Lab Director & Principal Investigator
Mary M. Flaherty, Ph.D.
My research examines the developmental and cognitive factors that influence how children understand speech in noisy environments. A major focus of my work is how talker familiarity influences speech recognition and listening effort. I also study how atypical voice qualities shape perception, expanding our understanding of the challenges children face in everyday listening situations. Most recently, I have begun a line of research on bilingual speech recognition in noise, using both behavioral measures and EEG to examine accuracy and effort. Together, these projects aim to reveal how age, cognition, and listening experience shape speech perception across development.
Mentoring students is one of the most rewarding parts of my work. I value the opportunity to share my passion for science with the next generation of researchers, while also learning from their unique perspectives and experiences. My lab is a collaborative environment where students gain hands-on experience, ask their own questions, and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of children’s speech perception.
Outside of research, I love going to concerts, lifting heavy things at the gym, creating art, and hanging out with animals.
Undergraduate Lab Managers
Ella Redden
Lab Manager
Ella is currently a junior majoring in Speech and Hearing Science with a minor in Disability Studies. Ella joined the Child Speech Research Lab in her freshman year and is currently in her second semester as lab manager. In the lab, Ella has enjoyed presenting research at the UIUC Undergraduate Research Symposium, learning more about the research process, and building her leadership skills as lab manager. In her free time, Ella enjoys cooking, running, and spending time with friends.
Abrahám Chávez
Lab Systems and Operations Manager
Abrahám is a Speech and Hearing Science major with minors in French and Creative Writing at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He aspires to become a multilingual speech-language pathologist with a specialization in working with bilingual patients and Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals. His goals include addressing the shortage of bilingual and multilingual SLPs in the United States, making speech-language pathology more accessible to linguistic minorities, and enriching the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders through research on bilingualism and linguistic diversity. Abrahám’s research interests focus on multilingualism and bilingualism in children.
Graduate Student Lab Members
María Ángel
Research Assistant
María is a third-year Doctor of Audiology (AuD) student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a research assistant in the Child Speech Research Lab and the Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. A native Spanish speaker, her research interests include bilingual children’s speech comprehension in noise and hearing health disparities among Hispanic/Latino populations. She is beginning her PhD under the advisement of Dr. Mary Flaherty. María loves pediatric audiology and has a passion for research, outreach, and advocacy. Her future goals include becoming a bilingual research/clinical audiologist, creating culturally responsive diagnostics and resources for clinicians, and making hearing healthcare more accessible to minority populations. Outside of academics, she enjoys watching reality TV, learning new languages, going on walks, and writing creatively.
Avery Waner
Research Assistant
Avery is a second-year student in the Doctor of Audiology program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she also earned her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science. Her current capstone project examines firefighters’ hearing thresholds and investigates how they relate to age, years of service, and noise exposure using a hearing health questionnaire. With limited research available on this topic, Avery hopes to help fill in the gaps. After graduation, she plans to work in a hospital setting. Outside of academics, Avery enjoys going for walks and spending time with her dog, Daisy.
Undergraduate Student Lab Members
Jennifer Arriaga-Lopez
Research Assistant
Jennifer is a junior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studying Speech and Hearing Science with a minor in Latina/Latino Studies. This is her second semester in the lab as a research assistant. In the future, she plans on pursuing a career as a bilingual speech-language pathologist and work locally in the Urbana School District. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys dancing Folklorico and spending time with family and friends.
Jo Gomez
Research Assistant
Jo is a senior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on the Speech-Language Pathology track, with a minor in Spanish. After graduation, Jo will attend graduate school to continue training as an SLP, with the goal of working in an elementary school setting and supporting young children. In the Child Speech Research Lab, Jo has contributed primarily to the CEBRA study, which examines listening effort in bilingual English and Spanish speakers. Outside of academics, Jo enjoys reading and working with animals.
Ava Hampe
Research Assistant
Ava is a junior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying Speech and Hearing Science with a minor in Child Health and Well-Being. After graduation, she plans to pursue graduate school to become a pediatric speech-language pathologist, with the goal of working in an early intervention setting. Her academic interests include early language development, neurodevelopmental disorders, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Outside of academics, Ava enjoys spending time with family and friends, baking, and being outdoors.
Tania Jain
Research Assistant
Tania is a sophomore at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences with a minor in Chemistry. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school to become an otolaryngologist. Her academic interests include hearing and auditory processing disorders and pediatric communication. Outside of academics, Tania enjoys singing with her a cappella group, Girls Next Door A Cappella, drinking coffee, and spending time with friends and family.
Sydney Kroening
Research Assistant
Sydney is currently a sophomore studying speech and hearing science. She plans to become a pediatric speech-language pathologist. This is her first semester in the lab, and she is so excited to work in a lab focused on children. So far, her favorite part of the lab has been meeting new people and the welcoming environment for new members like herself. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her dog, hiking, and crocheting!
Andrea Llavona
Research Assistant
Andrea is a junior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign majoring in Speech and Hearing Science. Her academic interests center on pediatric communication, particularly in bilingual contexts. She plans to pursue a career in either speech-language pathology or audiology. In spring 2026, Andrea will study abroad in Sweden, where she will observe speech-language pathologists at the Karolinska Institute. Outside of academics, she enjoys going on walks and singing with her a cappella group, Girls Next Door, as well as with UIUC’s Women’s Glee Club.
Lizbeth Magallanes
Research Assistant
Liz is a freshman at the University of Illinois majoring in Speech and Hearing Science. This is her first semester in the research lab working as a research assistant. She hopes to pursue a career as a bilingual speech-language pathologist, with the goal of expanding bilingualism and cultural representation within the field. Her academic interests include language development and communication across diverse populations. Outside of academics, Liz enjoys scrapbooking, reading, and spending time with her family.
Maddie Moore
Research Assistant
Maddie is a freshman majoring in Speech and Hearing Science with the intention of pursuing a minor in Disability Studies. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to become a pediatric speech-language pathologist and hopes to work in an early-intervention setting, either in a school or hospital. Outside of academics, Maddie enjoys going to concerts, playing soccer, tanning, and spending time with friends.
Emma Morrical
Research Assistant
Emma is a senior at the University of Illinois, planning to attend graduate school next fall to pursue a career as a speech-language pathologist. This is her third year working in the Child Speech Research Lab as a research assistant. During her time at Illinois, Emma has also become involved in Cru, where she helps lead a Bible study. She values the strong community she has built on campus, which has been one of her favorite aspects of her college experience.
Lydia Oesterling
Research Assistant
Lydia is an undergraduate researcher and writing consultant pursuing a dual degree in Speech and Hearing Science and Spanish at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests include speech perception and production, language acquisition, and linguistics. She has conducted research with the Aphasia Behavior Communication Lab and Child Speech Lab at LSU, as well as through the Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program with the French Department. Currently, Lydia is an editor for Brain Matters, UIUC’s Undergraduate Neuroscience Journal, and is active in several RSOs. She has experience tutoring Spanish, French, and English composition, and also speaks Portuguese and some Mandarin. As an aspiring speech-language pathologist, she is passionate about supporting both English-speaking and non-English-speaking patients.
Isabelle Ramirez
Research Assistant
Isabelle is a junior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign majoring in Speech and Hearing Science with a concentration in Audiology and a minor in Spanish. Her goal is to become either a bilingual speech-language pathologist or audiologist and work with children. She hopes to continue gaining research experience in the future, with a particular interest in speech development in bilingual children. Outside of the lab, Isabelle enjoys cooking and baking, and she plays rugby for the Illini Women’s Rugby team.
Rafia Rana
Research Assistant
Rafia is a sophomore at the University of Illinois majoring in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences on the pre-dental track. She works as a research assistant in the Child Speech Research Lab, where her interests focus on speech recognition and the effects of bilingualism. Outside of academics, Rafia enjoys painting and baking in her free time. She is also an active volunteer at a local animal shelter, where she combines her passion for service with her love of animals.
Daphne Smith
Research Assistant
Daphne is a freshman majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences with a minor in Disability Studies. She also plans to add a minor in psychology. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to become a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Her academic interests include neurodevelopmental disorders, the Deaf/hard-of-hearing community and American Sign Language (ASL), early language development, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Outside of academics, she enjoys playing percussion, being outdoors, spending time with friends and family, and being with her cat, Ally.
Ana Symone Engelbrecht
Research Assistant
Ana is a junior majoring in Linguistics with minors in Speech and Hearing Science and Spanish. She is interested in how bilingual children acquire and use language, as well as how bilingualism relates to developmental hearing. She aims to complete a clinical M.A. in SHS and go on to become a bilingual SLP. In her free time, she enjoys dancing and learning languages.
Ashley Wilson
Research Assistant
Ashley is a sophomore at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying Speech and Hearing Science with minors in Psychology and Child Health and Wellbeing. She plans to concentrate in speech-language pathology and hopes to work in a school setting after completing her studies. Before transferring to Illinois last semester, Ashley attended the University of Arkansas. Outside of academics, she enjoys spending time with friends, crafting, sewing, and doing nails.
Anika Winbush
Research Assistant
Anika is a sophomore at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences with a concentration in Audiology and a minor in Psychology. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to continue her progress towards getting an AuD and becoming an audiologist. Her academic interests include how the brain processes auditory information and how hearing devices can also impact that process. Outside of academics, she enjoys being involved with Flippin’ Illini Club Gymnastics, running, and baking.
Graduate Student Lab Alumni
- Danielle Bishop, 2019-2021.
- Thesis: Effects of Autism Spectrum Disorder on Children’s Speech Perception in Noisy Environments. Graduation: May 2022.
- Current status: clinical audiologist, Boys Town National Research Hospital.
- Rachael Price, 2019-2023.
- Thesis: Talker Familiarity and Children’s Speech Recognition. Graduation: May 2023
- Current status: clinical audiologist, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
- Briana Arzuaga, 2020-2023.
- Thesis: Influence of Face Masks on Children’s Speech-in-Speech Recognition. Graduation: May 2023.
- Current status: clinical audiologist, in a private practice.
- Jillian Campbell, 2020-2023.
- Thesis: Musical Masker Familiarity Effect on Word Recognition Performance in Children. Graduation: May 2024.
- Current status: clinical audiologist
- Bisma Choudhry, 2021-2024.
- Thesis: Effects of Cognition on Children’s Word Recognition and Listening Comprehension in Noise, (exp. graduation 2026).
- Tania Aguilar, 2021-2025.
- Thesis: Speech Recognition in Noise through Two-Way Radio Systems of Firefighters, Graduation: May 2025.
- Current status: clinical audiologist, Cedars Sinai, Beverly Hills, CA
- Kaley Graves, 2021-2025.
- Thesis: Genetic Mechanisms of Hearing Loss in a Newly Generated Mouse Model. Graduation: May 2025.
- Current status: clinical audiologist