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MAPS LAB

at the University of Delaware



People

Dr. Sayako Earle

Dr. Sayako Earle

Principal Investigator

Assistant Professor

Office: Tower at STAR, Room 534

Email: fsearle@udel.edu

F. Sayako Earle is an Assistant Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders, with a faculty affiliation with the department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science. Sayako is interested in the cognitive substrates that support speech acquisition in individuals with typical and disordered language. Sayako has an M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Virginia, and she received her Ph.D. in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences with a concentration in Cognitive Science from the University of Connecticut in 2016. 

Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

Lily Yan

Lily Yan

Lab Manager

Email: lilyyan@udel.edu

Lily Yan graduated from Vassar College in May 2023 with a B.A. in Cognitive Science. Her undergraduate research centered around how to understand online user experience through language production. Lily is interested in investigating linguistics and its role in affecting web accessibility and online experience, as well as how this differs for people with cognitive disabilities.

Ali Solbi

Ali Solbi

Ph.D. Candidate

Email: alisolbi@udel.edu

Ali Solbi graduated with a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Ferdowsi in Iran in September 2022. His thesis was about the investigation of sleep parameters based on neuronal characteristics of ERP obtained from the Motivated Forgetting task.
Currently, Ali is a doctoral student in the University of Delaware’s ING program, and his research focuses on the role of sleep in children with language disorders.

Nazmiye Atila Caglar

Nazmiye Atila Caglar

Ph.D. Candidate

Email: nazmiye@udel.edu

Nazmiye Atila Caglar graduated with an M.Sc. in Speech and Language Therapy from Hacettepe University in 2022, where she adapted and validated the Turkish version of the FOCUS-34 scale for preschool children with speech and language disorders. Her research focuses on language development, especially phonology and morphology, in children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and Speech Sound Disorders (SSD).

Kali Holloway

Kali Holloway

MA Student

Email: kalirh@udel.edu

Kali Holloway is a second-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Program at the University of Delaware. She received her B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the Pennsylvania State University with minors in Rehabilitation & Human Services and Psychological Sciences. Kali is interested in cognitive-communication rehabilitation within the adult population and hopes to work with this population post-graduation.

Natalie Cortez

Natalie Cortez

MA Student

Email: ncortez@udel.edu

Natalie Cortez is a first-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology Program. She graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.S in Communicative Disorders. Natalie has prior experience working in research investigating neural mechanisms associated with reading and comprehension skills. She is excited to continue gaining research experience and expand her knowledge about topics relevant to the field of Speech-Language Pathology!

Aman Tethi

Aman Tethi

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: atethi@udel.edu

Aman Tethi is a senior Cognitive Science & Psychology major, with a minor in Linguistics. Aman is interested in how language works in the brain, and is aiming to go to grad school to further her studies in that.

Olivia Disant

Olivia Disant

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: odisant@udel.edu

Olivia Disant is a senior at the University of Delaware majoring in Cognitive Science and Human Services and minoring in Disability Studies. Her areas of interest include cognitive development, communication disorders, and learning. After graduation, she hopes to make strides in the nonprofit space and youth development centers.
 

 

Aisha Memon

Aisha Memon

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: aishamem@udel.edu

 

Aisha Memon is a senior at the University of Delaware majoring Cognitive Science with minors in Disability Studies and Statistical Data Analysis. On campus, she is a Delaware Diplomats Council member. After graduation, she plans to do research on classroom learning interventions for students with communication disorders.
 
Hope Stengel

Hope Stengel

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: hopes@udel.edu

Hope Stengel is a senior at the University of Delaware majoring in neuroscience on the pre-medical track. After graduation, she plans on attending medical school in the hopes of becoming a pediatric psychiatrist. Her interests are in mental health disorders, neurological conditions, and future cures/discoveries. Her ultimate goal is to help children and young adults struggling with mental illness, and to educate others on the importance of the topic.

 

Ella Strechay

Ella Strechay

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: ellams@udel.edu

Ella Strechay is a senior majoring in neuroscience on the pre-med track. Her interests include developmental neuroscience, neurological and mental disorders, and pharmacology. After graduation, she plans on attending medical school, and working in the field of neurology to help those with neurological disorders get the best treatment plan possible. 
Carly Britt

Carly Britt

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: crbritt@udel.edu

 

Carly Britt is a junior at the University of Delaware, double majoring in Cognitive Science (Pre-Professional SLP) and Psychology and minoring in Disability Studies. After graduating, she plans to get her Masters Degree and become a Speech Language Pathologist. She is interested in Memory, Language Disorders, and Cognitive Functions. She hopes to one day make a positive difference in the lives of patients who are struggling with language disorders. 

Erica Danforth

Erica Danforth

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: danferic@udel.edu

Erica Danforth is a junior at the University of Delaware majoring in Cognitive Science (Pre-Professional SLP), with minors in Disability Studies and Psychology. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school in hopes of becoming an audiologist. Erica is interested in understanding speech, language, and memory.

Grace Heenan

Grace Heenan

Undergraduate Research Assistant

 
Grace Heenan is a junior at the University of Delaware majoring in Cognitive Science on the Pre-SLP track with minors in disability studies and human development and family studies. After graduating, she plans to attend graduate school and become a licensed Speech Language Pathologist. Her areas of interest are communication disorders especially in adults. 
Hussain Mahdi

Hussain Mahdi

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: humahdi@udel.edu

Hussain Mahdi is a junior Honors Neuroscience major at the University of Delaware. Hussain is interested in neurodevelopmental conditions, memory, and perception. With the basis of his peer educator and leadership roles, Hussain hopes to pursue a future in which he can help the world however he can, through men’s mental health awareness, sexual violence prevention, or to help educate on these themes.

Collaborators

  • Dana Arthur, SUNY at New Paltz 
  • Laurie Cutting, Vanderbilt University
  • Stephanie Del Tufo, University of Delaware 
  • Kaja Jasinska, University of Delaware / University of Toronto / Haskins Laboratories 
  • Nicole Landi, University of Connecticut / Haskins Laboratories 
  • Jarrad Lum, Deakin University 
  • Emily Myers, University of Connecticut / Haskins Laboratories 
  • Zhenghan Qi, Northeastern University
  • Tammie Spaulding, University of Connecticut 
  • Michael Ullman, Georgetown University 
  • Xin Xie, University of Rochester 

      Lab Alumni

      • 2017: Andrea Perkins, Yaqian Huang
      • 2018: Kristen Black, Samantha Mickels, Adela Ulitsky, Erin Riccardi, Mikaela Somma, Leigh Abramson
      • 2019: Claudia Dukler, Jake Zerner, Juliana Magardino, Haleigh Kidd, Frank Chiaia, Wesley Dedman, AnnMarie McKuhan, Emily Fritzon, Charlotte Robinson
      • 2020: Caroline Bradley, Molly Smith, Lane Williams
      • 2021: McKenna Schindler, Stephanie Hause, Olivia Callan, Katherine Richards, Andrew Jones, Kirstyn Collins, Jennifer Fritz, Hannah Martin, Emily Virok, Hanna Stephen, Gabriella Ciotti, Jaimee Ratkoski, Victoria Ochlan, Cheickna Sacko, Alma Rojas Fuente, Lauren Ondrejack
      • 2022: Jamie Ritondo, Ciera McGlade, Katie Reduzzi, Cornelia Meiss, Megan Trageser
      • 2023: Crystal Akalu, Kiely Bol*, Eliza Coull*, Rahul Gurram, Alena Jusino, Maureen Kessler, Marrian Tan*, Hà Trân (Blake), Zoë Wishengrad, Michelle Yezzo
      • 2024: Julia Coughlin, Adelana Deluca, Matthew Milan, Mehlika Sen, Anne van Zelst, Yi-Lun Weng (Rachel), Klaury Youchom-Tagheu
      • 2025: Natalie Atkinson, Ava Lamberti, Allison Lester, Jiayi Lu, Gabriella Martin, Esmeralda Ortega*, Mackenzie Quinn, Haley Salmon, Nicole Strashnov, Isabel Villagomez

      * = Summer Source students