Influential Northwestern University professor dies

EVANSTON - A longtime Northwestern University professor and pioneer in the field of swallowing disorders has died.

The school on Friday announced that Jerilyn Logemann (loh' GUH-man) of Evanston died this week at the age of 72. She was still employed by the university when she died on Thursday, June 19.

Her work revolutionized the way doctors treat patients with swallowing and speech disorders - including those with head and neck cancer. She also ran a clinic on Northwestern's Chicago campus that served thousands of people.

School of Communication Dean Barbara O'Keefe says Logemann "worked tirelessly to advance our knowledge of swallowing disorders."

She began teaching at Northwestern in 1978. The university has not released details on the cause of her death.