Distinguished Service Award Winner
Dr. Rupal Patel

It is an absolute honour to be here with you all and to receive this award. I was surprised and deeply moved when I received the email from Professor Lynn Ellwood informing me about the award. I’ve been raised to never focus on the fruits of your labour because that will come when you are doing what you love and care deeply about. This recognition is an example of that virtue.

I came to the University of Toronto as a wide-eyed 21-year-old from across the country and I truly didn’t realise how transformative that first step was until years later. The Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases was my home away from home for the two years of my master’s and again when I returned for my doctorate. I spent countless hours in that hot steamy basement - some of my fondest memories. 

In those moments, it felt like the most important things in the world were comprehensive exams, a good clinical practicum, and of course the dissertation. But looking back, all that was just the foundation. It's how I put that knowledge into practice that mattered.

I learned about the importance of translating theory to practise from luminaries like Paula Square who sparked in me a lifelong curiosity and passion to work with those living with motor speech disorders. She was also a true life mentor - she encouraged me to pursue an academic career but was honest about how it impacted her personal life. We talked about my concerns about the challenges of balancing life and career. She listened and provided alternative scenarios that I’ve revisited many time at forks in my career including when I decided to launch my company, VocaliD.

Similarly, I am grateful to Dr. Girolametto who trusted me as a doctorate student to teach his child language class which was experiential and child based - ideas that we all accept today as the norm but which were novel and progressive for their time. Teaching that material solidified my understanding and was invaluable as I raised my own children.

There are so many professors, supervisors, students and friends at the University of Toronto who have shaped my journey. If I have one piece of advice for the current students it would be to take the time to know one another and your professors. The master’s program is fast paced and it can feel overwhelming at times but you are at an institution like no other in the world. Beyond our program, there is so much that the university and this vibrant city have to offer. Seek it out, live it, savour it, engage with it. Education is more than the piece of paper that you get at the end. It's the whole experience. The knowledge and grades are just the fruits of your labour.

I want to end by dedicating this award to my doctoral advisor, Dr. Bernard O’Keefe. I had no idea what AAC was until I took his class and there was no looking back. He wasn’t your typical academic - he got his doctorate later in life, you’d often find him in his office with the baseball game on the radio and his feet on this desk - maybe reading a journal article… His work was qualitative and focused on the end user. He cared about participation and accessibility. He instilled in me that passion. He taught me about advocating for those without a voice. Not by being their voice but by making it possible for their voice to be heard. I know he would be proud to see and hear how we have been doing exactly that at VocaliD. 

During my doctorate, Bern had two pieces of advice for me: First, pick your battles - you can't fight them all so pick which ones you care about the most, and second, keep your eyes on the prize. 

That prize is not the dissertation or the award, not the fruits of your labour but the journey - the whole purpose-driven journey. Thank you again for this honour.