Alayna Townsend, PhD, CCC-SLP

Dr. Alayna E. Townsend is an Assistant Professor in the Master of Speech-Language Pathology program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences on the Dallas, TX campus.

Dr. Townsend began her journey in higher education in 2015, combining her clinical experience with teaching, mentorship and service. She has spent the last 10 years as a clinical educator and lecturer. As a certified speech-language pathologist, she has provided pediatric services across a variety of settings. Her clinical and scholarly areas of focus include culturally responsive practice, childhood apraxia of speech and populations with Autism. She is recognized by Apraxia Kids for advanced training and expertise in childhood apraxia of speech. Dr. Townsend has taught courses in phonetics, speech sound disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, pediatric language disorders and culturally responsive practices.

She has developed and participated in several international interprofessional service-learning projects to support children with speech and language needs. Dr. Townsend has regularly published scholarly work and presented it at local, state, national and international conferences.

She earned her Master of Science from the University of Cincinnati and her Bachelor of Science from Xavier University of Louisiana. She completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Howard University and a post-doctoral clinical fellowship through the LoneStar Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, with clinical concentration in early signs of autism spectrum disorder.

Dr. Townsend joined the Master of Speech-Language Pathology program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in 2025 as contributing faculty and transitioned to her current full-time position in April 2025.