Arielle Borovsky (PI)
Dr. Arielle Borovsky is an associate professor in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, with a courtesy appointment in Psychological Sciences. Dr. Borovsky uses a broad methodological arsenal to explore how humans learn language. Her work seeks to inform scientists, clinicians and educators about the cognitive, linguistic and experiential factors that can help all children learn to communicate and identify early language disorders. Her work appears in multiple scientific outlets and has been funded by the National Institutes of Health. She additionally engages with a diverse array of scientists, students and families in a variety of community and scientific venues.
Claney Outzen (Project Coordinator)
I am a recent graduate of the University of West Florida with a major in Psychology and a minor in Statistics. I split my time between two child development labs at UWF where I explored environmental contexts of the development of preschoolers' self-regulation as well as the influence of socioeconomic status on young children's language development. I am interested in a future in School Psychology with a focus on intervention and prevention in the school system of developmental and learning disorders through community, school, and home collaboration. I am excited to join the LLaMA Lab and to keep learning!
Email: voutzen@purdue.edu
Risa Stiegler (Research Staff)
I graduated in 2021 from Carleton College with a major in Linguistics and a minor in Classics. At Carleton, I worked on the Dakota Language Project, researching the morphology and syntax of Dakota by working with Treasured Elders (native Dakota speakers) to preserve its linguistic features and help pass it on to the next generation of Dakota speakers. I wrote my senior comprehensive thesis on the syntax of wh-questions (who, what, where?) in Dakota and the presence of intervention effects in wh-in-situ questions. I also worked on the syntax of languages like Somali and Ancient Greek. I am interested in child language development and what it can teach us about how our minds interact with language structures. I’m so excited to join the LLaMA lab!
Email: rstiegle@purdue.edu
MaryCarson Adams (Research Staff)
I am a recent graduate from the University of South Florida with majors in both Psychology and Communication Science & Disorders. During my studies at USF, I worked as a Behavioral Therapist Assistant in a childhood development clinic for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While working at the clinic, I completed required clinical hours with a team of speech pathologists and became a ASHA certified Speech Pathologist Assistant. Working as an C-SLPA, I became increasingly interested in the advantages and disadvantages of common practices used in therapy and how research can positively influence the revision and modernization of our current practices. I hope to continue to grow in my career in language development research and work to contribute to the betterment of children’s language acquisition. I am very excited to have joined the LLaMa lab!
Email: mgadams@purdue.edu
Justin Kueser (Post-doctoral Scholar)
I'm a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. I have studied linguistics and speech-language pathology and worked as a speech-language pathologist in the schools. My research interests focus on how children learn language -- I study children with typical language development and children who have difficulties learning their first language. My current projects involve verb learning, the effect of frequency and predictability on language production, and other factors important in early word learning and grammatical development.
Email: jkueser@purdue.edu
Mariel Schroeder (Graduate Student)
Mariel is a combined MS-SLP and PhD graduate student interested in child language development. She is particularly interested in syntax and morphology and the early assessment and treatment of developmental language delay. She attended the University of Notre Dame (BA Mandarin) and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (MA TESL) and worked at Washington University in St. Louis developing optical neuroimaging techniques for use across the lifespan.
Email: schro132@purdue.edu
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Kaitlyn Arvin
My name is Kaitlyn, and I am currently a junior at Purdue studying Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences with a minor in Critical Disabilities. I just recently joined the LLaMA Lab, and although I am fairly new to the world of research, I am very excited to learn more about how children develop language. I am currently interested in understanding how a child’s environment affects their language development. I have always loved working with children, so I am very excited to expand my knowledge through getting to be a part of the LLaMA Lab. I am from a small suburb of Indianapolis, and in my spare time, I love to cook, craft, and watch movies. In the future, I would like to become a certified SLP and work with children in a medical setting.
Maria Bushman
I'm a senior at Purdue studying Speech Language Hearing Sciences. I'm from Cincinnati, Ohio. The majority of jobs I have held throughout my high school and college career have all been related to children somehow, from a nanny the past two summers, a camp counselor and a lifeguard at a summer camp, so I was so excited to get a research position within the LLaMA lab. As of right now, I'm interested in researching how the brain acquires language because it is such a difficult process that kids seem to acquire almost seamlessly. In the future I would like to work in a neonatal unit and teach premature babies how to swallow!
Kathleen Cory
I'm a junior at Purdue studying Brain & Behavioral Sciences and Biology with a minor in Spanish. I'm excited to start working with the LLaMA Lab in Spring 2021 because I'm interested in the neuroscience behind language acquisition, and I enjoy working with children. In the future, I hope to go to medical school. I am currently leaning towards pediatrics or a pediatric specialty because I'd like to work with kids in my career. In addition to biology, neuroscience, and medicine, I also love reading and horseback riding. I can't wait to meet new people and learn more about language development in the LLaMA Lab!
MaryKate Lindenman
I am a junior at Purdue University majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. I joined the LLaMA Lab in January of 2020 and I am excited to continue working to find more information about language development as a whole. I am interested in development of skills and language specifically for those who have critical disabilities, especially those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Through working in the LLaMA Lab, I hope that I can learn more about development of language for all types of individuals and how that effects our daily lives.
Kirsten Omholt
My name is Kirsten, and I am from Dallas, Texas! I am a junior studying Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. I am very excited to pursue my research interests of how children’s experiences and surroundings help them acquire language and other skills. In the future I hope to become a Speech-Language Pathologist and work with typically and atypically developing children. In my free time I love running, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Madeline Rotundo
Hello! My name is Madeline Rotundo. I am a senior majoring in Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences with two minors in Linguistics and Human Development. I have been in the lab since Spring of 2020 working on our Verbal Transcription project. After I graduate, I plan to go to graduate school to obtain my Masters in Speech Pathology and become an SLP. I hope to work in a medical setting with patients with aphasia or neurodegenerative disorders. When I'm not in class or in the lab, you can find me on any comfortable chair around campus with a book in hand!
Bethany Schuster
Hello! My name is Bethany, and I am from La Porte, Indiana. I am a senior studying Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences with minors in psychology and human development and family studies. This is my second semester working in the lab, and I am very excited to continue working on our project! My research interests include social levels of play, prenatal and early childhood development, and neurogenic communication disorders such as aphasia. I am very excited to continue my learning experience in the LLaMA Lab and see how the knowledge I gain will aid me in my future career as an SLP. In my free time, I love to golf, shop, and spend time with friends and family.
Kendall Shoemaker
I'm a senior studying Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences with a minor in both psychology and human development and family sciences here at Purdue! I’m from Greenwood, Indiana. In the future, I hope to go to graduate school to become a Speech Language Pathologist. I have developed an interest in the birth to three age range. Specifically, toddlers that have a language delay. I’m also interested in working with newborn babies that have trouble swallowing. In my free time I enjoy swimming, reading and spending time with family and friends.
Kennedy Skipper
I’m a senior from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I am majoring in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences and minoring in Linguistics and Psychology. This is my fourth semester here in the lab. I am interested in learning more about language development and the different mistakes that children make while learning how to communicate verbally. When I’m not studying or doing research in the lab, I enjoy reading a good book, painting, and watching my favorite TV shows.
Kailyn Smith
I am a senior studying speech language and hearing science with a minor in psychology and human development and family studies, and possibly a third minor in learning science. I am particularly interested in how children acquire language, cognitive development, as well as how different areas of the brain work together to produce and remember speech typically and atypically. I hope to be a pediatric speech pathologist after graduate school. I also started working as direct support professional to gain experience in the field and hope to use research and personal experience in my future career. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, painting, playing volleyball, and volunteering.
Lab Alumni
Post-doctoral students
Sabrina Horvath (PhD, CCC-SLP, 2021), Assistant Professor, Medical University of South Carolina
Graduate students
Justin Kueser (PhD, 2021), Postdoctoral Scholar, Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University
Ryan Peters (PhD, 2019), Postdoctoral Scholar, Cognitive Science, Indiana University
Angele Yazbec (PhD, 2019) - Data Scientist, Evergreen Solutions.
Julie (Carranza) Madden (PhD, 2019) - Assistant professor, Psychology, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
Lab Managers
Kat Chia, graduate student (PhD), Florida State University
Chris Cole, graduate student (PhD), DePaul University
Nicky Hopkins, graduate student (MSW) at Universty of Central Florida
Virginia Prestwood, graduate student (MS) Texas State University
Undergraduate thesis students
Edda Rodriguez, graduate student (MPH), Florida State University
Megan Foley, graduate student, (PsyD) University of Hartford
Juan Ospina, graduate student (PhD), Ohio State University
Emanuel Boutzoukas, graduate student (PhD), University of Florida
Candace Jarzombek, graduate student (MPH), Boston University
Grace Lovell, graduate student (MS-SLP), Purdue University
Sarah Nicolas-Cruz, graduate student (MS-SLP), Purdue University
Undergraduate research assistants
*want to be included here? Send an email to Arielle - she'd love to hear from you!
