Sharimila Ambrose

Contact

• workMalaysia Campus
  Jalan Broga
  43500 Semenyih
  Selangor Darul Ehsan
  Malaysia
• work+6 (03) 8725 3581
• Sharimila.Ambrose@nottingham.edu.my

Biography

Dr. Sharimila Ambrose is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education (Special & Inclusive Education stream) at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. She is a trained Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) with 25 years of clinical practice and teaching experience in various settings in the United States of America, New Zealand, Malaysia, and United Kingdom. Prior to joining University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus in April 2022, she was an Assistant Professor at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, USA. She has also held academic positions at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Sharimila enjoys supporting individuals with special needs, in particular, children and adolescents with communication, speech, language and learning difficulties and their families. She has provided child- and family-centered interventions and has worked with teachers and academic specialists to maximize children's communication, language and learning skills, both in home and school settings. She is also passionate about higher education students' learning skills and is actively finding ways to foster participation, inclusivity and cultural responsivity in the classroom, and is committed to the scholarship of teaching and learning. Sharimila enjoys collaborative research with students and colleagues from various disciplines, including special education teachers, mainstream teachers, and social workers. She has a keen interest on the learning issues that impact individuals from multicultural/multilingual and diverse backgrounds, and factors that influence language development and skills in children. Sharimila has presented a number of research- and academic-based talks and community talks related to her area of expertise to colleagues, teachers, healthcare and medical professionals, students, parents, and the public on various platforms in Malaysia and internationally.

Qualifications

• Higher Education and Teaching Certificate, Harvard University, USA
• Ph.D. in Speech-Language Sciences, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
• B.Sc. (Hons.) in Speech-Language Therapy, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, United Kingdom.

Teaching Summary

Postgraduate

• Communication and Literacy

Previously, I have taught the following modules at the undergraduate and graduate levels

• Early language and communication development, disorders, and intervention
• Literacy development, disorders, and intervention
• Multicultural issues and diversity, bilingualism/second language acquisition, culturally responsive learning and inclusive practices
• Inter-professional education and practice (IPE/IPP), working with special education teachers and speech-language pathologists for service provision and delivery.
• Communication systems and disorders
• Speech sound disorders (articulation and phonology)

Research Summary

My main research areas are centered around:

• Parent-child interactions, teacher-student interactions and children's/students' language/communication development and learning skills
• Socio- economic, emotional, and cultural factors that influence language and literacy development/disorders
• Developing ways to foster language and literacy skills in young children (including use of evidenced-based language intervention models with diverse populations and inclusion practices)
• Pedagogy-based learning frameworks and teaching methods to advance the scholarship of learning and teaching, and ethical issues that impact service provision.

Ambrose, S.M. and Yu, Y. (2020). A scoping review of ethics-related literature in the Speech-Language Pathology profession and its relevance to teaching ethics in higher education. In M. E. Squires, Y. Yu, and H.L. Schnackenberg (Eds.). Ethics in higher education (pp. 51-74). Nova Science Publishers.

Ambrose, S.M. & Hungerford, S. (2019, November). Using a Peer-Mediated Learning Activity to Foster Culturally Competent Practices among Graduate Students. Poster presented at the American Speech-Language & Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Orlando, Florida in November 2019.

Ambrose, S.M. (2019). Working with multicultural populations: Evidence from research, examples from experience & recommendations for SLTs in clinical practice. Oral presentation abstract accepted at the RCSLT Conference, Nottingham, United Kingdom, September 26, 2019.

Ambrose, S.M. (2018, November). Fostering cultural competence in speech-language pathology academic and clinical education: Challenges, experiences, and recommendations. Paper presented at the American Speech-Language & Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Boston, U.S.A.

Ambrose, S.M. (2018, July). Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework to assess the language skills of multilingual/multicultural children. Paper presented at the 2nd International Connect Malaysia (Connect'M) Conference, University of Reading, Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Ambrose, S.M., Flemming, R., Roys, A., & Faruki, E. (2017, November). Integrating the ICF Framework as part of Accent Modification Services: An Exploratory Case Study. Poster session presented at the American Speech-Language & Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Los Angeles, U.S.A.

Ambrose, S.M., Klee, T., & Moran, C. (2017, April). Cultural differences in beliefs and practices related to mother-child interactions. A two-hour paper presented at the New York State Speech-Language- Hearing Association Convention (NYSSHLA), American Speech-Language & Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Saratoga, New York, U.S.A.

Ambrose, S.M. (2015, December). Clinical supervision of students from multicultural backgrounds: Challenges, Experiences and Suggestions. Paper presented at the Clinical Education Symposium, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Ambrose, S.M., Klee, T., & Moran, C. (2015, November). Asian mothers' observed parent-child interaction patterns and their relevance to working with multicultural populations. Paper presented at the American Speech-Language & Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.

Ambrose, S.M. (2015). Mother-child verbal interactions in New Zealand and Malaysia: A Cross-cultural comparison (Unpublished doctoral thesis). University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. http://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/11857

Ambrose, S.M., Klee, T., & Moran, C. (2014, November). Cultural differences in beliefs and practices related to parent-child interactions among Asian and Western mothers. Poster session presented at the American Speech-Language & Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention, Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.

Invited Presentations

Ambrose, S.M. (2019). How can CSD professionals provide a culturally responsive service to multicultural/diverse populations with reference to research and shared experiences? Oral presentation at University of Connecticut's Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) Department, Storrs, Connecticut, December 4, 2019.

Ambrose, S.M. (2019). Working with multicultural/diverse population: A case scenario-based classroom activity and discussion. Guest Lecture at University of Connecticut's Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) Department, Storrs, Connecticut, December 4, 2019.

Other Presentations

Ambrose, S.M. (2015, May). The challenges of working with multicultural populations: evidence from research, examples from experience and recommendations for practice. Oral presentation at the CCS Disability Action, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Ambrose, S.M. (2015, January). How do New Zealand and Malaysian mothers differ in their beliefs and practices related to parent-child interactions and its relevance when working with multicultural populations. Oral presentation at the Champion Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Ambrose, S.M. (2014). Parent-child interactions in four cultural groups. Thesis in Three Competition (College of Science Heat Finals). University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, 14 August.

Ambrose, S.M. (2014). Parent-child interactions in four cultural groups. Thesis in Three Competition (Department of Communication Disorders Heat). University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, 8 August.

Ambrose, S.M., Klee, T., & Moran, C. (2014). Cultural differences in beliefs and practices related to parent-child interactions among Asian and Western mothers. Oral Presentation at the Child Language Centre Research Seminars. Department of Communication Disorders, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, May 2.