic will be left in the capable hands of Angela McLeod, who has been a clinical associate professor with the department for 15 years, as Varnedoe begins a new chapter.
“When I joined COMD in 2020 as chair, the former chair, Kenn Apel, told me that he leaned heavily on Danielle for support,” says Jean Neils-Strunjas. “I have tried to build on his model of sharing decisions with Danielle because she has a wealth of knowledge, sound judgement and a good sense of humor. She holds a tremendous amount of information about the history of the department and is a main character in the department's history. It's a happy story and one that we're all proud of. We're indebted to Danielle for her devotion to the department. Danielle has been mentoring Dr. McLeod, who will be assuming the Clinic director position.”
I’ve been blessed to work with such great people. Our clinical faculty are great problem solvers and team players, so I’ve been very fortunate in that arena.
-Danielle Varnedoe, director of the Montgomery Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic
With 40 of her 44-year career in speech-language pathology taking place at the Arnold School, USC has definitely been a second home for Varnedoe. The Ohio native first moved to South Carolina after completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Akron and accepting a position at the Whitten Center (South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs).
When a friend told her about an instructor opening at USC, Varnedoe thought back fondly on her time as a master’s student – both in receiving mentorship from faculty and in providing it to undergraduate students. She was eager to get back into an academic setting where she could help prepare future speech-language pathologists to make a difference in the field while also continuing to support clients (particularly preschool-age children).
The mentorship opportunities Varnedoe found in the COMD department did not disappoint. She has worked with hundreds of students and dozens of faculty members over the years, with these interactions being some of the best experiences of her career.
“I’ve had such great mentorship since the beginning of my time here,” she says. “I really enjoyed learning about research and teaching in both clinical and academic contexts. I’ve worked with great chairs, and we all really benefited from close partnerships between clinical and academic research faculty. We have a great atmosphere of collaboration and respect.”
When Varnedoe was selected to lead the Clinic (then known as the USC Speech and Hearing Research Center) in 2001, the new role offered opportunities and challenges. In addition to figuring out how to lead and motivate teams of clinicians and students to provide exceptional care for clients, she had a steep learning curve to climb as she discovered the ins and outs of insurance billing, HIPPA rules, budgets, developing policies and procedures, and many other behind-the-scenes responsibilities.
I feel really good about my career and am happy to pass the torch to Angela. I’ve known her for years and years, and she’s great. I know she will make it her own.
-Danielle Varnedoe, director of the Montgomery Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic
“I’ve been blessed to work with such great people,” says Varnedoe, who received the Arnold School’s Faculty Service Award in 2013. “Our clinical faculty are great problem solvers and team players, so I’ve been very fortunate in that arena.”
The feeling is mutual. Apel, who worked with Varnedoe for eight years, shares the sentiments of the department.
“Everyone in COMD respected Danielle for the multiple talents and ideas she brought to the table,” he says. “Personally, I always considered Danielle as my ‘vice-chair.’ When I needed to solve a problem or just brainstorm through issues, I sought her out for her knowledge and humor. I can’t imagine what kind of chair I would have been without her as a colleague and a friend.”
Varnedoe’s contributions to the field have been recognized outside USC as well. The South Carolina Speech-Language-Hearing Association, where Varnedoe has devoted much of her service time holding numerous leadership positions (most recently wrapping up a four-year term as president), has recognized her with the DiCarlo Award for Outstanding Clinical Achievement (2004), Frank R. Kleffner Clinical Career Award (2014), Honors of the Association (2016) and Special Recognition Award (2021). She is also the recipient of the Distinguished Contribution Award (2019) from the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
In addition to spending time with her new grandson, Brandt, Varnedoe plans to travel with her husband, three sisters and their spouses. She may even read for pleasure.
Though she is officially retiring, Varnedoe is not quite ready to leave the profession. She will keep up her certification and licensure for a while, occasionally attending conferences to catch up with colleagues and friends.
“I feel really good about my career and am happy to pass the torch to Angela,” Varnedoe says. “I’ve known her for years and years, and she’s great. I know she will make it her own.”
Related:
Danielle Varnedoe preps to lead South Carolina Speech-Language-Hearing Association as president