People

PhD Students

Kwaku Nyantakyi defended his dissertation and graduates with his PhD in COMD in December 2025.  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 PhD candidate 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

 

Robyn Shaw is a COMD MA student from Holmdel, New Jersey. She received a BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders from LSU in December of 2024. Robyn has been involved with the National Student Speech - Language Hearing Association since 2022, participated in LSU’s undergraduate research conference Discover Day in 2024, and also served as a Supplemental Instructor for the university’s phonetics class. Outside of LSU she has shadowed at Sycamore Elementary School, observing and interacting with a variety of populations, assessments, and intervention approaches. Robyn looks forward to the learning opportunities that the D4 Child Language Lab holds and her time in graduate school here! rshaw14@lsu.edu

Macie Smith is a COMD MA student at Louisiana State University. Macie has been involved with organizations such as the National Student Speech – Language and Hearing Association and therapy clinics where she has worked with a variety of pediatric and adult patients. Macie is excited to be a team member of the D4 Child Language Lab and to learn more about children’s language development across varying dialects! msmi532@lsu.edu

Research Assistant

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

BA Students

Alanna Piper is a freshman at LSU majoring in Communication Disorders with her sights set on graduate school in the  near future. An avid volunteer and leader at her high school , she has over 200 hours of serving her community in  many ways. Her service in child environments has sparked her passion for pediatric speech pathology. She plans  to explore this interest further through working in the D4 Child Language Lab as she begins her undergraduate  career. Alanna.Piper@lsu.edu

 

Evelyn Andrus is a senior 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 junior 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 senior 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 senior 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

 

Cecilia Cusimano is junior from New Orleans, LA. She is majoring in Communication Sciences & Disorders with hopes of being a speech therapist. She is currently working at The Emerge Center under a speech pathologist. She is involved in Greek life while also balancing school and work. She is excited to work in the D4 Child Language Lab to extend her abilities. ccusim3@lsu.edu

Joseph Mensman is a sophomore 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 junior 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