The coming year brings new resources to the Professional Affairs and Research Writing Committees. My term as chair concluded in 2015 and Laura Murray will now take the lead of the group. In addition, two committees have new chairs: Maya Henry will chair the Progressive Neurogenic Communication Disorders (formerly Dementia) Committee, and Deanna Britton will chair the Dysarthria Committee. Returning chairs are Kirrie Ballard (Apraxia of Speech); Therese O’Neil-Pirozzi (TBI) and Mary Purdy (Aphasia). Two publications appeared in 2015 (Apraxia of Speech and TBI). Each committee has a project in the planning or implementation stages.

The Professional Affairs and Research Writing Committee underscored its commitment to evaluating clinical research through the systematic review process. The writing committees, as well as the Executive Board, are considering how ANCDS can best disseminate information through scholarly journals and electronic media, especially in collaboration with the ACNDS Communications Committee.

Janet Patterson, Ph.D.