Oct. 23, 2023 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo
Three faculty members from the Department of Speech and Hearing Science earned promotions and tenure prior to the fall 2023 semester. SHS congratulates Raksha Mudar, Brian Monson and Pasquale Bottalico for their well-earned promotions.
Raksha Mudar
Raksha Mudar, who joined the faculty of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in 2011, was promoted to full professor in 2023. Mudar, who earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Dallas, is the director of the Aging and Neurocognition Lab.
Mudar investigates the effects of normal cognitive aging and brain diseases including mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia on higher order semantic functions. She uses a combination of behavioral methods, event-related potentials and functional magnetic resonance imaging in her research.
“I am deeply honored to be promoted to full professor at such an esteemed institution of higher education and research,” Mudar said. “My path to full has been very rewarding. I chose academia because both research and teaching bring so much joy to me. Looking back, I know I chose right, and am excited for what lies ahead.”
Mudar was elected as a fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association at the ASHA Convention 2022—one of the highest forms of recognition given by ASHA. Mudar has been involved in several federally funded grants and is currently the primary investigator on an R01 titled “Digital Technology to Support Adherence to Hypertension Medications for Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.”
Brian Monson
Brian Monson, who joined the faculty of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in 2017, was promoted to associate professor in 2023. Monson, who received his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona, is the director of the Auditory Neuro Experience Lab. His field of research is in auditory neuroscience.
Monson holds degrees in electrical engineering, acoustics and speech/language/hearing science, with further specialization in neuroscience and music. With this background, he takes an interdisciplinary approach to auditory research, interfacing with clinicians, scientists, engineers and musicians. His research interests center around auditory neurodevelopment and speech/voice perception.
Monson is the principal investigator on an R01 grant from NIH-NIDCD for his project titled, “The ecological significance of extended high-frequency hearing in humans,” and the PI on an R21 from the NIH-NIDCD as well as the co-PI on another R21.
“I’m quite honored to become a tenured faculty member at such a reputable institution as the University of Illinois,” Monson said. “I very much look forward to continuing to serve our students and our community with my colleagues in Speech and Hearing Science and in Applied Health Sciences.”
Pasquale Bottalico
Pasquale Bottalico, who joined the faculty of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in 2017, was promoted to associate professor in 2023. Bottalico earned his bachelor’s degree in telecommunications engineering from Univeristà Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria (Italy), while simultaneously pursuing a degree in opera singing at the F. Cilea Music Academy of Reggio Calabria (Italy).
In 2005, he moved to Turin where he earned his master’s degree in telecommunications engineering from Politecnico di Torino (Italy). Bottalico earned his Ph.D. in metrology, studying acoustics with particular attention to the uncertainty of measurements and statistical analysis of data. Bottalico is particularly interested in the professional voice user and singer techniques, as well as the definition and the quantification of vocal load. Other fields he is interested in are speech intelligibility, room acoustics and musical acoustics.
Bottalico is also a professional chorister, having performed under such prestigious directors as Rafael Frühbeck De Burgos, Yuri Ahronovitch, Jeffrey Tate, Juanio Mena, Gianandrea Noseda, Ottavio Dantone, Wayne Marshall, Helmuth Rilling, Christopher Hogwood, Robert King and Ivor Bolton.
“Attaining tenure and rising to the role of associate professor is a profound validation of my dedication to enlightening minds, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and contributing to the ever-evolving academic landscape,” Bottalico said. “It signifies not just personal achievement but the faith others place in my ability to continually inspire students and illuminate the paths of intellectual exploration.”
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