Members

Meet the students that work alongside Dr. Becker as part of the Collaborative Speech, Language, and Literacy (CASLL) Lab!

Tirzah is a first-year speech-language pathology graduate student at Montclair State University from Elizabeth, New Jersey. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Psychology and earned a Certificate in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Rutgers University–New Brunswick. She is currently completing her first semester of graduate school and is working as Dr. Becker’s graduate research assistant for the 2026–2027 academic year. Her interests within the field of communication sciences and disorders span across age groups, and she hopes to pursue a career as a speech-language pathologist to serve low-income and marginalized communities that may have limited access to high-quality care.

Anna is a first-year speech-language pathology graduate student at Montclair State University from Annandale, NJ. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology and Audiology from The College of New Jersey. She is currently completing her first semester of graduate school and is working as Dr. Becker's graduate research assistant for the 2026-2027 academic year. Her interests within the field of communication sciences and disorders span across age groups, with a particular focus on multilingual populations and best practices that recognize human variability and individuality. She is interested in addressing gaps in childhood services and understanding how communication development can influence outcomes across the lifespan, including access to education, employment, and more. 

Kaitlyn is a speech-language pathology graduate student at Montclair State University from Sparta, NJ. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology and Audiology from The College of New Jersey. She is currently completing her first semester of graduate school and is working as Dr. Becker's graduate research assistant for the 2024-2025 academic year. Her interests within the field of communication sciences and disorders range across all diagnoses and age groups and is excited to expand her clinical and research experience!

Kate Bond-Nelson is a speech language pathology graduate student at Montclair State University. She received her undergraduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Connecticut. Kate is currently finishing up her last full semester of classes and on-campus clinic before starting externship in the Spring. She worked as Dr. Becker's graduate assistant for the 2023-2024 academic year and continues to work as one of her research assistants. Kate's clinical and research interest span across all age groups and wide range of diagnoses.

Alexis Gallagher is a Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate student at Montclair State University from Apple Valley, MN. She graduate with a B.F.A. in Acting from the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC. She was a stage and screen actor until her daughter was diagnosed with language delays and received Early Intervention services. This led to a career change and a new adventure to become a speech-language pathologist. She currently works as a research assistant to Dr. Becker.

Omayma Jabara is a third-year undergraduate at Montclair State University, pursuing a major in Linguistics with minors in Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology. As Spring 2025 will mark the completion of her undergraduate studies, she is currently applying to graduate programs in Speech-Language Pathology. Omayma's research interests span a wide range of topics within Communication Sciences & Disorders as she continues to define her personal academic focus. She is very excited to be joining Dr. Becker's research team!