Congratulations to Nicholas Monto, who has been selected as a recipient of 2018-2019 Raymond H. Stetson Scholarship in Phonetics and Speech Science, awarded by the Acoustical Society of America. Nick’s project uses a distributional learning paradigm to examine the time-course of adaptation to talker-specific phonetic variation (Aim 1) and to identify factors that contribute to individual differences in perceptual learning for speech (Aim 2). The data generated from these studies will contribute towards improved computational models of dynamic adaptation in speech perception and will help identify potential loci of language impairment. Nick is a member of the UConn SLaP Lab, directed by Dr. Rachel M. Theodore. Congratulations, Nick!

Congratulations to Julia Drouin, who has received the Ph.D. Fellowship from the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders. The title of her grant is “Optimization of auditory training for cochlear implant users.” Julia is a member of the UConn SLaP Lab, directed by Dr. Rachel M. Theodore. Congrats, Julia!

Emily Thompson (class of ’15) was recently featured in Audiology Connections in conjunction with receiving an Audiology/Hearing Science Research Travel Award (ARTA) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Ms. Thompson is currently a second-year Au.D. student at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Congratulations, Emily!

 

Dr. Rachel M. Theodore, director of the SLaP Lab, has received a 3-year grant from the NIH NIDCD to examine phonetic category structure in individuals with and without specific language impairment (LI). LI is a common child learning disorder that can persist into adulthood and puts individuals at risk for other disabilities including learning disability, reading disability, and failure to thrive in academic environments. Her research will use fMRI neuroimaging and behavioral methods to compare phonetic category structure in individuals with and without LI with respect to (1) how phonetic category structure is represented in the brain and (2) how phonetic category structure is dynamically modified as a consequence of exposure to phonetic variation. These findings will result in improved specification of the etiology of LI, which can be used to develop more targeted rehabilitation protocols. The title of the grant is “Determinants of phonetic category structure in language impairment.”

Emma Hungaski has received a competitive SURF award from the UConn Office for Undergraduate Research. This award will provide a stipend for Emma to work in the SLaP Lab this coming summer under the direction of Dr. Rachel M. Theodore. Emma’s project is titled “Neural determinants of phonetic category structure in children.” Congratulations!

The UConn SLaP Lab, directed by Dr. Rachel M. Theodore, has announced its 2016 RISE program. This internship-based program will provide summer research assistants with the opportunity to learn about many aspects of the research process in a hands-on, immersive laboratory environment. RISE participants will be engaged in numerous aspects of research including recruiting participants, testing children and adults in behavioral and neuroimaging tasks, analyzing data, and interpreting results.  Research assistants will also participate in guided readings of the speech perception literature and attend laboratory meetings in which we discuss ongoing projects and current issues in the field. RISE participants will receive close mentorship by faculty and graduate students.

More information on the program is available here. Interested students should complete the inquiry form by March 1, 2016.

Congratulations to Samantha and Jackie, each of whom has received a SHARE award from the UConn Office for Undergraduate Research! From the UConn OUR, “the SHARE program supports undergraduate research projects in the social sciences, humanities, and arts. SHARE is designed especially for students in the earlier stages of their college careers as a means of introducing students to research in their chosen field and of developing skills they will need for further research projects.”

Samantha will examine neural and behavioral changes following high intensity treatment in chronic aphasia. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Jen Mozeiko. Jackie will examine effects of attention on lexically-informed perception learning, working with faculty mentor Dr. Rachel M. Theodore.

 

 

Dr. Rachel M. Theodore, director of the UConn Laboratory for Spoken Language Processing, has been awarded an NIH LRP award from the NICHD. From the NIH, “the NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs established by Congress and designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers. The escalating costs of advanced education and training in medicine and clinical specialties are forcing some scientists to abandon their research careers for higher-paying private industry or private practice careers. Since tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs will be made by investigators starting in their research careers today, the LRPs represent an important investment by NIH in the future of health discovery and the wellbeing of the Nation.”

The title of her grant is “Accommodation of phonetic variability in individuals with speech and language disorders.” Congratulations, Dr. Theodore!

Maggie Small is the co-winner of this year’s Art Contest for SLHS 2203 (Anatomy & Physiology of Speech and Hearing, taught by Dr. Erika Skoe). Her beautiful entry is shown below. Well done, Maggie!

SLHS undergraduate, Kate Salvador, has been featured in this month’s Inside CLAS, which highlights outstanding students from the Class of 2015. She is a double-major (with PSYC) and an Honors student who completed her research in the UConn SLaP Lab (Dr. Rachel M. Theodore, PI). Congratulations to Kate and all of our other graduating seniors!