New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship Recipients

The New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship supports students enrolled in a research/teaching doctoral program (PhD or equivalent) who demonstrate academic excellence and a commitment to a teacher-investigator career in communication sciences and disorders.

2025

Awarded $10,000 each

Sajana Aryal

Sajana Aryal
The University of Texas at Austin
Area of Study: Extended High-Frequency Hearing
Wayne and Marilyn Olsen Audiology Research Fund

Prabuddha Bhatarai

Prabuddha Bhatarai
The University of Texas at Dallas
Area of Study: Cochlear Implants; Hyperacusis

Anhelina Bilokon

Anhelina Bilokon
The University of Maryland
Area of Study: Impact of Age and Sex on Cochlear Function and Speech Processing

Michelle Bretl

Michelle Bretl
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Area of Study: Voice and Upper Airway Disorders; Vocal Fold Biology

Ryan Burdick

Ryan Burdick
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Area of Study: Swallowing Disorders in Aging and Dementia

Brittany Ciullo

Brittany Ciullo
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Area of Study: Pediatric Communication Disorders in School Settings

Sydney Jensen

Sydney Jensen
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Area of Study: Augmentative and Alternative Communication; Pediatric Motor Speech Disorders
McLean, Yoder, Schiefelbusch Fund in Severe Communication Disabilities

Courtney Jewell

Courtney Jewell
The Ohio State University
Area of Study: Aphasia Rehabilitation and Digital Health Interventions

R. Brynn Jones-Rastelli

R. Brynn Jones-Rastelli
New York University
Area of Study: Swallowing Disorders from Neurological Disease and Intervention

Hin Yan Lam

Hin Yan Lam
The University of California, Irvine
Area of Study: Bilingualism and Developmental Language Disorder

Mojtaba Norozi

Mojtaba Norozi
University of South Carolina
Area of Study: Communication and Anxiety in Autism and Fragile X Syndrome

Denis Michael Rudisch

Denis Michael Rudisch
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Area of Study: Voice and Swallowing Disorders in Neurodegenerative Conditions

Marissa Russell-Meill

Marissa Russell-Meill
Boston University
Area of Study: Holistic Aphasia Recovery

Faith Stagge

Faith Stagge
University of Delaware
Area of Study: Language Assessment in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

Amy Stahl

Amy Stahl
Vanderbilt University
Area of Study: Auditory Neuroscience; Central Processing Disorders

Caitlyn Slawny

Caitlyn Slawny
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Area of Study: Language Development in Bilingual Children

Peng Zhang

Peng Zhang
Purdue University
Area of Study: Language Processing and Recovery in Aphasia

2024

Awarded $10,000 each

Kevin Renz Ambrocio

Kevin Renz Ambrocio
University of Pittsburgh
Area of Study: Upper Aerodigestive Function in Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis

Olivia Boorom

Olivia Boorom
University of Kansas
Area of Study: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Kristina Bowdrie

Kristina Bowdrie
The Ohio State University
Area of Study: Influence of Temperament on Language and Hearing
Wayne and Marilyn Olsen Audiology Research Fund

Kelsey Davison

Kelsey Davison
Boston University
Area of Study: Mono- and Bilingual Children’s Language Development

Abigail Dueppen

Abigail Dueppen
University of Houston
Area of Study: Voice Disorders

Elizabeth Evans

Elizabeth Evans
University of Florida
Area of Study: Social Determinants of Health and Post-Stroke Outcomes

Fatima Jebahi

Fatima Jebahi
University of Arizona
Area of Study: Adult Acquired Neurogenic Language Disorders

Yookyung Kim

Yookyung Kim
Arizona State University
Area of Study: Genetic Etiologies and Brain-Based Biomarkers of Dyslexia

Jennifer Markfeld

Jennifer Markfeld
Vanderbilt University
Area of Study: Language Development; Autism and Language Disorders

Jade Mitchell

Jade Mitchell
Vanderbilt University
Area of Study: Traumatic Brain Injury

Elizabeth Mormer

Elizabeth Mormer
University of Pittsburgh
Area of Study: Health Services Research; Dysphagia

R.J. Risueño

R.J. Risueño
Arizona State University
Area of Study: Bilingual Language and Literacy Disorders

Taylor Snodgrass

Taylor Snodgrass
East Carolina University
Area of Study: Craniofacial and Velopharyngeal Disorders

Louisa Suting

Louisa Suting
University of Connecticut
Area of Study: Neurogenic Communication Disorders

Hantao Wang

Hantao Wang
University of Washington
Area of Study: Speech Motor Control

2023

Awarded $10,000 each

Julianne Alexander

Julianne Alexander
Indiana University
Area of Study: Neuroscience and Aphasia

Savanna Brittlebank-Douglas

Savanna Brittlebank-Douglas
The Pennsylvania State University
Area of Study: Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Arynn Byrd

Arynn Byrd
University of Maryland, College Park
Area of Study: Dialect Variation; Language Processing and Listening Comprehension in Children

Erin Carpenter

Erin Carpenter
Boston University
Area of Study: Bilingual Aphasia

Marianne Casilio

Marianne Casilio
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Area of Study: Aphasia, Stroke Recovery, and Language Neuroscience

Melissa Feller

Melissa Feller
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Area of Study: Oral and Written Language Relationships; Reading Disabilities in Multilingual Learners

Elizabeth Hary

Elizabeth Hary
University of Pittsburgh
Area of Study: Voice Disorders and Laryngeal Biology

Maryann Krasko

Maryann Krasko
University of WisconsinMadison
Area of Study: Onset and Pathogenesis of Parkinson Disease

Devan Lander

Devan Lander
The Ohio State University
Area of Study: Speech Perception, Cognition, and the Auditory System in Adulthood
Wayne and Marilyn Olsen Audiology Research Fund

Amanda Mahoney

Amanda Mahoney
University of Pittsburgh
Area of Study: Infant Feeding and Swallowing

Naomi Nattress

Naomi Nattress
University of New Mexico
Area of Study: Augmentative and Alternative Communication; Assessment and Intervention for Multiple Impairments

Michael Scimeca

Michael Scimeca
Boston University
Area of Study: Aphasia; Bilingual Aphasia

Anna Serrichio

Anna Serrichio
The Pennsylvania State University
Area of Study: Neuroscience; Language and Cognition in Aphasia

Emily Wang

Emily Wang
New York University
Area of Study: Speech Motor Control and Development Across the Lifespan

Brett Welch

Brett Welch
University of Pittsburgh
Area of Study: Voice and Psychology

2022

Awarded $10,000 each

Niyazi Arslan
Niyazi Arslan
Arizona State University
Area of Study: Cochlear Implants and Pitch Perception
Victoria Diedrichs
Victoria Diedrichs
The Ohio State University
Area of Study: Adult Acquired Neurogenic Communication Impairments
Steven Gianakas
Steven Gianakas
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Area of Study: Speech Perception in Individuals With Hearing Loss
Wayne and Marilyn Olsen Audiology Research Fund
Jenna Griffin
Jenna Griffin
University of Montana
Area of Study: Rehabilitative Care for Stroke Survivors With Aphasia
Micah Hirsch
Micah Hirsch
Florida State University
Area of Study: Motor Speech Disorders and Speech Perception
Jingyu Linna Jin
Jingyu Linna Jin
University of Washington
Area of Study: Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice
Daniel Kim
Daniel Kim
Vanderbilt University
Area of Study: Motor Speech Disorders
Erica Lescht
Erica Lescht
University of Pittsburgh
Area of Study: Developmental Stuttering
Elizabeth Lydon
Elizabeth Lydon
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Area of Study: Neurogenic Cognitive-Communication Disorders
Alaina Martens
Alaina Martens
Northeastern University
Area of Study: Pediatric Dysphagia and Early Speech Development
Janine Mathee-Scott
Janine Mathee-Scott
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Area of Study: Early Language Development in Autism Spectrum and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Mariah Morton
Mariah Morton
Auburn University
Area of Study: Voice and Upper Airway Physiology
Katlyn Nickels
Katlyn Nickels
University of Arizona
Area of Study: Evidence-Based Treatment Protocols for Primary Progressive Aphasia
Jordanna Sevitz
Jordanna Sevitz
Columbia University
Area of Study: Rehabilitation of Swallowing and Cough Function in Neurodegenerative Populations
Emily Thompson
Emily Thompson
Vanderbilt University
Area of Study: Pediatric Aural Rehabilitation
Anna Tinnemore
Anna Tinnemore
University of Maryland, College Park
Area of Study: Speech Perception and Language Processing in Adults With Cochlear Implants
Hasini Weerathunge
Hasini Weerathunge
Boston University
Area of Study: Auditory and Somatosensory Speech Motor Control in Parkinson’s Disease

View New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship recipients before 2021 [PDF].