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Celebrate achievements at the NSA Annual Conference Awards. Recognizing excellence and contributions within the stuttering community. Each year during our Annual Conference, we present a wide variety of awards to individuals and groups within our community that have risen above and beyond, and deserve special recognition. YEAR HOST CITY CHAPTER FAMILY CHAPTER CHAPTER LEADER REGIONAL COORDINATOR SLP VOLUNTEER PARENT MEMBER (COMBINED W/VOLUNTEER) YOUTH CONFERENCE DEDICATION 2025 Denver, CO Philadelphia, PA Lafayette, LA - Marvin Wiley - - - Mitch Guerra 2024 St. Louis, MO Washington, DC - Tim Flynn & Aidan Marshall-Cort - Mike Molino - - - 2023 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Royal Oak, MI - Anahbel Augustin, Lori Colletti & Kerri Berard Family Tanya Banks Jim & Lee Lowman - Matt Scadden (community Builder) Marvin Wiley 2022 Newport Beach, CA Houston, TX St. Louis, MO Sufian Hammad & Emily Anderson Mike Molino & Steven Moates Dan Haus & Emily Webb Jamie Saunders - - 2021 Austin, TX Raleigh, NC Seattle, WA John Moore Jeff Olevson Matt Phillips & Caden Short Annemarie Whitesel - - 2020 NSA@Home (Virtual Event) - - Dannette Fitzgerald Tiffani Kittilstved - - - - 2019 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - - - - - - - Fred Murray 2018 Chicago, IL San Diego, CA - Danra Kazenski Kevin Chambers John Moore - - Annie Bradberry 2017 Dallas, TX Boston, MA - Sivan Aulov & David Apulche Steven Kaufman Jeff Fett - - Michael Sugarman 2016 Atlanta, GA New York, NY - Kevin Chambers Tom Scharstein Michelle Geiger - - Hanan Hurwitz 2015 Baltimore, MD Austin, TX - Katie Gore Bob Rochefort Stavros Ladeas - - - 2014 Washington, DC St. Cloud, MN - Grace Gregory Jeff Olevson Nina Zito Melanie Rogers - - Hall of Fame In addition to our annual conference awards, the National Stuttering Association Hall of Fame was created to honor individuals who have shown an unfailing commitment over time to the NSA and to the stuttering community as a whole. Past inductees are as follows: 2025 – Heather Najman 2024 – Paula Campbell-Schwab 2023 – Paul Castellano 2022 – Pamela Mertz 2021 – Bill Smith 2020 – Doug Scott 2019 – Scott Yaruss 2018 – Bernie Weiner 2017 – Games Family 2016 – Bob Quesal 2015 – No Award given 2014 – No Award given 2013 – No Award given 2012 – No Award given 2011 – Russ Hicks 2010 – Nina Reeves 2009 – Judith Kuster 2008 – No Award given 2007 – Annie Bradberry, NSA Executive Director (1993–2003) & Jim McClure 2006 – No Award given 2005 – Marty Jezer 2004 – Annie Glenn 2003 – Lee Reeves, NSA Chairman (1997–2003) 2002 – Eugene Cooper, Ph.D. 2001 – Vivian Sheehan 2000 – John Harrison & John Paul “Scatman” Larkin 1999 – No Award given 1998 – Michael Sugarman, NSA Co-Founder 1996 – John Ahlbach, NSA Executive Director (1981–1995) Other inductees to the NSA Hall of Fame include: Fred Murray, Mel Hoffman, Rich Wells, Herb Goldberg, Dorvan Breitenfeldt.

Looking for stuttering support? Use the NSA Chapter Locator to connect with local groups, meet others who stutter, and find community. Congratulations! You’ve taken the incredible first step on your journey by connecting with your local NSA Chapter. The backbone of the NSA, our local chapters are powerful spaces where you can connect directly with your local stuttering community. No matter what point you’re at in your stuttering journey, experience the life-changing power of attending a local chapter where you can share your story, bond with fellow people who stutter and allies, and embrace the support of our ever-growing community. Chapter Locator Map Use the Chapter Locator map below to find the chapter closest to you. Search by your address, zipcode, or Type of Chapter Meeting.

The NSA provides support, resources, and advocacy for people who stutter. Discover connection and community across the nation. If You Stutter, You Are Not Alone 79 Million People Stutter Worldwide The National Stuttering Association believes in a more accepting and understanding world for people who stutter. JOIN OUR COMMUNITY How We Help We’re here for every part of the journey. From Local Chapters to national events, we create spaces where people who stutter feel seen, supported, and proud of who they are. We also raise awareness, educate the public, and help fuel scientific research to shape a better future for our community. LEARN MORE Who We Help We support people who stutter, their families, SLPs, students, educators, and employers, offering resources, support groups, and educational tools. PEOPLE WHO STUTTER FAMILIES SLPs STUDENTS Support The NSA Support isn't one-size-fits-all. Whether you care most about kids finding their voice or adults reclaiming theirs, there's a way to give that feels just right for you. Pick your passion. Fuel the mission. MAKE A DIFFERENCE Find Your People You were never meant to figure this out alone. Our support groups are where life-changing connections happen and stuttering feels a little less heavy. GET CONNECTED MEET THE TEAM Latest Resources Upcoming Events Multiple Dates NSA Connects with Board Games Sun, May 17 Virtual Event MORE INFO RSVP Multiple Dates Sisters Who Stutter Sun, May 17 Virtual Event MORE INFO RSVP Multiple Dates NSA Connects: Asians Who Stutter Mon, May 18 Virtual Event MORE INFO RSVP Multiple Dates NSA Connects Bil Arabi: Discovering Our Voice Tue, May 19 Virtual Event MORE INFO RSVP NSA Connects: Stuttering Awareness with Travis Althouse Tue, May 19 Virtual Event MORE INFO RSVP Multiple Dates NSA Women Connect Thu, May 21 Virtual Event MORE INFO RSVP Multiple Dates NSA Connects en Español Mon, May 25 Virtual Event MORE INFO RSVP Finding Your Voice at Work: How Mentorship Supports People Who Stutter Thu, May 28 Virtual Event MORE INFO RSVP Multiple Dates Preparing for the NSA Annual Conference: May Session Thu, May 28 Virtual Event MORE INFO RSVP Pittsford, NY, Kids Chapter Meeting Wed, Jun 03 Pittsford Community Library MORE INFO LEARN MORE Load More Featured Videos to Inspire and Educate Play Video Play Video Play Video Play Video Play Video Play Video Play Video Play Video Play Video Play Video Play Video Play Video Load More Join Our Community Be the first to hear about events, resources, and community updates. Join our mailing list today. SUBSCRIBE NOW

Active & Previously Approved Stuttering Research Studies The National Stuttering Association (NSA) reviews and approves stuttering-related research studies to help ensure ethical standards, transparency, and respect for people who stutter. This page includes a regularly updated list of active stuttering research studies currently recruiting participants, as well as previously approved studies whose approval periods have concluded. Inclusion on this list indicates that a study has been reviewed by the NSA Research Committee. It does not imply endorsement of specific findings or outcomes. Active Stuttering Research Studies (Currently approved and recruiting participants) RESEARCH TITLE RESEARCHER(S) EXPIRES OratorSync: Exploring the Types, Causes, and Treatments of Stuttering while Developing and Testing AI Tools to Help Mitigate it Ojas Desai (High School Scholar) 12/21/26 Relationship Between Stuttering and Intimate Partner Violence Leah Mumpower 03/08/2027 Coping Flexibility and Psychosocial Well-being of Adults Who Stutter Sadaf Salehi 02/22/2027 Hot and Cool Executive Function of Children Who Do and Do Not Stutter Matt Hopper 02/17/2027 Career Advice Reported by People Who Stutter Samiksha Gaur 02/17/2027 Self-help for stuttering: More than mutual aid Molly Stevenson 02/17/2027 Stuttering and Sleep: Does it Matter? Kenzie Beard 02/17/2027 Neural and Behavioral Error Responses in Adults who Stutter Shogo Honda 02/17/2027 Exploring Adults’ Lived Experiences of Stuttering Through a Trauma-Informed Lens Dr. Naomi Rodgers 02/17/2027 Network Connectivity and Temporal Processing in Adolescents Who Stutter Dr. Shanley Treleaven 2/23/2026 Audiovisual Integration in People Who Stutter Dr. David Jenson 6/22/2026 Systematic client feedback in speech-language treatment Dr. Kerry Ebert 6/5/2026 Development of authentic avatars for clinical education in stuttering Dr. Shelley Brundage 6/5/2026 Social Anxiety, Worry, and the Experience of Stuttering Dr. Seth Tichenor 6/5/2026 Genetic and metabolic bases of developmental stuttering Dr. Joan Orpella 6/22/2026 Linguistic preferences in adults who stutter Dr. Mahmoud Elsherif 10/16/2026 Fluency and Flow Study Dr. Jeanne Nakamura 12/31/2026 If you have any questions about the research process or would like to know more about a specific project, please contact the NSARC Chair Angela Medina, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. Previously Approved Recruitment Projects (2022–2025) (Approval period has ended) Research Title Researcher(s) Approved Until Listener Perception and Childhood Stuttering Haley Warner 5/01/2025 Quantifying Variability in Stuttering in the Real World Dr. J. Scott Yaruss 6/14/2025 Social Network Analysis in Adults Who Stutter Dr. Naomi Rodgers 6/14/2025 Impact of Support Group Conferences on Teens Joy Kling 6/16/2025 AI Accessibility for People Who Stutter Dr. J. Scott Yaruss 6/17/2025 Parent Survey: Preschoolers Who Stutter Ryan Millager 10/22/2025 Real-Time Listener Reactions & Stuttering Courtney Margulis 10/22/2025 Sequencing & Initiation in Speech Production Dr. Frank Guenther 10/22/2025 Hope, Humor & Self-Stigma in Adults Who Stutter Dr. Laura Plexico 10/22/2025 Stuttering Mindsets Megan Arney 10/28/2025 An online compassionate imagery intervention for people who stutter/stammer: A feasibility study Benjamin Farmer 9/30/2025 Rhythm Production and Processing in Children and Adults Who Stutter Janina Boecher 10/22/2024 Exploring Sensorimotor and Interoceptive Awareness in Stuttering Hazel Malcolm 10/22/2024 Multiple Stigmas, Social Identities, and Stuttering Dr. James Mancinelli 10/22/2024 Temporal Processing in Adults Who Stutter Samira Anderson 10/22/2024 Parents of Individuals Who Stutter: Experiences & Stages of Change Sadaf Salehi 10/22/2024 Acknowledging Stuttering with Preschoolers Dr. Cara Singer 10/22/2024 Social Isolation and the Experience of Stuttering Seth Tichenor 10/22/2024 Transitions to Life After High School Dr. Naomi Rodgers 06/22/2024 Migrants to the U.S. Who Stutter Dr. Victoria Reynolds 06/20/2024 Effectiveness of a Mindfulness App Juhee Kim 06/20/2024 Variability in Fluency and Psychological Impact Eddie Brown 06/19/2024 Trait Mindfulness and the Experience of Stuttering Megan Arney 06/19/2024 Anticipation of Stuttering and the PAiS Robert Bies 02/22/2024 Understanding the Experience of Stuttering and Cluttering Dr. J. Scott Yaruss 06/14/2024 Neural Oscillations and Speech Perception in Stuttering Dr. Shanley Treleaven 06/20/2024 What Do People Who Stutter Want From Speech Therapy? Matthew Phillips 07/24/2024 Linguistic and Cognitive Factors in Stuttering Dr. Zoi Gkalitsiou 02/22/2024 Spanish-Language Support Group Study Dr. Angela Medina 02/14/2024 For any questions about research, or to learn more about specific projects, please contact the NSARC Chair Angela Medina, Ph.D., CCC-SLP.

Seeing your experience as a person who stutters reflected back to you in a way that feels joyful and honest can be life-changing. That’s why the National Stuttering Association (NSA) is so excited to announce our collaboration with Willemijn to release special edition NSA art! The artwork, centered around our slogan, “If you stutter, you are not alone,” brings the spirit of the stuttering community to life. It’s not only a visual, but also a reminder that art can be a meaningful outlet for expressing who we are and how we experience the world. 100% of purchase proceeds support the NSA’s mission to create a more understanding world for people who stutter. Creative Process: From Idea to Illustration “I really wanted to capture the joy of the stuttering community, so I chose a colorful and playful style for this illustration,” Willemijn said. “I first drew the tagline in the center and then sketched different characters around it, interacting with each other in a positive way. Some of them are inspired by friends from the community, which makes the art feel more authentic and meaningful.” Willemijn’s process reflects the same sense of connection that the artwork represents. By centering the message first and building outward, she created a world where community quite literally surrounds the idea that no one who stutters is alone on their journey. Symbols of Connection & What She Hopes You Feel “I enjoy playing with the shapes of speech bubbles to show different ways of speaking and stuttering,” Willemijn said. “The intersecting speech bubbles symbolize the connection we can experience through our speech.” These details invite you to look a little closer. The variation in speech bubbles highlights the diversity of communication, while their intersections point to something shared: understanding and community. “When people who stutter look at this artwork, I hope they feel joy or even pride in being part of this community,” she said. “I hope they think of friends they have met, or new friends they might meet in the future.” That sense of possibility of remembering past connections and imagining new ones is at the heart of this artwork. Inspiration Behind the Work “In terms of style, I am inspired by artists who draw in a loose and playful way,” Willemijn said. “I want to convey joy in my work, which I also aimed to do in this piece. The topics that inspire me most are stuttering, mental health, and finding connection. I enjoy creating very personal work and sharing stories from real people. That's why some of the characters in this piece are based on my real friends from the community.” Willemijn’s art is rooted in stories and experiences. That’s what makes this collaboration feel so meaningful. It reflects the community not just in message, but in spirit. This art is designed to meet you wherever you are and is available as a digital bundle, including an 18x24 print, desktop background, and mobile background. Download the digital print from our merch store.

For people who stutter (PWS), there are some days when talking just feels heavy and burdensome. When the words are right there, you know exactly what you want to say, but they just can’t come out. You take a breath, try again, and push through. Speaking is a seemingly small but mighty and courageous act for PWS every single day. But courage doesn’t only live in our voices. Sometimes, it lives in color, movement, music, rhythm, and light. Art. Art gives us the medium to express everything the stuttering experience offers to us—the frustration, pride, humor, hope, and everything in between—in our own time and way. When words feel hard, creativity makes space The great thing about art is that it tells a story without needing fluency. It’s the smooth sound of a brushstroke on canvas, the shuttering of a camera taking a picture of a beautiful sunset, the pause before a chord change. It conveys what speech sometimes just cannot. A painting might show the swirl of thoughts before a block. A dance could portray the release of finally saying your name out loud. A photograph might capture the strength it takes to keep trying. Art lets you show your inner world to others—not to fix stuttering, but to show the person beyond it. “Especially as a teenager, I would turn to art to express myself or explain things about stuttering. I used illustrations and animations to show the adults in my life what my stutter felt like. Sometimes I even used art to try to understand what I was struggling with. Art often helped me share emotions that I didn’t feel comfortable talking about.” — Willemijn Bolks, PWS and comic artist Healing through creativity The process of creating art doesn’t need to be super serious or picture-perfect. It can be messy, funny, loud, or soft. What truly matters is that it’s yours. Many PWS find that art helps release the tension that can sometimes build within themselves and gives their emotions a safe place to live. This can look like sketching during a hard day or writing lyrics that mirror your speech. Either way, creativity can help you process your emotions behind difficult experiences and can even shift how you see yourself. While everyone who stutters stutters differently, you might notice that your stutter has its own rhythm. Maybe the pauses and repetitions have some kind of beat. When you turn that rhythm into something creative, you stop fighting against it. You start working with it. “There was one time when I drew a comic strip for the STAMMA blog that unexpectedly helped me process a stinging memory from high school 30 years prior. The comic strip was about that incident, and it was very hard for me to draw. However, once I finished, I found myself thinking how things would have been different if I had known what I know now about stuttering being okay. The sting instantly disappeared and never came back.” — Daniele Rossi, PWS and creator of Franky Banky comics Art builds connection When you share your art, you share a piece of yourself with the world. And that can have a big impact. Maybe your drawing helps someone realize what anxiety before a presentation feels like. Maybe your short film makes another teen who stutters feel less alone. Or maybe your music helps a PWS find peace in their voice. That’s exactly what community is: not people who all sound and look the same, but people who make space for one another’s differences. “It has been tremendously healing to have other people connect with my art. In the beginning, I made art just for myself to process difficult feelings, such as loneliness. Being able to share those experiences and have people relate to them turned that loneliness into connection. Sharing heavy feelings with others made them a lot lighter!”— Willemijn Bolks Your voice is already art You might not realize it, but the way you speak already has rhythm. The way you navigate a block, the way your breath moves before a prolongation, the way you hold eye contact when you finish a thought—all of it is art. When you create something from that, you take ownership of your story, you decide how it’s told, and you define what strength looks like for you. “Drawing is like communicating without words. And I don’t mean that from the point of view of avoiding speaking. I mean it in a way of communicating with your soul and making a connection through one’s own form of creative expression. For instance, one 10-year-old boy was inspired by a scene I drew where Franky Banky is interviewed on the radio. Stutter and all. The boy took the initiative to give a presentation about stuttering in front of his class that same week! Then once again in front of his whole school! I also enjoy learning from speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and how they use my comics in therapy sessions to generate discussion and to explore feelings and emotions.”— Daniele Rossi Your art matters If you stutter, your voice and art matter. It is part of how the world learns to listen. Everything you create says, this is who I am, this is how I speak, this is how I shine. Those who are doodling in a notebook, recording a song, or filming a short story, your creativity reminds others that stuttering is something to understand, not something to fix. If you’re creating digital art that reflects your experience as a person who stutters, we’d love to see it. Reach out to us anytime if you’re interested in sharing your work with the NSA.