Recent News
Recent News
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APLL Lab Celebrates Recent Graduates
APLL Lab Celebrates Recent Graduates
The APLL Lab is proud to recognize our members who graduated from the University of South Alabama in May 2026!
Breanna Byrd - M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology
Rachel Vigelis - M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology
Nafia Sarhadi - B.S. in Biomedical Sciences
Jaime Swenbeck - B.S. in Speech & Hearing Sciences
Ally Taranto - B.S. in Speech & Hearing Sciences
Thank you for your contributions, and we look forward to seeing all that you achieve in the future!
Congratulations, Class of 2026!
Doctor of Audiology
White Coat Ceremony
APLL Lab member Gina Mejia recently received her white coat as a symbol of completing her didactic work for the Doctor of Audiology program and will continue her clinical studies at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN. She will graduate in May of 2027.
Congratulations, Gina! We are so proud of you and wish you the best!
Honors College Theses April 2026
Congratulations to two of our APLL Lab undergraduate researchers, Nafia Sarhadi (Biomedical Sciences) & Jaime Swenbeck (Speech & Hearing Sciences), who successfully defended their honors theses using the screening tool The Reading House (Hutton et al., 2019)!
Their hard work and achievements were recognized by the Honors College during a ceremony, where they received medallions to wear for graduation.
Alpha Eta Induction March 2026
Ally Taranto and Jaime Swenbeck (undergraduate seniors, pictured with APLL Lab co-directors Dr. Brenda Beverly & Dr. Victoria Henbest) along with Rachel Vigelis (2nd year MS-SLP) on their induction into Alpha Eta, the national honor society for the Allied Health Professions!
Alpha Eta recognizes students who rank in the top 20% of their class and reflects their academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to their field.
We know firsthand how hard these ladies have worked to achieve this honor! Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!
Alabama Autism Conference (AAC) February 2026
Congratulations to Ally and Dr. Beverly on their outstanding poster presentation at the Alabama Autism Conference in Tuscaloosa, AL! Their work sparked meaningful conversations and drew strong interest from both parents and early childhood educators.
The APLL Lab is so excited to take what we’ve learned and use it to make our future projects even better. We’re grateful for the opportunity to share this work and continue growing from it!
Speech and Hearing Association of Alabama (SHAA) Conference February 2026
Congratulations to Lab Manager Breanna Byrd, who presented her research on The Reading House (Hutton et al., 2019) at SHAA 2026! She was supported by Co-Directors, Dr. Beverly and Dr. Henbest.
Lab members Breanna Byrd and Rachel Vigelis, along with MS-SLP students Nancy Sheek, Natalie West, and Taylor Baker, represented South in Quest for the Cup at SHAA 2026!
Dr. Victoria Henbest Honored as 2025 "Top Prof"
We are thrilled to celebrate APLL Lab Co-Director Dr. Victoria Henbest for being selected as a "Top Prof" for 2025! This prestigious honor is presented by the Mortar Board Honor Society to faculty members who demonstrate excellence in teaching and a profound impact on their students’ academic journeys.
What makes this award truly special is that the honorees are selected by the students themselves. Dr. Henbest was nominated by Nafia Sarhadi (Biomedical Sciences student and APLL lab member) and Olivia Keller (Speech and Hearing Sciences student) for her exceptional guidance and support.
This recognition is a testament to Dr. Henbest’s dedication to mentorship and her commitment to fostering the next generation of researchers and clinicians. We are incredibly proud to have a leader who is as dedicated to her students as she is to her research.
Congratulations, Dr. Henbest!
ASHA Convention 2025 in Washington, D.C
ASHA Convention 2025 in Washington, D.C
"Outcomes and Student Perceptions of Including Artificial Intelligence as One Source for a Term Paper"
"Outcomes and Student Perceptions of Including Artificial Intelligence as One Source for a Term Paper"
Congratulations to APLL lab co-director Dr. Brenda Beverly and lab member Gina Mejia on their recent poster presentation at the 2025 ASHA Convention. We are thrilled to see our team’s research being shared with colleagues across the country!
"A Systematic Review of Mandarin-Speaking Children's Early Learning Development"
"A Systematic Review of Mandarin-Speaking Children's Early Learning Development"
Congratulations to lab member Dr. Dongyin Mei and lab co-director Dr. Brenda Beverly on their poster presentation at ASHA 2025! Dr. Beverly presented their collaborative work to a national audience, representing the hard work of both authors.
2025 Undergraduate Research Symposium
Congratulations to our undergraduates Nafia Sarhadi and Ally Taranto on their research!
Ally Taranto
Ally Taranto
Ally presented “Measuring Shared Book Reading Early Literacy Intervention Benefits for Children on the Autism Spectrum,” research conducted with Dr. Brenda Beverly & Dr. Victoria Henbest. Ally’s research comes from the APLL PEEL (Parents Engaging in Early Literacy) Project and focuses on the impact of shared book reading intervention and early literacy gains for children on the autism spectrum.
Nafia Sarhadi
Nafia Sarhadi
Nafia, mentored by Dr. Brenda Beverly presented “Piloting a Pediatric Screener for Assessing Emerging Literacy with Preschool Children.” Her research falls under the APLL TREE (Tracking Reading Engagement and Emergence) Project, taking The Reading House into communities with a goal to administer the screener to 3- and 4-year-olds in preschool programs with lower socioeconomic resources.
2025 Summer Autism Series Presentation
2025 Summer Autism Series Presentation
In July 2025, Dr. Brenda Beverly and Dr. Victoria Henbest presented as part of a Summer Autism Series for Educators in Alabama, titled Scoring Goals with Autistic Children: Decision Making and Successful Implementation.
This presentation focused on the development and implementation of speech, language, and communication goals for children on the autism spectrum in both educational and clinical settings. Attendees explored how to create meaningful, evidence-based goals by understanding individual needs, evaluating social and academic contexts, and integrating neurodiversity-affirming practices. While applicable across the lifespan, the workshop emphasized supporting the spoken and written language skills of preschool and school-age children on the autism spectrum.
Defending Dissertations - Congratulations, Dongyin!
Defending Dissertations - Congratulations, Dongyin!
Congratulations to Dongyin Mei who successfully defended her dissertation project, A Systematic Review of Mandarin-Speaking Children's Early Language Development!
Photo highlights from her time in our department include: Dongyin's "All But Dissertation" lab celebration, a shared meal at the Philadelphia ASHA Convention, her presentation at SRCLD, and most recently with her dissertation committee on zoom.
2024 BASHA Presentation
2024 BASHA Presentation
September 13, 2024, Dr. Brenda Beverly and Dr. Victoria Henbest presented at the Bay Area Speech and Hearing Association's fall mini conference. Their presentation applies neurodiversity-affirming constructs to improve assessment and intervention. Included are recent models for understanding language processing and production by autistic persons, including how these constructs support treatment goals. This information applies to all ages, but serving preschool and school-age children with autism is the primary focus of this presentation. The content addresses spoken and written language skills.
Click the link below to access the presentation!
BASHA Presentation_9.13.2024 (2).pdfLab Member Nafia Sarhadi Informs Students about APLL PEEL at the Ben May Library
Lab Member Nafia Sarhadi Informs Students about APLL PEEL at the Ben May Library
This summer, undergraduate APLL Lab member, Nafia Sarhadi, set up an information display about the current shared book reading research study, APLL Parents Engaging in Early Literacy (PEEL). Nafia has been partnering with our lab to shift our work toward community-based partnerships and develop her Honors Research Thesis.
Lab Member Emma Townsend Presents at 2024 Research Symposium
Lab Member Emma Townsend Presents at 2024 Research Symposium
Emma Townsend recently presented her thesis findings at the Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders (SRCLD) in Madison, WI. She developed a parent-implemented treatment - APLL Seed - and trained peers in her cohort to coach parents while working toward her degree!
APLL Lab Celebrates Recent Graduates
APLL Lab Celebrates Recent Graduates
The APLL Lab is proud to recognize our members who graduated from the University of South Alabama in May: Emma Townsend, M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology, and Julia Bruffey, M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology.
APLL Lab Members Attend 2024 Autism Walk
APLL Lab Members Attend 2024 Autism Walk
On April 27th, APLL Lab members, Carson Kuhr and Abby Phillips, participated in the Mobile, AL Autism Walk hosted by Autism Support of Alabama alongside co-director, Victoria Henbest. At our resource table, we had fun interacting with families, engaging in coloring activities, and operating a switch-activated adapter bubble machine!
APLL Lab Celebrates Recent Graduates
APLL Lab Celebrates Recent Graduates
The APLL Lab is proud to recognize our members who graduated from the University of South Alabama in December: Yingshan Huang, Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Gina Mejia, B.S. in Education.
Lab Member Emma Townsend's Victory in 3 Minute Thesis Competition
Lab Member Emma Townsend's Victory in 3 Minute Thesis Competition
APLL Lab member, Emma Townsend, was one of four University of South Alabama students awarded during the campus-wide Three Minute Thesis competition this past October. She was awarded the $1,000 People's Choice Award after presenting her thesis, Parent Coaching: Educating Students to Create an Effective Early Intervention Team.
Lab members, Gina Mejia and Michele Dacy-Nichols, virtually presented at the 2023 ASHA conference. Check out their posters for more information!
Lynsey Phillips, speech-language pathologist and APLL Lab collaborator, along with one of her friends, Kasey Hodges, who uses AAC to communicate, featured on the local news station in Northwest Arkansas
Check out the news story here: https://www.nwahomepage.com/lifestyle/sponsored-content/how-the-childrens-therapy-t-e-a-m-is-changing-lives/?fbclid=IwAR0sLR2g_1ds2cng6FfsBl10kBsI25rHl5wvl1RuCbWrG0AiNPTqmvMWE8E&mibextid=uc01c0
Sean Stalley's Presentation at LSA
APLL lab member, Sean Stalley, presented his project, “A Tolerance Principle Approach to Artificial Grammar Learning,” at the 97th annual meeting of the Linguistic Society of America.
Sean received a Graduate Student Activities Enhancement Award for attending the conference.
The Informed SLP!
The Informed SLP is a research database that focuses on assisting SLPs to find research articles in a friendly, realistic, and efficient way!
Dr. Lori Foran, an alumna of the APLL lab has a publication on the Informed SLP and we are so excited to share!
Please check out the Informed SLP website The Informed SLP website as well as Dr. Lori Foran's publication !
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