Betsy Partin Vinson, M. Med. Sci. (1953 – 2020)
The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Ms. Betsy Partin Vinson, M. Med. Sci., CCC-SLP, on December, 26, 2020. Ms. Vinson was a beloved member of our faculty for over twenty years. At the time of her retirement in 2014, she was an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (which was the former name of our Department) and served as both the Program Director and Director of Clinical Education for the Master of Arts degree program for speech-language pathology. As part of these duties, she also directed operations at the Department’s Speech and Hearing Clinic, which was located in historic Dauer Hall. The Clinic provided speech, language, and hearing services to scores of people from the UF community and the greater Gainesville area, and it served as a clinical education setting for graduate students in the areas of speech-language pathology and audiology. Ms. Vinson worked tirelessly to prepare her students for success in their clinical practicum placements, externships, and professional employment. During her career, she was instrumental in the mentoring hundreds of master’s level speech-language pathology students and many more undergraduates.
Ms. Vinson earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Medical Science at Emory University, Dekalb, GA. She began her career as a speech-language pathologist at the Sunland Center (now the Tacachale Developmental Disabilities Center) and, later, at the Sydney Lanier School in Gainesville. In addition to her academic and clinical teaching, Ms. Vinson authored several widely used textbooks dealing with childhood language disorders, essential elements of clinical practice, and motor speech disorders. She also was a founding member of the Southeastern University Clinical Educators (SEUCE) organization, through which she worked passionately to improve the quality of university-level clinical education in speech-language pathology.
Ms. Vinson’s gentle good humor made her a favorite of students and faculty alike. She was well-known for her love of college baseball, especially the teams from UF and Emory University. The faculty and staff in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences extends their heartfelt condolences to her husband Tim, their children, and other members of her family.