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Schea N Fissel, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at Midwestern University's College of Health Sciences, Glendale campus. She holds a Ph.D. from Kent State University (2018), an M.A. (2008), and B.S. (2006) from Western Michigan University. Her educational background includes: Ph.D., Kent State University, 2018 M.A., Western Michigan University, 2008 B.S., Western Michigan University, 2006 Dr. Fissel's research examines how attentional resources are dynamically recruited by complex visual stimuli like human faces and biological motion, with emphasis on neurodiverse populations. She investigates automatic attention processes in social communication and how these differ in autism spectrum disorder, focusing on autism, attention, and literacy dynamics. Her work applies complexity theory to understand information processing in social contexts. Her publications (2019-2025) reveal strong thematic continuity in autism research, attention mechanisms, and clinical education. Key trends include music's impact on attention, evidence-based practice critiques in autism services, second-language processing interactions, and reading comprehension in traumatic brain injury. The work consistently bridges cognitive theory with speech-language pathology applications. Dr. Fissel teaches core graduate courses including Child Language and Learning II/III (SLPPG 522/533) and Communication Disorders in Autism (SLPPG 623), alongside capstone sequences (SLPPG 505/506/606/607) and thesis supervision (SLPPG 670). Her teaching portfolio demonstrates active mentorship through evidence-based practice instruction and clinical research guidance, preparing students for professional practice in speech-language pathology.

• Autism
• Attention
• Literacy
• +3 more

Prof. Dr. Claudia Schlaak is Professor of Language Teaching and Learning Research: Didactics of French and Spanish at the University of Kassel, where she serves as Head of the Department of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning Research. She has held this position since September 2020, following an acting professorship at the same institution from October 2018 to December 2019. Her academic work bridges theoretical research and practical application in foreign language education, with particular focus on inclusive teaching methodologies and multilingual contexts. Dr. Schlaak's research centers on foreign language teaching and learning, with special emphasis on didactics of French and Spanish, inclusive education approaches, multilingualism in educational contexts, and the integration of digital technologies in language acquisition. Her work examines how diverse language backgrounds influence learning processes, with particular attention to bilingual learners (especially German-Turkish bilinguals) acquiring Romance languages. She investigates pronunciation acquisition, text complexity, intercultural competence development, and the implementation of inclusive teaching strategies that recognize learner diversity as a resource rather than a challenge. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trend toward digital learning environments, with increasing focus on virtual reality applications, 360-degree learning environments, and digital tools for pronunciation training. Her research consistently addresses multilingual contexts and inclusive approaches, with growing attention to potential-oriented teaching methodologies that shift focus from deficits to learner strengths. The interdisciplinary nature of her work connects linguistics, educational psychology, and technology-enhanced learning. Dr. Schlaak serves as co-editor of the journal Romance Language and its Didactics (since January 2019) and the series French Didactics in Dialogue (since April 2020). She has contributed significantly to academic discourse through numerous edited volumes, special journal issues, and collaborative research projects that bridge theoretical insights with practical classroom applications. Her work demonstrates strong commitment to teacher education, with multiple publications addressing pre-service and in-service teacher training, particularly regarding inclusive practices, intercultural competence development, and the integration of digital tools in language teaching. She has developed practical teaching materials, including method cards for foreign language instruction and inclusive teaching resources for Spanish language classrooms.

• Foreign Language Teaching
• Didactics of French
• Didactics of Spanish
• +7 more

Laura Collins is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education at Concordia University, specializing in applied linguistics. Her research focuses on input processing in second language acquisition, pedagogical grammar, and cross-linguistic influence among bilingual speakers. She has extensive international teaching experience across diverse age groups and serves as the 2nd VP of the American Association for Applied Linguistics and Chair of the IRIS digital repository advisory board. PhD in Humanities, Concordia University MEd in Second Language Teaching, University of Ottawa BEd in Second Language Teaching, University of Toronto BA in History, York University Collins' current projects examine the use of speech technologies to extend second language classrooms and document longitudinal grammatical development in school programs. Funded by SSHRC Insight Grants, her work bridges cognitive approaches with practical pedagogical applications. Recent publications highlight trends in classroom input optimization, frequency-based phonological learning, and intensive language program efficacy, with subfields spanning morpheme perception, vocabulary distribution, and task-based interaction dynamics. Her academic leadership includes editorial roles in The Modern Language Journal and contributions to major handbooks. She teaches courses ranging from classroom-based SLA research to pedagogical grammar, emphasizing practical applications of theoretical insights.

• Applied Linguistics
• Bilingualism
• Language Acquisition
• +3 more

Sadam Issa serves as Associate Professor of Arabic Studies within Michigan State University's Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures (College of Arts & Letters). He teaches comprehensive Arabic language sequences from first-year through fourth-year levels, alongside specialized courses in Arabic society, literature, media, and Levantine dialects, while directing MSU's Arabic Study Abroad Program in Amman, Jordan. As a certified Oral Proficiency Interviewer (ACTFL), he actively advances language assessment standards. His research integrates discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and visual rhetoric with language pedagogy, prominently featuring Arabic political cartoons—currently the subject of a book project—and comics-based instructional methods. Investigations span classroom anxiety, technology-enhanced learning, politeness strategies in Jordanian advertisements, and revolutionary folk music, revealing consistent focus on sociocultural dimensions of Arabic communication. Recent publications demonstrate interdisciplinary convergence: visual media (political cartoons/comics) increasingly informs language education research, while sociolinguistic analyses of Arabic media evolve toward comparative cultural studies, particularly regarding conflict representation and religious discourse. Scientific recognition includes: Open Educational Resources (OER) Leadership Awards (Michigan State University, 2021) Honor Instruction Award (Michigan State University, 2021) Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (U.S. Department of State, 2006-2007) Issa pioneers curriculum innovation through OER textbooks for first/second-semester Arabic and hybrid learning models, receiving institutional awards for educational leadership. His study abroad program and OPI certification underscore commitment to experiential learning and proficiency-based assessment.

• Arabic Studies
• Political Cartoons
• Discourse Analysis
• +4 more

Haiyang Ai is an Associate Professor in the Literacy and Second Language Studies program at the University of Cincinnati's School of Education. His research applies corpus linguistics and natural language processing to investigate second language acquisition, writing complexity, and bilingual language processing. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from The Pennsylvania State University (2015), an M.A. in Linguistics & Applied Linguistics from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (2006), and a B.A. in English from Shaanxi Normal University (2003). Dr. Ai's research spans corpus linguistics, natural language processing, second language acquisition, and computer-assisted language learning. He specializes in compiling and analyzing native and learner corpora to develop intelligent language learning systems and investigate lexical/syntactic complexity in L2 writing. His methodological approach integrates computational tools with theoretical linguistics to address practical language teaching challenges. His recent publications (2019-2023) demonstrate consistent focus on lexical bundles in professional communication, automating complexity measurement in Chinese, speech perception mechanisms in bilinguals, and grammatical puzzles in English learning. These works bridge corpus-based analysis with psycholinguistic experimentation across diverse subfields including morphosyntax, pragmatic competence, and cognitive processing in L2 acquisition. Dr. Ai has secured multiple University of Cincinnati grants including three CECH Faculty Development Grants ($2500 in 2017-2018 for verb-noun collocation research, $2000 in 2016-2017 for corrective feedback tools) and the NCFDD Faculty Success Program ($3250 in 2017), all supporting his development of computational language learning resources.

• Corpus Linguistics
• Natural Language Processing
• Second Language Acquisition
• +3 more

Becky Huang is a Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University, housed within the College of Arts and Sciences. She holds affiliations with the Center for Languages, Literatures and Cultures and serves on multiple editorial boards, including Language Assessment Quarterly and Language Testing. Additionally, she co-founded the International Language Testing Association’s (ILTA) Language Assessment for Young Learners special interest group and participates in award committees for the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Dr. Huang earned a PhD and MA in Educational Psychology from UCLA (2009 and 2006), an MEd from Harvard University (2002), followed by postdoctoral fellowships at Educational Testing Service (2010–2012) and Harvard University (2009–2010). Her research focuses on promoting language and literacy outcomes for multilingual students, spanning applied linguistics, psychology, and education. Key areas include assessing multilingual learners’ language proficiency, examining socioeconomic factors influencing language development, and designing equitable educational interventions. Her grants include leadership roles in projects such as the NIH-funded study on pandemic impacts on young dual language learners (2021–2022) and the Institute of Education Sciences-supported inquiry-based reading intervention (2020–2024). Notably, she contributed to the U.S. Department of Education Title VI grant for Chinese immersion teacher training (2022–2026) and co-led the ILTA’s Language Assessment for Young Learners initiative. She also advocates for education equity through collaborations with non-profit organizations. Her work emphasizes bridging theory and practice, particularly in creating assessments that fairly evaluate multilingual students’ abilities and addressing disparities faced by minoritized learners. She explores how language skills influence content-area learning (e.g., math, science) and the role of teachers in bilingual students’ outcomes.

• Multilingual Education
• Language Assessment
• Child and Adolescent Development
• +3 more

Susan E. Brennan is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at Stony Brook University, with joint appointments in Computer Science and an affiliation in Linguistics. She holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University (1990) and has been a faculty member since 1990. Her research focuses on the cognitive science of language use, particularly interactive spoken dialogue, eye-tracking as a communication tool, and human-AI interaction. She is also involved in projects exploring how technology interfaces with communication, including speech and language systems. Her academic roles include serving as Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Chair in Psychology. Brennan’s work has been continuously supported by the NSF, totaling over $3.5M in grants. Notable awards include the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship (2003) and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service (2012). Research interests span the psychology of language, multimodal communication, and the neural basis of dialogue. She has published extensively on topics like common ground in conversation, coordination signals, and the role of gaze in collaborative tasks. Her lab integrates behavioral experiments, eye-tracking, and computational models to study real-world communication dynamics.

• Cognitive Science
• Psycholinguistics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• +3 more

Dr. Margreet Vogelzang is a Lecturer in Psychology at Newcastle University and an affiliated researcher at Theoretical and Applied Linguistics within the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics at the University of Cambridge. Based at the English Faculty Building, 9 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DP, and affiliated with Trinity College at Cambridge, she maintains a dual institutional presence that reflects the interdisciplinary nature of her work. Her research program combines neuroscientific, psychological, linguistic, and statistical methodologies to investigate language and cognitive processing across the lifespan. She specializes in multilingual syntactic and semantic processing, employing both written and spoken language paradigms with offline (comprehension, judgments) and online (eye-tracking, EEG, fMRI) measures. Her work examines how hearing loss, socio-linguistic variables, and developmental conditions like autism spectrum disorder influence language processing mechanisms. Analysis of her recent publication record reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) bilingualism effects on cognitive flexibility in autistic children, (2) neural and cognitive mechanisms of sentence processing in individuals with hearing loss, and (3) computational modeling of pronoun interpretation across diverse populations. These strands demonstrate her consistent focus on bridging theoretical linguistics with cognitive neuroscience to address practical questions about language processing variability. Dr. Vogelzang actively supervises several graduate students including Alexander Cairncross, Andromachi Tsoukala, and Chara Triantafyllidou, and serves as course contact for Li16: Psychology of language processing and learning at Cambridge. Her teaching portfolio includes psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, cognitive science, and research methods, reflecting her methodological expertise across experimental and computational approaches.

• Psycholinguistics
• Language Processing
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• +8 more

Professor Talia Isaacs is a leading academic in Applied Linguistics and TESOL at University College London's Faculty of Education & Society. She serves as Head of Research and Inclusion Co-Lead in the Department of Culture, Communication and Media, with a focus on language assessment, health communication, and educational equity. Previously, she was an Associate Professor at UCL-IOE (2016–2024) and Lecturer/Senior Lecturer at Bristol University (2011–2016), where she founded the EU-funded Second Language Speech Lab. Education: PhD in Second Language Education from McGill University (2011) Appointments: Co-Editor of Language Testing (2023–present), Expert Member of EALTA and TOEFL Committee of Examiners Her research spans language assessment , speech sciences , and health communication , with groundbreaking work on pronunciation assessment and clinical trial inclusivity. Recent articles analyze accent fairness in Duolingo testing, trial monitoring frameworks, and health communication practices. She champions Open Science and was awarded the 2023 UCL Open Science Award. Her research trends show interdisciplinary engagement across educational linguistics , clinical trial methodology , and health equity , often employing mixed methods and evidence synthesis . She has supervised 7 PhD students to completion, including funded projects by ESRC, MRC, and British Council. Scientific Awards: UCL Open Science and Scholarship Award (2023) Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (2023) Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2014) She leads the Second Language Speech Lab and collaborates with the MRC-NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership. Her work addresses language barriers in academic and healthcare settings, with a focus on under-served communities.

• Language Assessment
• Second Language Acquisition
• Speech Sciences
• +12 more

Seung Kyung Kim serves as an Assistant Professor (Lecturer) in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Utah, a position held continuously since July 2022. She actively teaches undergraduate courses including Language & Culture, Language Myths, Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology, and Introduction to Sociolinguistics across multiple semesters from 2023-2024, demonstrating consistent engagement in the university's academic mission within the linguistics discipline. Her research centers on psycholinguistics with specialized expertise in speech production and comprehension mechanisms, extending into second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, and phonetics. Kim investigates how social factors—particularly accent variation, emotional prosody, and ideological frameworks—impact real-time language processing through methodologies like eye-tracking and auditory-visual priming. Her work reveals critical insights into incremental processing in native and non-native speakers, especially regarding Korean case marking systems and cross-linguistic transfer effects. Analysis of Kim's publication trajectory from 2013-2024 shows evolving focus from foundational studies on emotional prosody in word recognition toward contemporary investigations of linguistic bias in veracity judgments and sociolinguistic variation. Her research consistently bridges cognitive processing with social representation, exemplified by the dual-route speech perception model integrating linguistic and social information. Recent work demonstrates methodological rigor through preregistered replication studies examining Polish-accented English comprehension. No scientific awards or major grants are documented in available records, though her scholarship appears in high-impact journals including Studies in Second Language Acquisition and The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. While teaching records confirm active curriculum delivery across eight distinct courses with multiple sections annually, information regarding student advising, research laboratories, or collaborative teams remains unspecified in current materials.

• Psycholinguistics
• Speech Production
• Speech Comprehension
• +3 more

Morten H. Christiansen is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Psychology at Cornell University and holds a concurrent position as Professor of Cognitive Science at Aarhus University's School of Communication and Culture and the Interacting Minds Centre. His research focuses on the interplay between biological and environmental factors in language evolution, acquisition, and processing. Key methodologies include computational modeling, neuroimaging, and experimental psychology. He is an elected member of Denmark’s and Norway’s Royal Academies of Sciences and a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and Cognitive Science Society. His work spans over 250 papers and four edited volumes, with his monograph The Language Game (2022) proposing a novel theory of language emergence through improvisation. Research interests emphasize multiword chunking, statistical learning, and individual differences in language processing. Current projects explore Danish language challenges, computational models of cultural evolution, and the impact of large language models (LLMs) on human cognition. Christiansen directs the Cognitive Science of Language Lab, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses (e.g., PSYCH 2150: Psychology of Language), and collaborates internationally on projects like the Danish Gigaword Corpus. His recent work highlights language as an emergent system shaped by interactive and ecological pressures.

• Cognition
• Neuroscience
• Computational Linguistics
• +4 more

Holly Branigan is a Professor of Psychology of Language and Cognition at the University of Edinburgh, affiliated with the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences. Her research focuses on language production, dialogue, child language development, and bilingualism. She holds a Personal Chair and has led numerous grants including projects on conversational alignment in children with autism, language experience effects on development, and syntactic priming in dialogue. Her teaching includes undergraduate courses on Psychology of Language and postgraduate modules on Dialogue. She supervises PhD students in topics like syntactic processing, bilingualism, and interactional linguistics. Branigan has secured over £10M in research funding from bodies like the ESRC and EU, leading projects such as 'How does language experience support language development?' (2018–2023) and 'AThEME: Advancing European Multilingual Experience' (2014–2019). Her work explores how speakers adapt language based on social context, interlocutor traits, and cognitive factors. Key achievements include a 7-year ESRC fellowship (1999–2006), and recognition for contributions to understanding syntactic processing mechanisms. She currently leads research on child language imitation in social contexts and bilingual syntactic representation.

• Language Production
• Dialogue
• Language Development
• +6 more

Dr Ben Bailey is a Lecturer at the University of Newcastle's School of Health Sciences , specializing in Speech Pathology and Developmental Disability research. His work focuses on leveraging Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) to enhance communication development in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental conditions . Key Affiliations: University of Newcastle (2020–Present), Flinders University (2020–2023), University of Technology Sydney (2019–2020) Education: Doctor of Philosophy (University of Sydney), Bachelor of Speech Pathology (University of Newcastle) His research explores interdisciplinary practice to co-design literacy instruction and digital interventions (VR/AR) for children with Down syndrome , cerebral palsy , and ASD . Notable projects include the DISCOVR VR prototype and InterPlay AR application . He has supervised PhD and Honours students on topics like Vocabulary Development in ASD and Communication Skills in Kindergarten . Publications span telepractice literacy , eye-tracking , and cross-cultural autism studies in Indigenous Australian communities. Current Teaching: Course coordinator for Language, Literacy and Hearing and Research Review at the University of Newcastle (2024).

• Child Development
• Developmental Disability
• Communication Disorders
• +7 more

Jon Andoni Duñabeitia is a Full Professor at the School of Languages and Education of Universidad Nebrija in Madrid. He serves as Director of the Centro de Investigación Nebrija en Cognición (CINC) and the International Chair in Cognitive Health . With an h-index of 43 (Scopus), he has published 170+ articles across psycholinguistics, multilingualism, cognitive training, and virtual reality applications in education. His research examines how language processing interacts with cognitive load, emotional modulation, and technological innovation. Principal Investigator for 8+ projects funded by Spanish Government, Basque Government, BBVA Foundation Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member of high-impact journals Recognized among Spain's top 3% scientists across all disciplines Recent publications span topics including: Second-language reading dynamics in VR environments Multilingual cognitive interactions in neurological conditions Emoji/typographic effects on word processing Computerized cognitive assessment and training systems He actively contributes to scientific meetings as invited speaker across Europe, Asia, and Americas. His work bridges basic research in psycholinguistics with applied technologies for cognitive health.

• Cognitive Science
• Psycholinguistics
• Multilingualism
• +4 more

Janet van Hell is Professor of Psychology and Linguistics at Pennsylvania State University , where she also serves as Co-Director of the Social, Life, and Engineering Sciences Imaging Center (SLEIC) and Co-Director of the Center for Language Science . She leads the Bilingualism and Language Development (BiLD) Lab , investigating neurocognitive aspects of bilingual language use. Education: Ph.D., University of Amsterdam, 1998 Research Interests: Her work centers on bilingualism , second language acquisition , and the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying language development. Using EEG/ERP , behavioral, and linguistic techniques, her lab explores cross-language interaction, code-switching, and foreign-accented speech comprehension. The ‘brain bus’ , a mobile EEG lab, extends her research into schools and public outreach. Publications Overview: Her recent publications span bilingual phonetics , syntax processing , memory consolidation , and executive control , with a focus on EEG/ERP methodologies and experimental behavioral paradigms . Studies often involve heritage speakers , child bilinguals , and late L2 learners . Advising & Collaborations: Advises numerous PhD students and postdocs, many co-authoring papers (marked with *). Collaborates across Psychology, Linguistics, and Neuroscience departments. Leads outreach via the ‘brain bus’ for public engagement in science. Labs & Centers: BiLD Lab – Bilingualism and Language Development Lab SLEIC – Co-Director, Social, Life, and Engineering Sciences Imaging Center Center for Language Science – Co-Director

• Bilingualism
• Second Language Acquisition
• Neurocognitive Processes in Language Development
• +3 more