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MS-Residential Outstanding Student: Letizia Tamburini |
Letizia Tamburini has consistently gone above and beyond expectations in her clinical practicum experiences.
She is dedicated to helping older adults with speech, language, and cognitive-communication
impairments. She is supportive, encouraging, and deeply attentive, making certain
her clients feel valued and heard. Letizia has distinguished herself through her
exceptional work ethic, intentional engagement, and clear commitment to growth as
both a clinician and scholar. She is highly responsive to feedback and has demonstrated
substantial development across her clinical, academic, and Graduate Research Assistant
work. Letizia is bilingual in Spanish and English, which is highly valued in the health
professions serving diverse populations. |
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MS-Distance Education Outstanding Student: Eandra Goldsmith |
Eandra Goldsmith has been working as a speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) and brings valuable
bilingual skills as a Spanish speaker, including experience from her undergraduate
practicum in Spain. Supervisors consistently highlight her strong performance, noting
her excellent treatment skills and significant growth in evaluation abilities since
beginning her experience. She exceeds expectations in professionalism and interpersonal
qualities and demonstrates a clear commitment to lifelong learning in the field of
speech-language pathology. Additionally, Eandra excels at building rapport with patients,
collaborating effectively with interdisciplinary teams, and designing meaningful therapeutic
activities. She shows initiative and is highly receptive to feedback, qualities that
will continue to support her professional development. |
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CAPCSD Frances F Levin Award: Alexia Hopkins |
Alexia Hopkins exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding future speech-language pathologist, demonstrating
intellectual curiosity, empathy, professionalism, and a dedication to improving lives
through communication. From her earliest interactions, she showed remarkable motivation
and initiative, and throughout the program she has continued to lead and excel. In
clinical settings, she consistently displays strong clinical reasoning, compassion,
and adaptability, earning high praise from supervisors for her ability to build rapport
and deliver thoughtful, client-centered care. Academically, she maintained an impressive
GPA while working full-time, a testament to her discipline and perseverance, and she
was selected to represent the program at COMD Open Houses due to her professionalism
and ability to inspire others. Through her continued service, research, and tutoring,
Alexia demonstrates a clear commitment to equitable, culturally responsive care. |
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Sharon Webber Fellowship: Allison Jansen |
Allison Jansen has distinguished herself as an exceptionally capable, ethical, and compassionate
future speech-language pathologist. In the classroom, she consistently demonstrates
intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and academic rigor, skillfully synthesizing
evidence-based research into practical clinical applications and enriching discussions
with thoughtful insights. Clinically, she has excelled in diagnosis and treatment
planning, professional communication, and culturally responsive care, forming meaningful
connections with clients across the lifespan. Her outstanding clinical performance
was formally recognized with the Noteworthy Clinical Performance Award. Beyond academics
and clinic, she is actively engaged in service initiatives such as Best Buddies, promoting
inclusion and advocacy for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Altogether,
Allie exemplifies academic excellence, clinical skill, ethical responsibility, and
a genuine dedication to improving the lives of others. |
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Sharon Webber Fellowship: Emily Cokley |
Emily Cokley is a diligent and highly engaged student who approaches her coursework with a genuine
commitment to learning and improving her clinical skills, rather than simply aiming
for strong grades. She demonstrates initiative and intellectual curiosity, as evidenced
by her independent efforts to deeply understand complex concepts before seeking clarification.
Her questions are consistently insightful and reflect an advanced level of critical
thinking. In class, she remains actively engaged, asking thoughtful follow-up questions,
particularly around neurodiversity-affirming practices, and showing that she keeps
up with developments both within and beyond the curriculum. Overall, Emily exemplifies
the qualities of a lifelong learner, a trait that is essential for providing high-quality,
evolving clinical care. |
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Elaine M Frank Fellowship: Zeinab Khoshhal Mollasaraei |
Zeinab Khoshhal Mollasaraei is an exceptional scholar whose unique background, intellectual curiosity, and dedication
position her as a future leader in communication disorders research. After a successful
career as a practicing SLP and educator in Iran, she pursued doctoral training in
the United States, where she has embraced basic research with uncommon depth and commitment.
Zeinab stands out for her relentless pursuit of understanding the fundamental mechanisms
of speech, language, and the brain, dedicating extensive time to critical discussions
and independent study aimed at advancing the field. Her work draws on interdisciplinary
knowledge across linguistics, psycholinguistics, neuroscience, and aphasiology, and
she has actively collaborated with researchers beyond her institution to strengthen
her approach. In addition to her research excellence, Zeinab has demonstrated strong
teaching and service contributions, serving as both a teaching assistant and instructor
of record, and supporting lab initiatives. She is a thoughtful, independent, and solutions-oriented
scholar who engages in rigorous intellectual dialogue and consistently pushes ideas
forward. |
