‘Her Legacy Lives On’

CHS Comes Out to Honor Dr. Hidecker

by Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director

Laughter. Hugs. Lots of tears.

The crowd was filled with all of it at the same time, as more than 100 students, faculty and staff came out to CTW 127 on April 4 for the memorial program for Dr. Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker, PhD, MA, MS, F-NAP, CCC-A/SLP.

The beloved professor tragically passed away Feb. 11, surrounded by family members at the Baptist Health Hospital in Lexington. She left a legacy, as well as a gaping hole in a department that appreciated her numerous talents and abilities. At just 66 years old, Hidecker achieved more than most academics in her field.

“In times like these, we lean on our community,” said Karen Badger, PhD, MSW and Vice Dean of the College of Health Sciences. “We will carry on Mary Jo’s work while lifting each other up.”

An Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders (CSD) and in the Rehabilitation Sciences Doctoral Program (RHB) in the College of Health Sciences, Hidecker had training as a speech-language pathologist, audiologist and epidemiologist. Her clinical experience included assisting children and adults with complex communication disorders, and this led her into clinical research.

At the University of  Kentucky, Hidecker served as the Director of the All About Communication (AAC) Lab; the long-term goal of her program of research was to improve family-centered, evidence-based practice in those with severe disabilities. Her specific research emphasis was on cerebral palsy, autism, hearing loss and Parkinson's disease. Her research interests included the relationship among effective treatment outcomes and individual and family factors, as well as the use of augmentative and alternative communication.

She also co-founded the UK Rehab Maker Space with physical therapy professor Dr. Patrick Kitzman. With interested faculty and students, they were using 3D printing, laser engraving & cutting (GlowForge), soldering, and other makerspace tools to craft solutions for individuals with disabilities.

“One of the reasons she fit in so well (in CHS) is because she cared,” said Anne Olson, PhD, CCC/A Audiologist and Chair of Communication Sciences & Disorders. “We care about each other, and we care about our students.”

Olson also crated an acronym that explained many of Hidecker’s best traits — C.A.R.E.

• C — cool under pressure
• A — advocates for students and peers
• R — recognizes relationships between ideas, people and areas of interest
• E — embraced the love of learning

“Mary Jo was a force to be reckoned with,” said Judith Page, PhD, CCC-SLP, FASHA, FNAP and Associate Professor in CSD. “And her contributions were enormous.”

The AAC research lab had about 20 undergraduate students per year, Page said, while Hidecker also helped get those students to attend state and national conferences.

“Her legacy lives on,” Badger said, as she encouraged the crowd to “hold on to the joy and encouragement (Hidecker) brought to so many.”

Hidecker’s most recent students understood this, perhaps better than anyone.  

Hidecker served as a mentor and professor to alumna Elise Craig, a speech-language pathologist who graduated with a Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders.    

“Over time, (Hidecker) became a colleague and a friend,” Craig said. “She spent many late nights in this building helping me — always willing to spend extra hours investing in me.”

Ryan Boyd, a first-year graduate student and Hidecker’s Teaching Assistant for a year, said Hidecker used her positive personality to always build up her students.

“How lucky we all are to have known her,” Boyd said. “Dr. Hidecker taught me how to believe in myself.”

Simply, one of her final students, Maddie Ritchie, may have said it best, describing how Hidecker will be remembered for her “joyous and selfless commitment to serving all people to lead fulfilling lives.”

“She taught us the passion we need to have as future healthcare professionals,” Ritchie said. “Because of Dr. Hidecker, I will never stop using my voice to help people find their own.”