Biography:

Lena Caesar is department chair and assistant professor of speech-language pathology and audiology on the campus of Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Mich. She joined the faculty in 1996.

Born in Aruba, Caesar graduated from Caribbean Union College, Maracas, Trinidad, in 1972, with an associate of arts degree in liberal arts studies, emphasis in English literature. She was awarded a bachelor of science degree in communicative disorders in 1986 from Andrews University. In 1989, she received a master's degree in communicative disorders from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Caesar earned her doctoral degree in 2004 from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. The title of her dissertation is: "Factors affecting school-based speech-language pathologists' use of language assessment practices with bilingual children." Caesar is working on completion of a second doctoral degree in interdisciplinary health studies, emphasis in speech-language pathology, also at Western Michigan University.

Before coming to Andrews, Caesar served as a high school teacher in St. Lucia and Guyana, program director and assistant professor at University of Montmorelos in Mexico, and graduate assistant and adjunct professor at Western Michigan University. In addition, she has amassed clinical experience as a speech-language pathologist in Madison, Wisconsin, as well as various locations in Michigan.

Caesar is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Alpha Kappa Mu, and Pi Lambda Theta. She has also been nominated to Who's Who Among America's Teachers. She has also written scholarly presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and professional publications.

She is married to Lael O. Caesar. They have one son and one daughter.

Current Research or Professional Activities:

Scholarly Presentations

 

Caesar, L.G. (2006, March). Where have all the SLPs gone? Challenges to providing school-based services. Paper presented at the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association  (MSHA) Annual conference, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

 

Caesar, L.G. (2006, March). Threats to the profession: Voices from the trenches.  Invited paper at the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association  (MSHA) Communication Sciences and Disorders Directors Joint Educational Summit, Kalalmazoo, Michigan.

 

Caesar, L.G. (2005, July).   Speech-language pathologists' perceptions regarding the adequacy of graduate training in bilingual assessment. Poster presented at  Schools 2005, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Annual Conference for Speech-Language Pathologists in Schools, Indianapolis, Indiana.

 

Caesar, L.G. (2005, July).   Culturally and linguistically diverse students: Assessment. Invited as roundtable facilitator/presenter at  Schools 2005, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Annual Conference for Speech-Language Pathologists in Schools, Indianapolis, Indiana.

 

Caesar, L.G. (2005, June).  School-based speech-language pathologists' use of alternative assessment procedures with monolingual and bilingual children. Poster presented at the 26th annual International Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders (SRCLD), Madison, Wisconsin.

 

Caesar, L.G. (2005, April). Assessment practices of school-based speech-language pathologists in the state of Michigan: Evidence-based or Experience-based:  Paper presented at the Washtenaw Speech Pathologists Educating All Kids (SPEAK) Meeting, Ann Arbor, MI

 

Caesar, L.G. (2005, April).  Addressing the personnel crisis in special education. Paperpresented at the Teacher Education Council, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI.

 

Butler, C.P., & Caesar, L.G. (2005, March).  Sibling differences in second language acquisition:  A case study approach.  Poster presented at the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association  (MSHA) Annual Conference, Ypsilanti, Michigan.

  

Caesar, L.G. (2005, March). Assessment Procedures employed by speech-language Pathologists: A statewide survey.  Paper presented at the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association  (MSHA) Annual conference, Ypsilanti, Michigan.

 

Williams, L. A. & Caesar, L.G. (2005, March).  A case study comparison of dynamic Assessment outcomes for two school-age Hispanic English Language Learners. Poster presented at the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Conference (MSHA) annual conference, Ypsilanti, Michigan.

 

Icabone, D., & Caesar, L.G. (2003, May). Ethical issues in action research. Poster presented at the 2003 Research Ethics Conference, Western Michigan University. Kalamazoo, Michigan.

 

Applegate, B., Caesar, L., & Janson, V. (2003, May).  Human subjects research:  A multinational  comparative study of policy guidelines. Paper presented at the 2003  Research Ethics Conference, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

 

Caesar, L.G. (1999, March).  Talking Time: Acquisition of temporal concepts in pre-school children.  A poster presentation at the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Conference.  Troy, MI.

 

Peer-Reviewed Publications

 

Caesar, L.G. (2006, in press).  Medicaid school billing for SLP services:  A brief  tutorial. Contemporary Issues in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

 

Caesar, L.G., & Kohler, P. (2006, in press).  The state of school-based

            bilingual assessment: Actual practice versus recommended guidelines.  Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools.

 

Caesar, L.G. (2006).  English proficiency and access to health insurance in

Hispanics who are elderly: Implications for adequate healthcare. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 28, 143-152.

 

Caesar, L.G. (2005). Testing the tests:  An investigation into the effectiveness of alternative assessment methods for bilingual language-impaired children.  The Hilltop Review: A Journal of Western Michigan Graduate Research,1, 1-10.

 

Professional Publications:

 

Caesar, L.G., & Williams, D.R. (2002, April).  Socioculture and the delivery of healthcare: Who gets what and why?  ASHA Leader, 7(6), 6-9.

 

Caesar, L.G. (2005, February). The work and well-being of public school speech- language Pathologists: Highlights of the statewide survey. MSHA Et Cetera, 28, 10-16.

 

Caesar, L.G. (2003, April).  Golden apple. ASHA Leader, 8(8), 25.

  

Denominational Publications:

 

Caesar, L.G. (1995).  Sensing His Presence.  In Rose Otis (ed.).  The Listening Heart: A daily devotional for women by women. (pp. 412-413). MD: Review & Herald.

 

 

Doctoral Dissertations:

 

Caesar, L.G. (in progress).  Occupational stress and psychological distress in school-based speech-language pathologists:  Effects of social support.

 

Caesar, L.G. (2004).  Factors affecting school-based speech-language pathologists? use of language assessment practices with bilingual children. (Doctoral dissertation, Western Michigan University, 2004). Digital Dissertations, UMI # 3138764. 

 

Research Projects/Grants:

 

Caesar, L., Principal Investigator and Project Director, Job-related stress and mental health in School-based Speech-Language Pathologists employed in Special education settings.  Internal faculty grant, (2006 ? 2007), Office of Scholarly Research and Activity, Andrews University, $3,130.  [Ranking of anonymous peer review committee: A]

 

Caesar, L., (2005-2006).  Grant Recipient, University Partner Program--Therapy and Assessment Products, Super Duper Publications, ($12,538.97 value).

 

Caesar, L. & Williams, D.R., (2003).  Co-Investigators, The Work and Well-Being of Speech-Language Pathologists Survey, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan. Awarded: $5,000, Dissertation Survey Development Grant.

 

Caesar, L., (2002-2005).  External Consultant & Field Supervisor.   Personnel Preparation Project: Language and Literacy for Diverse Populations.  PIs: Nickola W. Nelson, Yvette Hyter, & Kathi Fuller, Western Michigan University. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (Grant # H325H10023).

 

Caesar, L.  Product researcher for the Preschool Language Scale (PLS),  4th edition,  (summer 2000), The Psychological Corporation. 

 

Caesar, L., Principal Investigator and  Project Director, Time or tiempo: Analyzing temporal expression in bilingual children's speech.  Internal faculty grant, (1998 - 1999), Office of Scholarly Research and Activity, Andrews University, $3,000.

 

Caesar, L. ( 1985). Created a protocol for the study of the language of time in children's speech as encoded by temporal adverbials.  Also wrote and edited the on-line documentation for SALT Windows (1998), Miller and Chapman's  computerize program for the analysis of language transcripts.