Four CSD seniors present their research at national convention
Four CSD seniors: Maddie Ritchie; Elly Head; Katie Kielman; and Brylee Loyd, are members of the All About Communication (AAC) Lab. Along with their faculty mentors/lab leaders, associate professor Dr. Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker and professor Dr. Judith L Page, they presented four research posters at the national American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) convention in Seattle, Dec. 5-7. The students received financial support from the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders as well as the College of Health Sciences Undergraduate Research Program.
Katie Kielman, with a minor in psychology and a certificate in diversity and inclusion, has been in the lab since her freshman year and has contributed to several research projects regarding augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) use.
She was awarded a summer 2023 CHS undergraduate research fellowship “Developing a Consensus on an AAC Minimum Data Set.” Brylee Loyd and graduate student Isabel Grebe later joined the project.
“At ASHA I was able to meet many AAC experts and further my knowledge on the topic of AAC as a whole," Katie said. "I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing experience. It showed me how important research is and excited me to continue working on my project. I can't wait to broaden my knowledge and share it with others!”
Brylee has been in the AAC lab since summer 2023. Besides presenting this research, Brylee was invited to be an ASHA student volunteer and said, “I made connections with the ASHA staff, shared our research with speech-language pathologists, and explored Seattle. I am very thankful for this experience. It is a trip I will never forget!”
Maddie Ritchie, with a minor in psychology, has been in the AAC lab since her sophomore year, assisting in numerous projects regarding augmentative and alternative communication use. In summer 2024, she was awarded a summer 2024 CHS undergraduate research fellowship for her project analyzing the “Implementation of Recommendations from an ECHO in Augmentative and Alternative Communication. The other co-author was Dr. Jacqueline Kearns from UK Human Development Institute.
In addition, she presented the poster “Implementation of the Communication Function Classification System by Professionals” in which she assisted UK alumna Madie Mavigliano. Maddie Richie found ASHA to be “an empowering experience discussing my research findings with other members of the field and learning from the convention attendees' experiences.”
Elly Head, with a minor in psychology and family sciences and completing certificates in Undergraduate Research and Diversity and Inclusivity Awareness, has been a member of the AAC lab since January 2022. She was awarded a summer 2024 CHS undergraduate research fellowship for her project “Looking at Accuracy and Speed Based on the Depth of an AAC Keyguard.”
“I became even more excited about pursuing this research after talking with clinicians and researchers about their questions and needs,” Elly said.
Congratulations to all!
The AAC lab can be found on Instagram ukyaac or https://chs.uky.edu/aac-lab