ORONO – The Alfred D. Conley Speech and Hearing Center at the University of Maine has received a $1.2 million bequest from the estate of Dr. Madelyn E. Dyer Conley of Cumberland, wife of the center’s founder.

The donation will be used to expand the center’s programs while also supporting the work of University of Maine students and researchers, said Susan Riley, the center’s clinical director.

The University of Maine offers the only master’s degree program in speech-language pathology in the state.

The center, which was founded in 1975 with financial support from the Conleys, serves as the primary demonstration and teaching site for undergraduate and graduate students in the department of communication sciences and disorders. The center provides students opportunities to integrate academic and clinical knowledge through supervised clinical experiences with clients with speech, language and hearing disorders.