Oct. 21, 2025 | Amy Woods
Dear Alumni and Friends,
It is my pleasure to share with you the latest edition of our fall 2025 Speech and Hearing Science newsletter, which highlights the exciting work happening in our department. Even during a time of transition, our faculty, students, and staff continue to lead with innovation, dedication and a strong commitment to advancing both science and practice in the communication sciences.
One of the most inspiring projects featured is led by Associate Professor Marie Channell, whose research explores healthy aging among adults with Down syndrome. What makes this work so meaningful is the way adults with Down syndrome are engaged not just as participants, but as partners in the research process. Their involvement at every stage ensures that the findings are both scientifically rigorous and directly relevant to their lived experiences. This study exemplifies our department’s mission to connect scholarship with real-world impact.
We also celebrate the contributions of our new American Sign Language instructors, Jerri Seremeth and Lesli Williams. Through their teaching and leadership, they provide our students with invaluable skills in ASL while fostering greater cultural understanding of Deaf communities. Their work enriches the academic experience for our students and supports the department’s broader vision of inclusivity and accessibility. We also celebrate the contributions of our new colleague, Mariana Mendes Bahia, as she shares insights from her first year as an assistant professor in SHS.
Innovation in auditory research remains a hallmark of Speech and Hearing Science, and Associate Professor Justin Aronoff’s lab is making important strides in advancing cochlear implant technology. His research is aimed at improving how individuals with cochlear implants perceive and process sound, with the ultimate goal of enhancing quality of life. This line of inquiry has the potential to transform auditory rehabilitation and extend the benefits of cochlear implantation to even more people worldwide.
Finally, we highlight a collaborative project led by faculty members Sadie Braun and Dan Fogerty, who are working to develop hearing tests that more closely reflect the complex listening environments people face every day. Traditional assessments often fall short in capturing these challenges, but their approach promises to give clinicians better tools to understand and treat hearing difficulties in realistic contexts.
As you read about these efforts, I hope you share in our pride for the work being done here at Illinois. We are fortunate to have such dedicated faculty, staff and students pushing the boundaries of knowledge while remaining grounded in our commitment to service. Our alumni community is an essential part of this story, and I am grateful for your continued support and engagement.
Thank you for being part of our journey.
Sincerely,
Amy Woods
Interim Department Head
Speech and Hearing Science
James K. & Karen S. McKechnie Professor
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