The Department of Communication Disorders welcomes Kerstine Hart to their faculty. Hart is a new clinical educator who will help supervise graduate students in the speech and language program in their work in the on-campus clinic.

Hart, from Monroe, Utah, graduated from BYU with an associate’s degree in secretarial technology in 1979 and a bachelor’s degree in audiology and speech in 1999. She earned her M.S. degree in speech-language pathology in 2002.

“I had a son who had some language needs. So when we came to BYU I started taking classes to see if I could find answers and ways to help him,” she said. “I took a few classes and got hooked.”

Along with her own schooling, Hart helped put her husband, who is currently an Associate Academic Vice President for Faculty at BYU, through school to earn his Ph.D. from Purdue University. Along the way they had four children, three of whom have graduated from BYU or BYU-Idaho. “We bleed blue,” she said.

Since returning to Utah, Hart has worked in the field of speech language therapy. She worked for Nebo School District for 10 years as a speech language pathologist. She also spent two years working for the non-profit organization Kids Who Count, in addition to running her own speech-language business.

Now Hart is excited to work with students in the McKay School as they pursue a career in speech language pathology. “I will have the opportunity to give back to BYU by helping students facilitate their learning as they work for clients; as they do assessments and treat clients,” she said.

In her free time, Hart loves to spend time with her family, which now includes three grandchildren, and travel. While Israel was her favorite place to visit, she has also been to Japan, Greece, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and many other places around the world.

October 1, 2012