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.

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.

Arynn Byrd
Ph.D. Student

Arynn is a Ph.D. candidate in the Hearing and Speech Sciences Program at the University of Maryland-College Park (UMD-CP). Her research interests include African American English, sentence processing, and the educational outcomes of students who speak non-mainstream dialects. Arynn currently serves as an ASHA S.T.E.P mentor and the Early Career Professional on the ASHA Government and Public Policy Board. She has published in the Journal of Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools.

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.

Rhosean Asmah
Lab Manager

Rhosean is the Lab Manager of the Language and Cognition Lab. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020, where she majored in Linguistics and got minors in French and Fine Arts. She is interested in phonetics, and enjoys learning about child language acquisition through her work in the lab. Outside of work, she likes reading, watching tv, making art, and cooking (or, more accurately, eating what she cooks).

Valerie Hsieh
Lab Researcher

Valerie graduated from the Unviersity of Maryland in 2022 with a major in Hearing and Speech Sciences. Her research and clinical interests include psycholinguistics, speech/language fluency, and autism. In the fall, she plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career as a Speech Language Pathologist. Apart from schoolwork, she loves to read, hike, and play her musical instruments (one of which may be a didgeridoo).

Jenna Barbiere
Undergraduate Student

Jenna is an undergraduate senior in the Hearing and Speech Sciences major and plans on attending graduate school to obtain her Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology. She really enjoys working with children and is looking forward to making connections between language and cognition with children in the lab. Outside of class and lab, she is also a member of Alpha Phi and is their Potential Member Outreach Chair for recruitment here at the University of Maryland.

Jennifer Cullen
Undergraduate Student

Jennifer is an undergraduate senior at UMD majoring in Hearing and Speech Sciences with a minor in Disability Studies. She plans to go on to graduate school to get her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology after she graduates. Outside of the lab she is a peer coach in SIGNA and a member of NSSLHA and Zeta Tau Alpha. She loves dogs, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Emily DeLuca
Undergraduate Student

Emily is an undergraduate junior in the Hearing and Speech Sciences major with a General Business minor. She plans to go to graduate school for Speech-Language Pathology, and has always been interested in working with children. Outside of school, she loves to spend time with friends and family.

Nyomi Fox
Undergraduate Student

Nyomi Fox is an undergraduate sophomore at the University of Maryland, majoring in Linguistics on the Grammars and Cognition track, with a minor in Arts Leadership. She is also a member of PULSAR, a research-based program in the Language Science Center. She hopes to pursue a PhD in Psycholinguistics or Sociolinguistics, with the intent of becoming a professor. On the side, she creates art to sell online and through local venues.

James Harvey
Undergraduate Student

James is a Sophomore undergraduate student pursuing a Hearing and Speech Sciences major with a Philosophy minor. He is interested in becoming a Speech Language Pathologist primarily working with children. Outside of the lab, he is also Secretary of the Cultural Leadership Initiative Student Organization and a barista.

Yuri Kim
Undergraduate Student

Yuri is an undergraduate sophomore majoring in Hearing and Speech Sciences (and on track to minor in linguistics!) After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school for audiology. Outside of her major, she spends her time in Student Entertainment Events (SEE), Help Center, and Korean Student Association.

Ashleigh Nelson
Undergraduate Student

Ashleigh is an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland majoring in Public Health Science. She plans to attend PA school in hopes of becoming a Physicians Assistant with a focus on dermatology. Outside of classes, she is a part of UMD’s STEPP team where she is on the Executive Board. She enjoys volunteering, painting, and spending time with her sisters.

Rochelle Nelson
Undergraduate Student

Rochelle is a junior undergraduate student at UMD majoring in Neurobiology and Physiology. She hopes to go to graduate school and get a Ph.D. in Child Psychology. She has always enjoyed working with kids and wants to help create a better future for them. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, watching movies/tv shows, cooking, and playing volleyball.

Archana Sathiyamoorthy
Undergraduate Student

Archana is an undergraduate freshman at the University of Maryland, double-majoring in Psychology and Criminology & Criminal Justice. She plans to attend grad school and pursue a PsyD in Clinical Psychology. Outside of classes, she is a staff writer for UMD's The Observer and a dance instructor, and enjoys watching TV, singing, and cooking!

Hannah Shapiro
Undergraduate Student

Hannah is an undergraduate junior majoring in Hearing and Speech Sciences at the University of Maryland. She plans on attending graduate school to pursue a career as a Speech-Language Pathologist and wants to learn more about speech therapy and language development during childhood. She is a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority and in her free time, she enjoys baking and playing with her dogs.

Lisa Zhuang
Undergraduate Student

Lisa is an undergraduate sophomore 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
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
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
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