I am currently finishing my undergraduate degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology at Kent State. This process has not been an easy one but definitely a rewarding one. I have learned so much about myself and what I’m interested in pursing. It was working with Dr. Jenny Roche that I found a love of research. I have a love for knowledge and figuring things out that I never saw in myself before my time in her lab. Through my coursework I have found a passion for hearing science, speech production and perception, and neurological processes. I am looking forward to combining theory with the areas of focus mentioned. I want to look at miscommunication and perspective taking with a special interest in atypical populations and those who have communication disorders or impairments and those who fall on the Autism spectrum.
I am involved with two research projects in the MADI lab. One of my research projects (with Krystal Duchi) looks at the different aspects of speaker confidence by examining the acoustics of the voice and the also the perception of speaker confidence by a listener. Another one of my research projects is looking at perspective taking. I am actively involved in and currently the president of Operation Smile at Kent State. It’s a wonderful non-profit organization that raises money and sends doctors, nurses, surgeons, speech pathologists etc. to developing countries to repair cleft palates and facial deformities.