CHS Welcomes New Faculty - Meet Dr. Brandon Merritt
Published August 29, 2022
By Darlene Muguiro
UTEP College of Health Sciences
This fall, the College of Health Sciences (CHS) is welcoming several new faculty members in Public Health Sciences, Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology.
We are pleased to present the third profile, featuring Dr. Brandon Merritt, assistant professor of Speech-Language Pathology. Dr. Merritt comes to UTEP with a professional background as a clinical speech-language pathologist, primarily at a Level 1 Trauma Center working with adult patients on swallowing and communication management following stroke, brain injury and respiratory failure. He received a master’s degree in speech pathology from East Tennessee State University and a PhD in speech, language, and hearing sciences from Indiana University Bloomington.
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Like many of his peers, Dr. Brandon Merritt was initially drawn to UTEP and the El Paso community by the cultural diversity. The promise of an opportunity to continue practicing Spanish, in which Merritt holds an undergraduate degree, intrigued him. But it was the striking beauty of the city’s sunsets that sealed the deal, convincing Merritt that he needed to call El Paso home.
“My first encounter with El Paso was arriving by plane during sunset. The airplane cabin filled with vibrant purples, oranges, and reds. I fell in love with the region from that moment,” he said.
Upon arriving at UTEP for his interview, Merritt was equally struck by the unique Bhutanese architecture, noting how well it complemented the geography of the area, and was surprised to learn how closely the campus was situated to downtown and the international border. While on campus, he had the opportunity to meet with students in the Speech-Language Pathology Program, who were curious about his background and interest in coming to work and live in the border region.
“The students seemed genuinely flattered when I told them about the reputation of the University and the resources the community offers. This binational, bicultural, and bilingual region makes possible educational experiences and resources that are unmatched in the rest of the country,” he said.
As a first-generation student from “limited financial means,” Merritt says he relates well to UTEP students, many of whom juggle families and other responsibilities while completing their degrees. Merritt, whose siblings all hold academic positions as well, had to work to help support his family and put himself through college.
“UTEP students really understand what it means to ‘earn’ their degree,” he said. “I think they take nothing for granted and truly appreciate the opportunities that the university provides.”
In addition to his teaching responsibilities in the Speech-Language Pathology Program, Merritt will continue his research, a rich portfolio that is centered on gender diversity and speech communication. His questions focus on how people use the way they speak to communicate gender identity, how listeners use speech characteristics to judge speakers’ genders, and why listeners sometimes differ in judgments about a speaker’s gender.
“These sorts of questions and the research that goes into answering them help speech-language pathologists to better support gender diverse people, including transgender men and women, and non-binary and a-gender individuals, in achieving and maintaining well-being,” he said.
For more information about Dr. Merritt’s research, please contact him at bmmerritt@utep.edu.
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