Our Team

Dr. Jing Shen, Director of the lab, is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Temple University. She received her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from University of California, San Diego and had her postdoctoral training in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on the perceptual and cognitive mechanisms in speech perception by older adults with age-related hearing loss, with the overarching goal of developing clinical assessments and interventions that effectively target listeners’ experiences in real-world communicative contexts. When she is not busy working with her students and research team, she enjoys playing tennis and spending time with her two school-aged children.

Rose Dietrich is the lab’s current full-time research assistant. She graduated from Wilkes University in 2021 with a B.S in Neuroscience and Psychology and is finishing her M.S. in Psychology at Villanova University. Her research interests include haptic and auditory perception, wanting to apply those findings to clinical populations in her future endeavors. In her free time, Rose likes to play casual video games while cuddling with her long-haired calico cat, Fluffy. 

Julia Knutelska is an undergraduate student majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Science. Aside from the SPAC Lab, she is an active member of NSSLHA. She is also pursuing a certificate in American Sign Language and Linguistics. She plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in Speech Pathology. During her free time, she enjoys binge-watching reality TV shows and soaking up the sun during the summer.

Naramin Abuali is an undergraduate student in the Speech, Language, and Hearing Science program. Aside from working in the lab, she is pursuing a certificate in American Sign Language. Her interests are speech, audiology, and neuroscience. When not in class or the lab helping with experiments, Naramin enjoys baking new recipes, playing volleyball, and binge-watching Netflix.

Anna Thanasi is an undergraduate student majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Science. She is also pursuing a Minor in Ancient Mediterranean History and a Certificate in Linguistics. She plans to attend graduate school to pursue a career in Audiology. Outside of class, Anna enjoys playing video games and painting cover art from her favorite music albums. 

Amy Love is an undergraduate student in the Communication Sciences and Communication Disorders department. Aside from working in the lab, she is pursuing an American Sign Language certificate. She hopes to work with older populations who have speech disorders in the future. In her free time, Amy loves to travel, thrift, hang with her friends, and explore different coffee shops in the city.

Aliyah McDaniel is an undergraduate student in the Speech, Language, and Hearing Science program with a certificate in Linguistics. Outside of the lab, she is part of the executive board for NSSLHA and SISTAs, working on her certificate in ASL, and is minoring in Healthcare Management. She is interested in becoming an Audiologist, curious about the neurological aspects of speech and hearing. In her free time, Aliyah likes to read and watch movies, but also enjoys helping run pottery summer camps.