Dr. Hajjar is an Associate Professor in the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Department at Ithaca College and holds his Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). He has worked as a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) for over twenty years across a range of educational and medical settings in New England, Ohio, New York, and Grenada, West Indies. Dr. Hajjar earned his Ph.D in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Ohio University in 2017.
Dr. Hajjar's research focuses on individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and their communication partners (e.g., family members, caregivers, volunteers, peers). Barriers exist for people who use AAC, and their partners typically have limited knowledge and skills to effectively create opportunities for communication, participation, and social engagement. With training, partners can more effectively support children and adults who use AAC to improve their quality of life, make friendships, and achieve communicative competence.
Dr. Hajjar teaches the following graduate courses: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Autism Spectrum Disorders, Research Methods and Analysis and Aphasia and Related Disorders. In addition, he teaches an undergraduate course titled: Introduction to Communication Disorders. Dr. Hajjar also provides clinical supervision in the Ewing Clinic and the Community Life Skills(CLS) Program. The CLS program provides SLP graduate students with an opportunity for inter professional education and practice with students from physical and occupational therapy.
In his research lab, Dr. Hajjar works with undergraduate and graduate SLP students on a range of projects supporting communication partners, developing visual scene displays to enhance communication, and advocating for people who use AAC to access, enjoy, and communicate across recreational and leisure settings. Dr. Hajjar has previously engaged in inter professional research projects in collaboration with faculty and students from the Occupational Therapy Department and Recreation and Leisure Studies Department at Ithaca College.
Dr. Hajjar is a past recipient of the New Century Doctoral Scholars Award from the ASHFoundation and has been recognized by the MGH Institute of Health Professions as an outstanding alumni in their 'Forty for 40' campaign to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Institute in Boston, MA. Also, Dr. Hajjar received an NIH Conference Grant for Early Career Professionals to present at the ISAAC Connect Virtual Conference in August, 2021.
Dr. Hajjar serves as an editorial board member for the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and the journal Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups (SIG). He is also a reviewer for the journal Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and the journal Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences and Disorders (TLCSD).