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Faculty
Faculty

Alaina S. Davis

Assistant Professor

alaina.davis@Howard.edu

Department/Office

  • Communication Sciences & Disorders

School/College

  • School of Communications
  • Graduate School

Additional Positions

  • Assistant Director of Graduate Assessment
    Graduate School

Biography

Dr. Alaina Davis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Howard University where she also received her Ph.D. She is also a licensed Medical Speech-Language Pathologist and a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer with the Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists. She has expertise in neurologically based communication disorders with adolescents and adults and primarily focuses on traumatic brain injury. Dr. Davis directs the Cognitive-Communicative Skills Research Lab in which the team examines cognitive-communicative deficits associated with sport-related concussion and return-to-learn/play/activity for student-athletes following concussion. Student-athletes are supported through her role on the HU Concussion Management Team. Dr. Davis’ work also addresses the understanding of the cognitive and communication styles of adolescents and adults from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds and identifies culturally responsive methods for cognitive-communicative assessment and treatment.

In addition, Dr. Davis is the Assistant Director of Graduate Assessment and leads the Graduate Assessment Council. She has an interest in program assessment and analyzes the effect of cognitive learning styles on significant learning in academic and clinical activities related to speech-language pathology. Dr. Davis is published in professional journals and has co-authored chapters on TBI. She also co-hosts a podcast called, Sunday Dinner with Drs. Stanford and Davis in which she leads a series called Brain Injury Chronicles with Dr. D. telling the stories of persons with concussion and its effect on their lives.

Education & Expertise

Education

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Ph.D.
Howard University
2014

Speech-Language Pathology

M.S.
Southern University and A&M College
2009

Communication Disorders

B.A.
University of Houston
2005

Expertise

Speech-Language Pathology

Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion

Cognitive-Communication Disorders

Executive Functions and Working Memory

Culturally Responsive Assessment and Treatment

Right Hemisphere Disorder

Aphasia

Dementia

Academics

Academics

COSD 263: Anatomy & Physiology

COSD 543: Anatomy & Physiology

COSD 467: Tests & Measurements

COSD 557: Tests & Measurments

COSD 561: Neurogenic Language Disorders

COSD 567: Neurogenic Speech Disorders

COSD 569: Medical SLP

COSD 570: Dysphagia

COSD 607: Communication Disorders in Aging

COSD 612: Communication Disorders in Traumatic Brain Injury

COSD 769: Neuro and Cognitive Foundations (Doctoral)

COSD 771: Seminar in Aging (Doctoral)

COSD 774: Seminar in Traumatic Brain Injury (Doctoral)

Research

Research

Specialty

Cognitive-Communication Disorders Associated with Sport-related Concussion/Traumatic Brain Injury

Accomplishments

Accomplishments

2021 Provost's Distinguished Service Award

(2019) Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists - Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer

2019 HU Summer Research Fellowship

Verbal Reasoning, Working Memory, and Learning Strategies in Student-Athletes With and Without Concussion

2018-2019 Hughes/Liggins Fund

2018 Junior Faculty Writing and Creative Works Summer Academy

2018 HU Summer Research Fellowship

The Speech-Language Pathologist’s Role in Increasing Knowledge and Attitudes of Athletes on Cognitive-Communication Symptoms Associated with Concussion

2017-2018 Hughes/Liggins Fund

2017 HU Summer Research Retreat

Related Articles

(2020) Shifting the mindset of racism through cognitive learning styles in communication sciences & disorders

Davis, A. S. & Stanford, S. (2020) Shifting the mindset of racism through cognitive learning styles in communication sciences & sisorders. Journal of the National Black Association for Speech, Language, and Hearing, 15(3), 87-97.

(2020) Still sitting at the back of the bus: Black communication sciences & disorders academicians surviving in a system of bias and prejudice

Stanford, S. & Davis, A. S. (2020) Still sitting at the back of the bus: Black communication sciences & disorders academicians surviving in a system of bias and prejudice. Journal of the National Black Association for Speech, Language, and Hearing, 15(3), 95-97.

(2016) Significance of concussions in Hawaii: From land to sea.

Cifu, D. X., Uchima, O. K., Davis, A. S., Lower, A. E., Jin, J. L., & Lew, H. L. (2016). Significance of concussions in Hawaii: From land to sea. Hawaii Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 75(9), 262-265.

(2016) Cultural familiarity of figurative expressions from three music genres in African American adults

Davis, A. S., Wright-Harp, W., Lucker, J., Payne, J. C., & Campbell, A. (2016). Cultural familiarity of figurative expressions from three music genres in African American adults. Contemporary Issues in Communication Sciences and Disorders, 43, 238- 254.    

(2014) Traumatic brain injury. In Adult neurogenic language disorders: Assessment and treatment - An ethnobiological approach, 2nd Ed.

Payne, J. C., Wright-Harp, W., & Davis, A. S. (2014). Traumatic brain injury. In J. C. Payne, Adult Neurogenic Language Disorders: Assessment and Treatment–An Ethnobiological Approach. 2nd ​Edition (pp. 175-264). San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing.