Hello! I am a proud Penn State alumni, where I received by Bachelor’s (2016) and Master’s degree (2018) in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Currently, I am a PhD student at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in the Speech and Hearing Sciences program. In addition, I am completing my clinical fellowship where I work part-time at a local elementary school. My primary interests are in language development, language disorders, and improving intervention practices for individuals with language disorders and complex communication needs. Specifically, my interest is in understanding the process of how verb learning occurs in language development, and how this is reflected in natural routines with caregivers. My goals is to use this information to inform intervention practices for individuals with language disorders and complex communication needs to allow for participation in social activities with communication partners. 

Hello! I am Becca. I am a junior majoring in communication sciences and disorders with a minor in special education. My research interests include augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) specifically looking at improving patient-provider communication outcomes for individuals using AAC.

Hello! I am Jamie. I am a current senior and my research interests include language acquisition, particularly in American Sign Language, as well as bimodal/bilingualism.

Hello! I’m Emily. I am a senior graduating in June 2021. My research interest is Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)- specifically children with developmental and intellectual disabilities using aided AAC devices 

Hello! I’m Emily! I am a senior graduating in May 2021. My research interests include: EEG, ERP, specific language impairment, and developmental language disorder. 

Hello! I’m Addie. I am a senior. I am interested in speech-in-speech research as well as hearing loss and complex auditory systems. I am focusing on research with linguistic release from masking, which can be applied to topics such as bilingualism and auditory processing disorder. 

Hello! I am Allison. I am a senior and my research interests are that I am excited to see the implications that our current project will have on different populations in the future. Also, while in graduate school I am hoping to get involved with research on dysphagia and different swallowing disorders. 

Hello! I am Emerald. I am currently a senior, graduating this December. In graduate school and beyond, I hope to explore how the gaps that currently exist in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and speech sound disorder research can be filled. I’d like to develop intervention strategies that can be effectively implemented to maximize the communication of affected individuals across all areas of their lives.

Hello! My name is Alexandra Hammers. I am currently a junior. My research interests include memory and language processing in kids and adults with Autism. I am also interested in Alzheimer’s and how it affects the brain and language processing. 

Hello! I’m Ashley Russo. I am a senior Communication Sciences and Disorders major with a minor in Health Policy and Administration and my research interest is Augmentative and Alternative Communication, with a focus on visual perceptual factors and how they influence search for a symbol on grid displays. 

Hello, I am Jackie Stochel. I am a junior in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. My specific research interests include neuroimaging, acquired language disorders, and aging.

Hello! I’m Rebecca. I am a senior in Communication Sciences and Disorders. My primary area of research interest is Gender, Cultural, and Linguistically diverse populations, and the relationship with ASD, Studying neurodiversity in Individuals with ASD. Recently, I have worked on transcribing and encoding data for The Verbal Encoding Experiment. 

Hello! I’m Callie. I am a senior, my research interests are Autism Spectrum Disorder and Bilingualism (second language acquisition)