Claire Penn : speech-language pathologist, teacher, supervisor, researcher and mentor (1951–2018)

• Published in: South African Journal of Science Vol. 114; no. 9-10; p. 2
• Main Author: Watermeyer, Jennifer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pretoria Academy of Science for South Africa (ASSAf) 01-09-2018; African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS; Academy of Science of South Africa
• Subjects: Aphasia; Audiology; Awards & honors; College faculty; Communication; Community development; Head injuries; Health; Human communication; Humanities; Language; Linguistics; Medical communication; Pathology; Researchers; Scientists; Speech; Speech therapists; Speech therapy; Teachers; South Africa
• ISSN: 0038-2353; 1996-7489
• DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2018/a0283

Professor Emeritus Claire Penn passed away peacefully on 21 July 2018 after a long illness. Claire dedicated a significant portion of her life – 44 years – to the University of the Witwatersrand. She received her degree in logopaedics (speech and hearing therapy) cum laude in 1972. Claire held the endowed chair of Speech Pathology and Audiology and was Director of the Health Communication Research Unit in the School of Human and Community Development at Wits University. She was the first A-rated scientist in the Faculty of Humanities. She had a strong international profile, served on the editorial board of a number of international journals, was a member of several international speech pathology organisations, and regularly delivered international invited keynote addresses. Claire published over 100 papers in local and international peer-reviewed scientific journals, 25 chapters and 4 books (including an extensive multi-volume dictionary on southern African signs).