Undergraduate Students

Ashly Peltroche

Ashly is a rising graduate in Integrative Science and Neurobiology with a minor in Spanish. She is also completing a Certificate for Spanish in Healthcare. Ashly joined the lab in the Summer of 2026 to further her scientific knowledge and use her native Spanish skills in a lab setting. She wants to use her Spanish knowledge to help expand patient-provider relationships within the healthcare system.

Luana Cesar

Luana is a second-year student double majoring in Spanish and French and is working toward the TESOL and SMEAL certificates. She joined the lab in Spring of 2026 to explore the scientific process of language acquisition, especially in second language learning. Luana aspires to pursue a career in secondary world language education.

Henrique Vasconcellos Filho

Henrique is a third-year student majoring in Biology with a concentration in vertebrae physiology, and Applied Spanish. He is also completing a Certificate of Spanish for Healthcare. Henrique joined the lab in the Spring of 2026 to further explore his interests of physiology and analysis of cultures through language. He is also interested in applied genomics and biomedical technology. Henrique is involved with the Brazilian Student Association and Club Tennis, and aspires to attend medical college and continue his education.

Alana Zigrossi

Alana is a first-year student majoring in Anthropology & Spanish, with a minor in Classical and Mediterranean studies. She joined the BrainTracking lab in the Spring of 2026 to explore how bilingualism affects the speaker’s native language and to strengthen her Spanish skills. After graduation, Alana hopes to work with immigrant communities to document the Mexican-American border crisis through ethnographic fieldwork 

Isabella Bello

Isabella is a second-year student majoring in Communication Sciences & Disorders and Spanish, with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. She joined the lab in Fall of 2025 to explore how the brain processes language, especially within bilingual contexts. Her academic interests focus on the intersection of linguistics, neuroscience, and language development. Isabella aspires to pursue a career as a bilingual speech-language pathologist working with children in medical settings.

Carolyn Newman

Carolyn is a 3rd year in the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State. She is studying Communication arts and Sciences and Spanish with a minor in Jazz Performance. Carolyn joined the Brain Tracking Lab Fall 2025 and has greatly enjoyed learning about how the brain processes language and expanding on her Spanish language skills. Outside of the lab she can be found playing saxophone with her band. 

Emily Rini

Emily is a sophomore majoring in international politics and minoring in Spanish. She joined the lab in the spring of 2026 to and learn more about how the brain processes language and improve her Spanish. Emily is looking forward to learning more about the research and data collection process through hands-on learning in the lab. Outside of academics, Emily enjoys hiking, running, and cooking.