Meet the People

Principle Investigator: Carlos Irizarry Pérez, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Carlos grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He completed master's degrees in Spanish Linguistics from Penn State and Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Washington. Before returning to complete his Ph.D, he worked as a school-based, bilingual SLP. His dissertation "Cross-Language Treatment of Speech Sound Disorders" was completed at the University of Texas at Austin. He currently is enjoying New Mexico life in Albuquerque with his partner Monique (also a professor) and their daughter, Sofía Isabel. In his "free" time, he loves spending time with his family, fitness, and exploring local craft breweries. 

Graduate Researcher: Alondra Delgado

Alondra Delgado was raised in Farmington, New Mexico. She completed a B.S. in Communication Disorders at New Mexico State in 2021. Alondra graduated from the University of New Mexico Speech and Hearing Sciences Master's program Spring 2023. Her current interests are related to typical and atypical language development and assessment of CLD children, as well as, everything medical SLP! In her free time, she enjoys plants, music, painting, and hiking! 

Graduate Researcher: Sofia Garcia

Sofia C. Garcia was born and raised in the border town of El Paso, Texas. She completed a B.S. in communication disorders with a minor in linguistics from New Mexico State University in 2018. She worked as a speech language pathologist assistant for two years before returning to school. Sofia graduated from the University of New Mexico Speech and Hearing Sciences Master's program Spring 2022. Her interests in the field of speech language pathology include serving multilingual and multicultural populations across all settings. In her free time, she enjoys reading, practicing yoga, and eating delicious food.

Graduate Assistant: Yami Garcia

Yamileth Garcia was born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico. She completed a master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology from the University of New Mexico in 2025. 

Graduate Assistant: Elizabeth Olivarez

Elizabeth Olivarez was raised in Edinburg, Texas. She completed a B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas in 2021. Ely graduated from the University of New Mexico Speech and Hearing Sciences Master's program Spring 2023.  Her current interests are related to typical and atypical language development and assessment of CLD children, as well as, NICU and pediatric feeding/swallowing disorders. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, drinking tea, visiting local coffee shops/farmers markets, plants, and working out! 

GA/Data Analyst: Alex Rivera

Alex Rivera was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She completed a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Austin in 2018. Alex graduated from the University of New Mexico Speech and Hearing Sciences Master's program Fall 2021. Her current interests are related to increasing cross-linguistic generalization of skills in bilingual individuals in order to improve communication abilities in both languages. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and exploring New Mexico.

Graduate Researcher: Vanessa Viramontes

Vanessa Viramontes was born and raised in El Paso, TX. She graduated from the University of New Mexico Speech and Hearing Sciences Master's program Spring 2023. She participated in the McNair Scholar  and Research Opportunity Program at UNM. In her free time, she enjoys being active, painting/drawing, and petting dogs.