The Communicative Disorders department and the University of Rhode Island Speech and Hearing Center mourn the passing of our friend and colleague, Elizabeth “Billie” Connors.

During her tenure, Professor Connors was dedicated to supporting undergraduate and graduate students as they pursued their degrees in communicative disorders and speech and language pathology.  She served an integral role in the development and execution of the Masters program in speech and language pathology at URI.  Professor Connors worked tirelessly to acquire and maintain clinical placement relationships throughout the community to ensure our graduate students received the highest quality clinical education possible.  In 2006, Professor Connors was honored with the URI Foundation Administrative Excellence Award.  This distinction compared her to an air traffic controller as she “makes sure that students are on course and land in clinical placements matched to their interests and abilities,” and deemed her “both an educator and ambassador” for the URI Speech and Hearing Center.  Her commitment to interprofessional education and her passion for exemplary clinical practice were evident to both the students she taught and the clients she served. 

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Professor Connors was a beloved friend and colleague to all within the department. Her warm personality and unwavering support made her a cherished member of the URI community.  She will forever be remembered for her love for her cats and her impeccable fashion sense!  She will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.