Students Preparing for Academic and Research Careers (SPARC) Award Recipients

It allows students to prepare for successful PhD education and exciting careers in research and teaching. The SPARC Award gives students an opportunity to participate in teaching and research with guidance from a mentor and travel to enhance teaching and research exposure. The SPARC has been awarded since 2004.

2025 Recipients

Khi Ellison, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Primary Mentor: Kristen Muller, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Xinyi Gao (Cindy), Southern Connecticut State University
Primary Mentor: Julian Smith, Southern Connecticut State University

Brooke Harris, University of Cincinnati
Primary Mentor: Katie Winters, University of Cincinnati

Hannah R. Hogue, Illinois State University
Primary Mentor: Ciera Lorio, Illinois State University

Sophia Valentina Lopez, California State University, East Bay
Primary Mentor: Eve Higby, California State University, East Bay

Bailey Bennett Meyers, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Primary Mentor: Cara Donohue, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Margaret M. Church, Vanderbilt University
Primary Mentor: Cara Donohue, Vanderbilt University

Ainsley Perez, San Diego State University
Primary Mentor: Teresa Girolamo, San Diego State University

Katherine Pribyl, University of Iowa
Primary Mentor: Elizabeth Walker, University of Iowa

Kendall Steer, Case Western Reserve University
Primary Mentor: Rachel Mulheren, Case Western Reserve University

Arissa Melaine Ventura, San Francisco State University
Primary Mentor: Teresa Gray, San Francisco State University

Elizabeth Walker, University of Maine
Primary Mentor: Jessica Riccardi, University of Maine

Previous Recipients

2024

Julia Marie Albesa, Miami University
Jannabel Ameen, Florida International University
Michelle Catão, Duquesne University
Rocio E. Escobar, California State University, East Bay
Zabia Evans, Old Dominion University
Alyssa Hall, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Aethiopia Joseph Salmon, Howard University
Susan Lee, California State University, Los Angeles
Rebecca Pechmann, Western Carolina University
Gianna Ramirez, George Washington University
Anna Thanasi, Temple University
Netanya Tsang, Long Island University - Post
Shiao (Shannon) Xu, University of Washington

2023

Kendra Ames, A.T. Still University
Stephanie Fazio, Misericordia University
Sandra Irvin, University of South Carolina
Sean Kashiwagura, The University of Texas at Dallas
Julia Kerrigan, University of Iowa
Marcela Paz Lara, New York University
Vivian Le, The University of Texas at Dallas
Muna Musse, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Vianca A. Ocampo, Northern Illinois University
Lauren Riggleman, University of South Carolina, Columbia
Lisa Rodriguez, California State University, Fullerton
Loriel Roman, San Francisco State University
Hailey Spencer, University of Cincinnati

2022

Haley E. Bouchard, University of Washington
Jessyca Campos, New York University
Joyce Chung, New York University
Danielle Hu, California State University, East Bay
Alyssa LaBine, Arizona State University
Cassandra Lopez, Indiana University–Bloomington
Maryvi Morales, San Francisco State University
Aivy Nguyen, University of Washington
Courtney Segool Wambach, Towson University
Mary Vang, Oklahoma State University
Jenna Maree Wong, California State University, Fullerton
Ivy Yen, New York University

2021

Meghan Baer, Emerson College
Victoria Bhardwaj, James Madison University
Melissa Bruce, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Emily Fisher, University of South Carolina–Columbia
Haley Hayashi, California State University, East Bay
Erin Hernon, James Madison University
Sarah Jones, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Allison Leslie, Marquette University
Darchayla Lewis, Hampton University
Gabrielle Monge, New York Medical College
Kendra Peffers, Michigan State University
Matthew Phillips, University of Connecticut
Favio Saabedra, Marquette University
Cassandra Stall, University of Cincinnati

SPARC 2021 awardees accomplished the following select presentations and publications as a result of their SPARC participation.

Conference and Lecture Presentations

Baer, M., Worth, B. F., Cola, M., Knox, A., Covello, M., Kommareddi, R., Russell, A., Pelella, M. R., Schultz, R., Parish-Morris, J., & Grossman, R. B. (2023). First impressions and gender expression. Evidence of a double penalty for autistic women [Poster presentation]. Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA, United States.

Bhardwaj, V., Clinard, E., & Nottingham, E. (2022, November 17–19). Factors influencing confidence with feeding and swallowing in early intervention: A pilot study [Poster presentation]. Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, New Orleans, LA, United States.

Bruce, M., & Channell, M. M. (2022, November 17–19). Mental state language use in narrative storytelling across the preschool years [Poster presentation]. Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, New Orleans, LA, United States.

Fisher, E.G., Ehrhorn, A.E., & Adlof, S.M. (2022, November 17–19). Measuring orthographic influences on phonological processing in beginning readers: An eyetracking study [Technical Research Talk]. Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, New Orleans, LA, United States.

Hayashi, H., Gravier, M., & Bernstein-Ellis, E. (2022, June 22–24). US SLP perspectives on supporting the psychosocial health of individuals with aphasia [Poster presentation]. International Aphasia Rehabilitation Conference, Philadelphia, PA, United States.

Mois, G., Jones, S., Lydon, E., & Mudar, R.A. (2022, June 9–11). Understanding the role of technology resources based intervention to support care partners of older adults living with dementia [Conference presentation]. Global Conference of Alzheimer’s Disease International, London, United Kingdom.

Monge, G. (2021, October 18). Principles of motor learning [Lecture]. New York Medical College.

Peffers, K., Johnson, J., Walsh, B., Ingersoll, B., & Venker, C. (2022, November 17–19). Parent perspectives regarding simplified language input: A qualitative interview study. [Poster presentation]. Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, New Orleans, LA, United States. 

Phillips, M. C., & Myers, E. B. (2022, November 17–19). Auditory processing of speech and non-speech in people who stutter [Poster presentation]. 63rd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Boston, MA, United States. https://mattcphillipsnet.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/thesis-psychonomics-final.pdf

Phillips, M. C. & Myers, E. B. (2021, November 18–20). The relationship between specific musical experience and non-native speech sound learning [Poster presentation]. Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Washington, DC, United States. https://mattcphillipsnet.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/phillips-asha-poster.pdf

Saabedra, F., & Dalton, S. (2022, November 17–19). Advancing assessment for Spanish/English bilingual individuals with aphasia [Poster session]. Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, New Orleans, LA, United States.

Stall, C., & Rampe, B. (2022, May). AAC implementation with bilingual persons with aphasia. Meeting of the Minds. Cincinnati, OH, United States.

Publications

Fisher, E.G. (2022). Measuring orthographic influences on phonological processing in beginning readers: An eyetracking study (Publication No. 6891). [Master’s thesis, University of South Carolina]. Scholar Commons. 

Hayashi, H., Gravier, M., Gustavson, K., & Bernstein-Ellis, E. (2023). Perspectives of U.S. speech-language pathologists on supporting the psychosocial health of individuals with aphasia. Journal of Communication Science Disorders, 105(5), 106365.