María Rosa Brea-Spahn

Dr. María Rosa Brea-Spahn is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Bilingual Extension Track at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. She holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neural Sciences from the University of South Florida, with a minor in Language Science. Her work bridges multilingualism and disability, focusing on challenging linguistic hierarchies in clinical and educational settings. She has practiced as a bilingual speech-language therapist and clinical instructor, emphasizing training graduate students in culturally responsive practices.

• Roles: Director of Bilingual Extension Track (2017-present)
• Affiliations: NYU Steinhardt, ASHA member

Education:

• Ph.D., Cognitive Neural Sciences & Language Science Minor, University of South Florida (2017)
• Professional credentials: CCC-SLP (Speech-Language Pathology)

Research:
Dr. Brea-Spahn’s work critiques linguistic ideologies that pathologize multilingualism and disability. She explores:

• Standardized language assessment inequities
• Liberatory languaging frameworks
• Intersection of disability justice and language policy

Her community-based projects include pop-up museums and critical pedagogy initiatives that center marginalized voices.

Awards:

• 2022 NYU Steinhardt Teaching Excellence Award
• 2021 ASHA Multicultural Affairs Recognition
• 2020 NYU MLK Jr. Faculty Award
• 2015 USF Community Engagement Award

Teaching & Advocacy:
Known for student-centered approaches, she co-leads projects like the "Liberating Languaging" museum and co-edits Journal of Critical Study of Communication and Disability. Her work emphasizes:

• Anti-oppressive clinical practices
• Disability justice frameworks
• Decolonizing speech-language pathology