Our Research Team


Yi Ting Huang
Principal Investigator

Dr. Huang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences. She got her Ph.D. in Psychology from Harvard University and was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Huang’s research focuses on how language learners coordinate linguistic representations during comprehension. For more information, see here.

Jonet Artis
Postdoctoral Fellow

Jonet Artis is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She previously was a postdoctoral fellow at New York University. Her research focuses on the early language development of autistic children and children with other developmental disorders.

Kuan-Jung Huang
Postdoctoral Fellow

Kuan-Jung Huang is a postdoc associate in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research focuses on the role of statistical regularities and syntactic structures in sentence processing and comprehension. He particularly specializes in eye-tracking during sentence reading and cognitive modeling.

Kathleen Oppenheimer
Ph.D. Student

Kathleen Oppenheimer received her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Northwestern University and her BA in Linguistics and Chinese from Harvard College. She previously worked as a speech-language pathologist in a children’s hospital and is currently a doctoral student at the University of Maryland at College Park under the guidance of Dr. Yi Ting Huang and Dr. Jan Edwards. Kathleen’s research interests include language and literacy development in children with typical and atypical development. She is also interested in the diagnosis and treatment of language disorders in children who speak non-mainstream dialects of English.

Sophie Domanski
Ph.D. Student

Sophie Domanski is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences. She earned her BA in Cognitive Science and Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and her MA in Speech-Language Pathology from Montclair State University. Sophie is interested in the relationship between language and other cognitive processes, such as attention and working memory, and how these processes vary across individuals.

Jessica Nolasco
Ph.D. Student

Jessica Nolasco is a first-year doctoral student at the University of Maryland, College Park. She received a B.A. in Hearing and Speech Sciences from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2017 and her M.A. in Speech Language Pathology from the George Washington University. As a bilingual speech-language pathologist, Jessica has a diverse range of experience working with children and young adults with learning differences as well as serving families from marginalized populations in the DC/MD/VA area. Jessica is committed to bringing her lived experiences as a clinician and caretaker to research by identifying problems and exploring relevant and sustainable solutions for marginalized communities. Prior to doctoral studies, she served as a faculty specialist in the Language and Cognition Lab, focusing on the recruitment of bilingual (Spanish/English) families and children as well as data collection. Her research interests include areas related to evaluation and service provision for culturally and linguistically diverse populations.

Mackenzie Jones
M.A. Student

Mackenzie Jones is a graduate student clinician in the Hearing and Speech Sciences Department at the University of Maryland. Her research interests include examining the compensatory strategies developed within communities to navigate communication differences based on neurological conditions. Her clinical endeavors reflect her curiosity, as she has the privilege of working with neurodivergent populations.

Megan Kanaby
Lab Manager

Megan is the Lab Manager of the Language and Cognition Lab. She graduated from Washington and Lee University in 2023 with majors in Cognitive and Behavioral Science and Sociology. She is interested in the ways in which language impacts the developmental process, particularly identity development. She plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in developmental psychology. Outside of the lab, she enjoys golfing, reading, discovering new music, and spending time with family and friends.

María Bazdekis
Undergraduate Student

María Teresa is a junior at the University of Maryland, majoring in Psychology. She serves as a campus tour guide and a Step Up! Educator for CARE To Stop Violence. In her free time, she enjoys singing, cooking, and watching baseball (let's go Mets!). After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to pursue a career in Clinical Psychology.

Isabella Cropper
Undergraduate Student

Isabella is an undergraduate junior at the University of Maryland majoring in Hearing and Speech Sciences with a minor in Italian. After graduation she plans on pursuing a graduate degree in Speech Language Pathology. Outside of the lab she tutors for The Every Child Project and is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.

Jasmin Cruz
Undergraduate Student

Jasmin Cruz is an undergraduate junior at the University of Maryland, majoring in Hearing and Speech Sciences. She plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career as a bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist. She also enjoys volunteering in her community and spending time with family.

Bahameen Farrukh
Undergraduate Student

Bahameen is an undergraduate senior at the University of Maryland, majoring in Neuroscience. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school and hopefully become an orthopedic surgeon. She is also a College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) certified tutor and tutors students with disabilities. In her free time, she enjoys going on nature walks and hanging out with family and friends.

Stephanie Kologrivov
Undergraduate Student

Stephanie is an undergraduate senior studying Hearing and Speech Sciences and History at the University of Maryland. She plans to go to graduate school for Speech Language Pathology to pursue a career with children in a hospital or school setting. On campus, she is a tutor with Maryland Mentor Corps and a member of TRIOTA.

Elizabeth Kotlove
Undergraduate Student

Elizabeth is an undergraduate sophomore at the University of Maryland majoring in Hearing and Speech Sciences. After graduation she plans on pursuing a graduate degree in Speech Language Pathology. Outside of the lab she is a member of Phi Sigma Sigma and enjoys lifting weights.

Ketsia Mandjila
Undergraduate Student

Ketsia is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, majoring in Hearing and Speech Sciences. Upon completing her bachelor's degree, she aspires to attend graduate school and embark on a career in Speech Language Pathology. Outside of her academic pursuits, Ketsia is an avid reader of fiction novels, enjoys listening to music (especially Beyoncé), and also loves spending time with her friends and family. On campus, she is a member of the Black Student Union and the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA).

Sophia Marchionini
Undergraduate Student

Sophia is an undergraduate senior majoring in Hearing and Speech Sciences. After graduate school, she plans to work in public schools as a Speech Pathologist. Sophia enjoys coaching her summer swim team, doing puzzles, and performing with the Gymkana Troupe.

Hannah Munk
Undergraduate Student

Hannah is an undergraduate Hearing and Speech Sciences and Psychology double major at the University of Maryland. She plans to go to graduate school for a Masters in Clinical Speech Pathology, hoping to work with children. Hannah is involved in food recovery on campus, as well as the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA). In her free time, Hannah enjoys crocheting, reading, and hiking.

Devora Organic
Undergraduate Student

Devora is an undergraduate junior at the University of Maryland majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Humanities, Health, and Medicine. After graduating, she plans to attend dental school, hoping to become an orthodontist. In her free time, she enjoys running, drinking coffee, and playing with her three cats.

Hadley Sweeney
Undergraduate Student

Hadley is an undergraduate sophomore at the University of Maryland and is majoring in Hearing and Speech Sciences with a minor in Human Development. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to become a Speech Language Pathologist. Hadley is also a Resident Assistant on campus and enjoys developing connections with new people. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and going to the gym.

Gina Tetteh
Undergraduate Student

Gina is an undergrad sophomore at the University of Maryland. She is majoring in Hearing and Speech Sciences and minoring in Spanish with plans to pursue Pediatric Speech-Language Pathology. In her free time, she loves to practice learning other languages, spend time with friends and family, cook, and try new foods!

Liesl Tran
Undergraduate Student

Liesl is an undergraduate sophomore studying Hearing and Speech Sciences at the University of Maryland. After graduation she hopes to pursue a graduate degree in Speech Language Pathology. Liesl volunteers with the International Rescue Committee as a tutor to refugee youth in Prince George's County and sings at local nursing homes with UMD's Vintage Voices. In her free time she enjoys playing basketball and hiking.

Loralei Twomley
Undergraduate Student

Loralei is an undergraduate sophomore at the University of Maryland, majoring in Hearing and Speech Sciences with a minor in Disability Studies. Her plan after graduation is to attend grad school and become a Speech-Language Pathologist. In her free time she enjoys spending time outside and working out.

Lisa Zhuang
Undergraduate Student

Lisa is an undergraduate senior majoring in General Biology, on the pre-med track. After graduating from UMD, she plans to attend medical school to become a pediatrician. On campus she is a team leader for Maryland Mentor Corps and a part of the Life Sciences Scholars program. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with friends, going on long walks, and getting boba.


Thank you to the following people for your contributions to our research:


Nora Leonard
Brooke Rothman
Mya Vardi
Natalie Lutz
Emily Kosciulek
Katelyn Lippit
Ashley Lawler
Samantha Moats
Yu-Ting Yu
Melissa Stockbridge
Christine Del Toro
Erin Hollister
Karly Schwarz
Rebekah Yang
Allesondra Sanchez
Danait Mehari
Alexandra Heyl
Kara Schmidt
Sarah Gagné
Jessica Orozco Contreras
Felicity Vasek
Zoe Ovans
Hannah Shapiro
Emily Berman
Sarah Zsak
Sean Anderson
Erin Leary
Briana Bednarz
Margaret Kahwaty
Natalie Walsh
Sarah Odorisio
Elana Klein
Andie Yoon
Mary Bounds
Yuichi Suzuki
Kerianna Frederick
Mollie Greenwald
Jenna Nelson
Josie Black
Juliana Camponeschi
Sarah Kim
Emily Thomas
Jessica Lee
Samantha Scoli
Lucy Young
Nyomi Fox
Valerie Hsieh
Emily DeLuca
Jessica Pinzon
Allison Lowenberg
Allison Stehle
Addie Mandelbaum
Allison Catalano
Daphna Bemaman
Ana Medina Fetterman
Julia Plants
Tamar Schulman
Delaney Kelly
Katie Leech
Allison Granados
Lara Ehrenhofer
Julie Gerard
Michael Fein
Alexandra Peller
Chidinma Ogbonna
Crystal Griffith
Maddie Lenhart
Chelsey Smithwick
Aliya Yafarova
Ashleigh Nelson
Rhosean Asmah
Yuri Kim
Natalie Walsh
Jillian Sikora
Maggie Kinser
Lauren Evans
Ariel Borten
Alison Arnold
Lauren Abadie
Shuana Mulroy
Mackenzie Pretty
Jaira Billups
Alix Kowalski
Rachel Adler
Isabel Martin
Manaar Zuhurudeen
Gammon Gresham
Razan Ahmed
Abby Rosler
Emma Abid
Chloë Miller
Daniella Teixeira
Leslie Puma
Rochelle Nelson
Ally Mack