Kara Hawthorne

Kara Hawthorne is an Associate Professor in the Department of Hearing, Speech, and Language Sciences at Gallaudet University's Human Services and Sciences school. Her work focuses on prosody-syntactic interactions, speech perception in cochlear implant users, and language processing in neurodiverse populations. She teaches graduate courses including Research Methodology, Speech Science, and Dissertation Seminars.

Research interests include prosody's role in syntax acquisition, clinical practices for speech-language pathologists, and linguistic challenges faced by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her grants include studies on cochlear implant outcomes, early intervention strategies, and accent adaptation in speech perception.

Hawthorne has advised 11 doctoral students and serves on committees for Gallaudet’s PhD program and institutional review boards. She has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles, with recent work exploring prosody meta-analyses and intervention methods for children with language delays. Current research emphasizes clinical applications of prosody research and accessibility in communication technologies.