People

PhD Students

Kwaku Nyantakyi is a fourth-year PhD student in COMD at LSU. Before coming to LSU, Kwaku earned a BA in geography and linguistics and an Msc in speech and language therapy both at the University  of Ghana. After his bachelors degree, and prior to his masters degree, he worked for one year as a teaching and research assistant at the University of Ghana, Department of Linguistics.  Kwaku is interested in language processing in bilingual children with dyslexia and Specific Language Impairment/ Developmental Language Disorder (SLI/DLD). He hails from Ghana, where the study of communication disorders is a new, emerging field. knyant1@lsu.edu

Tahmineh Maleki is a third-year PhD student in COMD at LSU.  Before coming to LSU, she completed a master's degree in 2019 in Speech Therapy with an emphasis in the assessment of children with Developmental Language Disorders (DLD)  from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.  Additionally, after graduating with her BA in 2015, she worked as a speech-language pathologist with Persian-speaking pre-schoolers and school-age children. Tahmineh is originally from Iran. Her research interests include improving clinical services for Persian-speaking children, use of evidence-based practice to guide assessment and treatments in speech-language pathology, and the nature of child language development and disorders across languages and dialects.                    tmalek1@lsu.edu

MA Students

Allee Andry is a COMD MA student from Prairieville, LA. She received a BA in COMD in December of 2024 and began her graduate studies in January of 2025. Allee has been involved with the National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) since 2022 and was a member of Tiger Band during her time in undergrad. She has experience working with adult neuro patients and is excited to expand her knowledge about the many different populations speech-language pathologists treat. Allee is grateful for the opportunity to work in the D4 Child Language Lab and the valuable research experience she will gain from it.  aandry1@lsu.edu

Allysia James is a 1st year COMD MA student from Gonzales, LA. She will be graduating in the Spring of 2025. She has been involved in the National Society of Leadership and Success since her first year at LSU. Outside of LSU she has experience in job shadowing at an SLP clinic at Ochsner Hospital and is also currently learning Spanish and American Sign Language to help with her profession.
ajame58@lsu.edu

LaErea Scott is a 2nd year COMD MA student at Louisiana State University. She received her undergraduate degree from LSU. She is particularly excited to work as a Graduate Research Assistant in Dr. Oetting's D4 Child Language Lab, where gaining invaluable experience in the study of children's language development across different dialects.lscot52@lsu.edu

Research Assistants

Marcus Forest is a research assistant from Reserve, LA who received his BS in Psychology and minor in COMD in the Spring of 2024 from LSU. Prior to joining the D4 Child Language Lab, he was a research assistant in the Language, Environment, and NeuroDevelopment (LEND) Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Julie M. Schneider and the Human Neurophysiology and Neuromodulation Lab (HNNL) with Dr. Karim Johari. His research interests include racial inequities in standardized language assessments and investigating the neural basis of language and executive function in both typically and atypically developing populations. mfore34@lsu.edu

 

Kalaya Hawkins is a research assistant from New Orleans, Louisiana. She completed her BA in COMD in December of 2024. While at LSU, she was involved in NSSLHA. She works as an Audio Technician at Ainsworth Audiology. She is excited to contribute to the work being done in the D4 lab. She can't wait to use her degree to make an impact! khawk34@lsu.edu

 

BA Students

Evelyn Andrus is a junior at LSU majoring in COMD. She is a part of Greek life and a member of the NSSLHA club. She is excited to gain more knowledge and become a speech therapist! eandru4@lsu.edu

Caroline Dawson is a sophomore from New Orleans, Louisiana majoring in Communication Disorders with hopes to one day become a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist. She is currently a member of NSSLHA and Greek Life here at LSU, and in her free time, she likes to workout, shop, and hang out with her friends! She is so excited to be working with us in the D4 lab and eager to continue learning about children’s speech. cdaws15@lsu.edu

 

Sophia Fontenot is a junior from Baton Rouge, Louisiana majoring in COMD. She is currently a member of NSSHLA. Outside of LSU, she works at a nursery school. She is excited to develop her research skills and learn about early childhood language development! sfont61@lsu.edu

 

Ainsley Luffey is a junior from Pass Christian, Mississippi majoring in COMD. She is currently a member of NSSLHA and Greek Life. She works for Connections Speech, Language, and Reading Specialists. She enjoys working in the D4 Child Language Lab and learning about the developmental process of children’s language. aluffe1@lsu.edu

 

Joseph Mensman is a freshman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders. He is a member of NSSLHA and the Honors College Advocates. He plays guitar in several other organizations. He is excited to continue learning and looks forward to working as a Speech-Language Pathologist. jmensm1@lsu.edu

 

Jane Schneider is a sophomore from New Orleans, Louisiana, majoring in communication disorders. After graduation, she plans to attend grad school to become a speech-language pathologist. At LSU, she participates in pottery club, Greek life, and is  part of the Christan Leadership club. She deeply admires the work she does at the D4 Child Lab. Every day presents new learning opportunities, and she continues to grow both personally and professionally. jschn31@lsu.edu