Chelsea Privette, PhD, CCC-SLP - Director

Hey y’all! My name is Chelsea Privette, and I’m from Durham, NC (we say “y’all” there too). I came to the field of Speech-Language Pathology by way of Linguistics. I studied Spanish and Linguistics at Wake Forest University and went on to get my master’s at North Carolina Central University where I completed two specialty certificates – one in bilingualism and one in cultural responsiveness in early intervention and assistive technology. To continue my studies in bilingualism, I went to the University of Arizona for my doctorate. I went back home to Durham to do my dissertation with preschoolers acquiring Spanish and Black Language (African American English). I continue to draw heavily on my background in sociolinguistics to inform my approach to research and clinical practice. During my postdoctoral fellowship here at UT Austin, I focused on developing the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that guide my work to be grounded in community and oriented towards justice. When I am not working, I am taking care of my plants, experimenting in the kitchen, taking a dance class, or reading children’s books.