About me
Speech-language pathologist and university researcher. Designer of sustainable, inclusive, and multidisciplinary programs to improve health care and education. Passionate about language, communication, and philosophy.
Experience
Study Abroad Program Founder/Adjunct Professor
University of Iowa
Spring 2025
Designed and led a study abroad program for grad students to treat children with communication disorders in Kosovo
Partnered with NGO Instituti Kosovar për Logopedi to share new ideas in intervention formats and treatment administration, and give U.S. students hands-on clinical experience serving multilingual population
Taught 16-week course on the critical role of history, culture and other contextual issues in designing treatment plans
Planned and hosted a speech-language therapy conference in Kosovo to spread knowledge of best practices to Kosovo's professional community
Psycholinguistics Lab Research Associate
University of Iowa, Director: Dr. Kristi Hendrickson
July 2024 - Present
Led data collection for NIH-funded grants, including a 30-year longitudinal study of language in individuals with and without developmental language disorders
Utilized methods such as EEG, eye-tracking, and behavioral testing with standardized assessments
Organized travel to participants in other cities, operating portable eye tracking technology and computer set ups
Spearheaded research projects based on R01 grant, including a scoping review, a paper on vocabulary depth, and a paper reviewing effective longitudinal recruitment strategies (All forthcoming)
Supervised 25 undergraduates who assisted in lab for course credit
Speech Language Pathology Clinical Fellow
Mercy Medical Center
July 2024 - Present
Provided intervention and assessment in outpatient pediatric setting, working with children ages 2-15 with articulation and phonological disorders, language delays and disorders, developmental disabilities, dyslexia, and autism
In outpatient and inpatient neuro rehabilitation setting, served adults with aphasia, cognitive-communication, dysarthria (speech disorders), dysphagia (swallowing disorders), and Parkinson’s disease
Education
Master of the Arts in Speech-Language Pathology
University of Iowa
Graduated 2023
Honors and Awards: CAPCSD Frances J Laven Service Award, Shirley and Thomas Salmon Scholarship Award, Iowa Speech-Language Hearing Foundation Scholarship, Sertoma Communicative Disorder Scholarship
Bachelor of the Arts
Butler University
Graduated 2023
Double Major: Philosophy and Communication Sciences & Disorders
Honors and Awards: Butler University Outstanding Student Award, Katharina Dulckeit Award for Philosophy, Dean's List
US Fulbright English Teaching Assistant
University of Prishtina - Pristina, Kosovo
September 2023 - May 2024
Taught English for a university class of 60 students
Volunteered with Instituti Kosovar për Logopedi to expand speech therapy services for children; mentored speech-language pathology student clinicians; led fundraising campaign that raised $3,800; lectured at events for speech therapists to improve practices
Led Kosovo Feminism Summit for high school and college women to explore feminism through education, discussion, and art
Volunteered with communications team for USAID Private Sector Partnerships to Strengthen Higher Education Activity; connected with university students about opportunities to work in internships during college to better understand the field they are pursuing
Pediatric Audiology Lab Research Assistant
University of Iowa; Director: Dr. Beth Walker
May 2023 - September 2023
Completed data collection and analysis for NIH-funded grants including FASTRAK Listening Effort and 10+ year longitudinal study, Outcomes of School-Age Children who are Hard of Hearing in collaboration with Boystown National Research Hospital and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Collaborated with University of Iowa faculty to write Department of Education grant application
Graduate Teaching Assistant
University of Iowa; Two Courses
August 2021 - December 2022
Executed original lesson plans for Phonetics (CSD 2110), an undergraduate course averaging 100 students per semester, covering the fundamental concepts of phonetics, phonetic transcription, and understanding basic acoustic principles applied to speech production
Led discussion sections for for Classical Mythology (CLAS 2016), an undergraduate course, averaging 200 students per semester, covering key texts, figures, and themes of Greek and Roman mythology; theoretical perspectives of Greek and Roman mythology; and Greek and Roman history, culture and society. Taught in-person discussion sections two hours per week and facilitated online section.