About us

The Center was founded in the early 1980’s by the late clinician and researcher Joseph Germono, PhD. Germono earned his master of science at University of Wisconsin and his PhD from the University of Minnesota. He joined Boston University in 1977 as Director of Clinical Education. He was loved for his warmth, sensitivity, and sense of humor, as well as his intelligence and expertise in the assessment and treatment of stuttering.

Center Director

Since 1993, Clinical Associate Professor Diane Constantino, MS CCC/SLP, BCS-F, has served as Center Director. An ASHA Board Certified Fluency Specialist, she teaches courses in fluency disorders and counseling, mentors graduate students, presents nationally, and consults with practicing clinicians. She is trained in the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, and Mindfulness Meditation in working with individuals who stutter and their families. Constantino served on the American Board of Fluency and Fluency Disorders from 2010-2014.

Advisory Board

Seymour Small, Leah Hoover, Isaac DaRowe, and Daniel Shapiro serve on the Advisory Board. As clients, they have been instrumental in generating ideas for new and better ways to meet client and student needs.

Researcher

Professor Frank Guenther, Ph.D. in BU’s Departments of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences and Biomedical Engineering at Boston University investigates the neural bases of speech in neurologically normal and disordered populations. Learn more about his research here.