People

Dr. Sayako Earle

Principal Investigator

Assistant Professor

Office: Tower at STAR, Room 534

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

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

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.

Natalie Atkinson

MA Student

Email: atkinson@udel.edu

Natalie Atkinson is a first-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Program at the University of Delaware. She received her B.A in Classical Vocal Performance from the Westminster Choir College. Natalie is currently interested in bringing her knowledge of the singing world into the clinical setting. She hopes to one day work in acute care with Aphasia patients.

Allison Lester

MA Student

Email: lallis@udel.edu

Allison Lester is an M.A. student in the University of Delaware’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program. She received her B.S. from Virginia Tech in Neuroscience and a minor in Linguistics. Upon graduation, she plans to work with adults with acquired speech and language disorders. She is excited to be working at the MAPs lab to gain valuable knowledge and further her research experience, and hopes to be able to apply what she learns here in her field of work after graduating.

Alex McSorley

Graduate Research Assistant

Email: alexmcs@udel.edu

Alex McSorley is a graduate student at the University of Delaware working on a Masters in Neuroscience to gain clinical experience with those with neurological disorders. Her interests are in how learning, memory, and mental disorders affect a person’s development. Alex’s ultimate goal is to either receive her PhD to do neurological research or attend medical school to become a neurologist.

Gabriella Martin

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: grmartin@udel.edu

Gabriella Martin is a senior at the University of Delaware majoring in cognitive science with a minor in human development and family sciences. After graduating, she plans to use attend grad school to obtain a speech language pathology degree. Gabriella hopes to one day help kids who struggle with speech impediments and she would also love to continue doing research in her field of work.

Mackenzie Quinn

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: kenzieq@udel.edu

Mackenzie Quinn is a senior at the University of Delaware. Her major is Medical Diagnostics and her interests include how neurological disorders affect speech and memory. She plans to attend graduate school after graduation to further her education in the field of medicine and research.

Haley Salmon

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: haleysal@udel.edu

Haley Salmon is a senior at the University of Delaware majoring in Cognitive Science (Pre-Professional SLP), with minors in Human Development and Family Sciences and Disability Studies. She is involved in NSSLHA and is also the Public Relations Chair for the Operation Smile club on campus. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school for Speech-Language Pathology and also wishes to pursue a career working with pediatric patients.

Nicole Strashnov

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: nstrash@udel.edu

Nicole Strashnov is a senior psychology and cognitive science major with a concentration in psychological sciences and a minor in disability studies. She is on the executive board for Project Sunshine and a peer mentor for the school. She is interested in early language acquisition and early intervention for children with disabilities, as well the intersection of technology within psychology. In the future, she would love to either do early intervention for children or a UX job in tech.

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.

Isabel Villagomez

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: isabelvi@udel.edu

Isabel Villagomez is a senior at the University of Delaware with a Cognitive Science major on the SLP track and minors in Disability Studies and Psychology. Her area of interest is left hemisphere disorders in adults. Her future goals are to attend graduate school to become a Speech-Language Pathologist.

Olivia Disant

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: odisant@udel.edu

Olivia Disant is a junior 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.

Ava Lamberti

Undergraduate Research Assistan

Email: alamber@udel.edu

Ava Lamberti is a Junior at the University of Delaware with a Cognitive Science Major with a specialization in Pre-Professional Speech Language Pathology. She is also double-minoring in Disability Studies and Philosophy. On campus, she is a Spectrum Scholars Peer Mentor and an active member of NSSLHA (National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association). Ava’s areas of interest include speech disorders and memory care for both adults and children. After receiving her degree at UD, she hopes to attend graduate school to obtain her masters in Speech Language Pathology.

Aisha Memon

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: aishamem@udel.edu

Aisha Memon is a junior 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

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: hopes@udel.edu

Hope Stengel is a junior 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

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: ellams@udel.edu

Ella Strechay is a junior 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.

Erica Danforth

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Email: danferic@udel.edu

Erica Danforth is a sophomore 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.

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

* = Summer Source students