Faculty Research Directory
Learn more about our researchers in the College of Allied Health Sciences. To view the full faculty research profile, select each researcher's name.
| Faculty Name | Research Statement |
|---|---|
| Chalee Engelhard, PT, EdD, MBA | Education research with a focus on qualitative methods and curricular design. |
| Ramesh Kaipa, PhD | Program focuses on: (1) developing evidence-based practices for treating neurogenic communication disorders and (2) applying technology in higher education to improve student learning outcomes. |
Clinical and Health Information Sciences
| Faculty Name | Research Statement |
|---|---|
| Nancy E. Colletti, PhD, RRT, CPFT | Development of critical thinking skills using authentic learning activities |
| Patricia Tille Ph.D. MLS(ASCP) FACSc | Online education and molecular microbiology |
| Victoria Wangia-Anderson, PhD, FHIMSS | Leveraging public health and electronic clinical data to predict determinants of health. |
| Erin Rumpke MS, MLS(ASCP)cm, AHI(AMT) | My scholarly work is focused on the design of online learning environments in higher education, and the use of mixed-methods and social network analysis to evaluate the enagement and participation of learners in online courses. |
| Gideon Labiner, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM | Pedagogy of online education and interprofessional education (IPE) |
| Randy Lee Byington, Ed.D, MBA, MT(ASCP) | Methodologist experienced in multiple techniques including SPC and Rural Community Based Participatory Research |
| Whitney Bowen, MEd, CNMT, RT(MR) | Advancing medical imaging technologies to improve patient care and enrich student education. |
Communication Sciences & Disorders
| Faculty Name | Research Statement |
|---|---|
Recovery and treatment in individuals with post-stroke aphasia |
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| Suzanne Boyce, PhD | Using the science of articulatory and acoustic phonetics to develop visualization tools for clinical intervention, including ultrasound feedback for speech and swallowing, automatic tracking of speech intelligibility, and speech inversion to show nasal/oral interaction in cleft palate |
| Brian Earl, PhD, CCC-A | Differential diagnosis of speech-in-noise listening difficulties; treatments for middle ear disorders |
| Abby Foltz Hottle, MA, CCC-SLP | Language and literacy support in early childhood education |
Partnering with educators to improving adoption and use of evidence-based communication practices in early childhood; autism; open science |
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| Jasmine Keaney, SLPD CCC-SLP, CBIS | Clinical faculty engaged in state and national scholarship on clinical supervision, counseling, and healthcare access; investigator and collaborator with research faculty on projects in aphasia and dysphagia |
| Ann Kummer, PhD | Cleft palate and craniofacial conditions, resonance disorders, and velopharyngeal dysfunction |
| Larissa Jordan, PhD, CCC-DLP | Semantics in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), interprofessional education (IPE) |
| Lina Motlagh Zadeh, AuD, PhD | Identifying the mechanisms underlying subclinical hearing loss. |
Identification of neurodevelopmental language and reading disorders in multilingual populations. |
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| Peter Scheifele, MD, PhD, LCDR USN (Ret.) | Animal Audiology and neurloaudiology |
| Amanda Simmons, PhD, CCC-SLP | Clinically applicable participatory action research to support communication needs and AAC users. |
| Jennifer Vannest, PhD | Studies of neuroplasticity for speech and language systems using functional MRI |
Stuttering and social cognition in early childhood; stuttering measurement and intervention; stuttering advocacy; community-based participatory research |
|
| Fawen Zhang, PhD, MD | Neural mechanisms of normal and abnormal hearing using Electrophysiological techniques |
| Katherine Russell, AuD, MBA, CCC-A, BC-PA | My scholarly work focuses on optimizing student‑centered clinical education, emphasizing evidence‑based practice, interprofessional collaboration, simulation‑based learning, and neurodivergent teaching practices. |
| Katheryn Bachmann, PhD | Clinical research in vestibular and hearing sciences in the pediatric population |
| Roha M Kaipa, PhD | Examines how individuals learn new words to improve outcomes for children with language disorders. |
Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
| Faculty Name | Research Statement |
|---|---|
| Jeromy Alt, PhD, ATC | Long term health and fitness of tactical athletes, specifically firefighters, through physical, physiological and biometric monitoring. I also integrate ecological dynamics to study perceptual-motor control and decision-making under pressure in both athletic and high-stakes occupational environments |
| Amber Boyd, PT, DPT, DHSc, MBA | Education research with a focus on student success |
| Pierce Boyne, PT, DPT, PhD, NCS | High intensity interval training in stroke recovery |
| Melinda Butsch Kovacic, MPH, PhD | Improving health literacy and community health via stories |
| Dan Carl, PhD, FACSM | My research investigates how stress affects sleep, heart rate variability, and movement patterns among firefighter recruits and veterans, comparing work-related stressors across different call volumes and day types. |
| Sarah Couch, PhD, MS, RD | Development of dietary interventions and assessments targeting CVD risk factors in adolescents |
| Kayla Dingo, PhD, CSCS, ACSM-EP, NSCA TSAC | The effects of different teaching methods to enhance higher education pedagogy, and I investigate how nontraditional exercise affects different aspects of mental wellness |
| Kari Dunning, PhD, PT | Electrical stimulation and high intensity interval training for gait recovery after stroke |
| Melinda Earnest, DPT, ATC | Provider confidence in caring for adaptive athletes; concussion in adaptive athletes |
| Anne Fleischer, Ph.D., MPH, OT/L, CLT-LANA | Investigates use of wearable sensor and remote interventions to improve quality of life and function of those with cancer |
Improving students to solve ill-structured problems; using video games to augment classroom delivery & feedback |
|
| Fran Knox-Kazimierczuk, PhD, RDN, CSSD, LD |
Community-partnered research to improve community health in underserved populations |
| Christopher Kotarsky, PhD, CSCSD | Age-related muscle decline and cardiometabolic health; dietary protein and exercise influences across populations |
| Susan Kotowski, PhD | Health care ergonomics; use of simulation, research experiences, and IPE to improve student learning outcomes |
| Rebecca Leugers, PT, MS, NDT, LSVT | Stroke survivors’ walking abilities in their homes, and how lifestyle management impacts walking ability |
| Abigail Peairs, PhD | The effects of the DASH diet on blood sugar levels in adolescents with type 1 diabetes |
| Seung-Yeon Lee, PhD | Validation of food literacy tool in choice food pantry users with and without diabetes |
| Valerie Miller, PhD, MS, OTR/L | Community-based research to support participation of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities |
Sensorimotor control with applications to rehabilitation, health, mobility, and human performance |
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| Sarah Schwab, PT, DPT, PhD | Motor control of people with disabilities |
| Zach Sievert, PhD | Lower extremity joint mechanics and gait analysis, with a focus on ACL injury mechanisms, musculoskeletal modeling and simulation, and the application of resistance training interventions to reduce lower extremity injury risk and alterations to strength and power. |
School of Social Work
| Faculty Name | Research Statement |
|---|---|
| Shauna Acquavita, PhD, LCSW | Substance Use, Maternal and Child Health, and Behavioral Health Workforce Development |
Psychosocial impact of cancer on individual and family functioning. |
|
CBPR research, arts-based and qualitative methods, social justice youth development, and immigrant/refugee communities |
|
| Daphne M. Brydon, PhD, LMSW | Trauma-informed behavioral health interventions with individuals involved in the criminal legal system; integrated health (lifespan) |
| Edson Chipalo, PhD, MSW | Examination of how adverse and positive childhood experiences, gender-based violence, and resettlement factors affect biopsychosocial well-being across the life course, particularly among vulnerable populations, including children, youth, refugees, and immigrants in resource-constrained settings |
Impact of the intersection between aging, intergenerational caregiving, and health inequities. |
|
| Dana Harley, PhD, MSW, LISW-S | Community research and photovoice to study hope, optimism, and mental health in at risk populations |
| James Pease, PhD, LISW | Suicide prevention and PTSD in Veteran and military populations; College student Veteran transition and reintegration |
| Gregory Stewart, PhD, MSW, MS | Problem gambling prevention and treatment; Social determinants of health |
| De'Asia L. Thompson, LISW-S/ LCSW | Mental health and relational well-being among Black women and girls, including long-term friendship dynamics, clinical social work practice and supervision, social determinants of health, and Black maternal mental health. |
| Anjanette Wells, PhD | Psychosocial needs and barriers of low-income minority patients in preventing and treating cancer |
| Jennifer Wright-Berryman, PhD | Severe mental health disorders, adolescent and adult suicide; effectiveness of suicide prevention (Hope Squad) |
University Research Directory
To search for specific researchers and research facilities throughout the university, please visit the university research directory.
For more information about CAHS research:
Melinda Butsch Kovacic
Professor and Associate Dean of Research , CAHS College of Allied Health Sciences
G60J HSB
Cross trained as a basic scientist and epidemiologist, my career objectives are to understand how the interplay between genetic predisposition and environment contributes to chronic disease (e.g. cancer and asthma) and to translate my findings into real and measurable changes that improve the outcomes for children and families, particularly those that are living in communities that are most vulnerable as a result of socioeconomics.