Growing up in India and having visited six continents, Dr. Sakina Drummond’s travel aspirations are different from most.  Instead of visiting foreign countries, she now intends to see “all of the U.S.A.,” saying there are too many places here to see.  So far, Dr. Drummond has visited the eastern and midwestern states and looks forward to traveling west.

During her travels, she diligently works on another hobby—stamp collecting.  Starting with a stamp commemorating the Apollo mission in 1962, her collection now consumes many shelves of her bookcase. Each stamp is logged with its time, origin and a short story.  Dr. Drummond feels it is the best way to learn about the culture of her new home, and she always asks her students to send stamps from their travels.

Having joined the Southeast faculty in 1995 as chair of the Department of Communication Disorders, Dr. Drummond’s professional life keeps her busy as well.  When asked why she chose teaching, Dr. Drummond responded, “My research and clinical interests led me to my evolution as a teacher.  I am a strong proponent of the ‘teacher-scholar’ model.” 

With this in mind, she primarily uses case studies in her classes because she says it makes her students better problem solvers—something that will be critical in their clinical work.  The University of Michigan graduate always wants her students to enjoy investigating the situation and to “think outside the box.”

Dr. Drummond uses these same ideas in her research on how neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s affect the communication of older adults. 

“Humans are social beings,” she says, and they continue to communicate despite their health conditions.  She thus seeks to better understand how these individuals adapt to their changing health conditions.

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