For more than 50 years, the Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center has been the site of pioneering communication sciences and disorders research at the University of Iowa. The building, constructed in 1967, helped bring work in speech and hearing sciences, audiology, language disorders, cleft palate, neurogenic communication problems and other areas together under one roof. The building is scheduled for removal this summer as part of the university’s 10-year facilities master plan.

That work will continue in the Health Sciences Academic Building, where the UI Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic and Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders have relocated. The clinic provides diagnostic and treatment services for children and adults with speech, language, voice, hearing, swallowing and cognitive-communication disorders.

The new space includes modernized clinical areas, integrated technology and greater access to interprofessional resources. It will also increase the clinic’s capacity to serve Iowans, enhance hands-on training for graduate students and provide specialized research spaces, including a behavioral observation lab. The department also plans to recognize Wendell Johnson’s legacy through a display in the new clinic.