The spacious new facility houses state-of-the-art training resources for graduate-student clinicians and accessible health services for the Philadelphia community.

Ellen Schwartz, CLA ’69, looks around the new Ellen Schwartz Speech-Language-Hearing Center, admiring the large space and modern features. It is a sharp contrast from the space in which she pursued her graduate training 55 years ago. 

“It’s an amazing facility, bigger than I thought it would be,” she said. “When I was a student, the speech and hearing clinic was on the third floor of a tiny little row house. We made it work, but I always dreamed of a more professional, supportive environment for future students. It’s wonderful to see it in action and know the students will be meeting with real clients here.” 

Now, Temple speech, language and hearing science students will be able to train in the renovated space, thanks to the generosity of Schwartz and her husband, Jeremy Siegel. A $1 million gift from the couple recently established the Ellen Schwartz Speech-Language-Hearing Center on the fifth floor of the Ritter Hall Annex, which was officially unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 25.  

“It made so much sense for me to contribute to Temple in this way,” Schwartz said. “We believe in Temple’s mission and wanted to provide more opportunities for them in a state-of-the-art center. I was involved in the world of speech pathology for so many years, and I was very aware that my career was an amazing part of my life. I felt very happy that I had found my career, and, of course, Temple launched me. So, I felt so much gratitude to Temple. Since it was possible, I showed this gratitude financially.” 

The Ellen Schwartz Speech-Language-Hearing Center is home to the clinical component of the master of arts degree in speech, language and hearing science in the Barnett College of Public Health that was formerly located in Weiss Hall. The spacious facility is equipped with the latest training resources for graduate-student clinicians while delivering accessible and subsidized health services to more than 150 clients from the Philadelphia community who visit the center.  

“This generous gift from Ellen Schwartz is a significant investment in Temple’s speech, language and hearing science program and a prime example of how the three priorities in our strategic plan, Forward with Purpose—Student Success, Research in Action and Place-based Impact—come together,” said Temple President John Fry. “The new center will provide opportunities for student and faculty collaboration in a modern and well-equipped facility. Its location close to Broad Street makes it an accessible resource for the community members who benefit from the speech and hearing therapies offered there. We are deeply grateful to Ellen and Jeremy for this investment in our students.” 

The center includes 10 individual therapy rooms, a child-friendly group area, a family education room, and dedicated spaces for faculty to observe and monitor students’ client contacts. It also features new technologies such as modernized voice testing systems and tools to evaluate feeding and swallowing. 

Since spring 2024, the Barnett College of Public Health has transformed the fifth floor of Ritter Annex into a modern hub for pediatric services, clinical training and research. In addition to the speech, language and hearing science program, the new center will also be home to the Christopher M. Barnett Autism Lab and the Center for Obesity Research and Education. 

“This gift is a reflection of who Ellen is—she sees a concern and works to find a solution,” said Jennifer Ibrahim, dean of the Barnett College of Public Health. “The new center elevates the training that we can provide for our students—new sound booths, new audiometry tools and now the ability to do swallow testing. Ellen also encouraged us to think about collaboration which is why we are co-locating the clinic next to our Barnett Autism Lab to facilitate opportunities for community members to access a range of services in one space.” 

Schwartz has a storied career that spans more than 50 years. She rose through the ranks to become director of speech-language pathology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and ran a private practice where she treated preschool- and early elementary-aged children with communication disorders for 35 years. During the 1980s, Schwartz was a clinical instructor at Temple’s speech clinic in Weiss Hall. 

For Schwartz, who has also served on the Board of Visitors of the Barnett College of Public Health, creating the fund for the renovation was a natural next step. A long-time supporter of Temple, she previously endowed the $250,000 Ellen Schwartz Scholarship Fund for graduate students enrolled in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. She donated some of her own materials to the program when she retired from her private practice. 

Schwartz was also motivated by the impact the new space will have on the broader community. As many as 50 graduate-student clinicians provide services to dozens of clients each week under the supervision of Temple faculty who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Pennsylvania licensure in speech-language pathology and/or audiology in areas including audiology, articulation therapy, language therapy, stuttering and voice disorders. The center welcomes local community members, including children with autism and childhood apraxia of speech and adults with speech impairments.  

“The program has expanded since I was here,” she said. “There are many more students who are now enrolled in the program. Many more students will be impacted, and therefore, many more clients will have the opportunity to have therapy there. It isn’t just a gift for the students; it’s also a gift for the community.” 

Schwartz is pleased to see the program’s evolution from a tiny row house to a reimagined, student-centered space. 

“The students who feel called to this field are very committed, and they deserve a facility that will enhance their experience,” said Schwartz. “They’re going to blossom here. I think they’re going to have a great education. I’m hoping that this will be a steppingstone for these wonderful students.”