Undergraduate Research Assistants
Brian Chewning
Brian is a sophomore pursuing a major in Speech and Hearing Sciences and a minor in Russian Language. He has always been fascinated by spoken language and the cultures surrounding them, and is particularly fond of the phonetics and phonology subfields. Brian is conversational in Spanish, basic Russian, and hopes to begin a fourth language in the future. He plans on pursuing a career in Audiology or Speech Pathology, inspired by the doctors who worked with him as a child at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Brian is a full time training partner for Rutgers NCAA Swim and Dive program, and an engaged member of both the Linguistics and Outdoor clubs. He also enjoys exploring new and vintage music technology, making elaborate coffees, and playing the bass.
Nithya Devarajan
Nithya is a senior double majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics and Cognitive Science. She has always held a love for languages, speaking conversational Spanish and Tamil. Nithya is interested in language acquisition, specifically in the area of syntax. She plans to continue her education at graduate school after earning her bachelor’s degree and aspires to become a pediatric speech-language pathologist. On campus, she serves as president of the Rutgers Green Print environmental magazine. Outside of school, Nithya enjoys reading a good book, writing, and playing the drums.
Zara Khan
Zara is a sophomore majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics and plans to pursue a career as a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Her interest in the field stems from her experiences working with children and supporting family members with communication challenges. On campus, Zara is involved in the Douglass Global Health and Medicine House and the Muslim Student Association. Outside of school, she works as a Sunday school teacher and has experience tutoring students and volunteering in preschool classrooms. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching movies, and exploring new places. She is excited to gain hands-on experience in language development research and contribute to studies that advance our understanding of how children acquire and use language.
Dalia Mustafa
Dalia is a sophomore majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences and Linguistics. Studying child development in high school sparked her interest in working with children, and she now aspires to become a Speech-Language Pathologist. She has always been fascinated by language and hopes to build fluency in Arabic while learning more about how children and adults acquire and develop language. On campus, she works at the Rutgers Psychology Child Development Center and is deeply interested in the connection between child development and language acquisition. In her free time, Dalia enjoys spending time outdoors, listening to music, and learning new things!
Aliyah Lima
Aliyah is a junior majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics with a minor in Disability Studies. On campus, she serves as a Red Pine Ambassador, Douglass Welcome Ambassador, and holds leadership roles in both the First-Generation Student Union and Central American Student Union. She also works as a Job Coach for the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services, where she supports neurodivergent adults in achieving their goals. Aliyah aspires to become a bilingual pediatric speech-language pathologist and plans to attend graduate school after earning her bachelor’s degree. She is passionate about breaking down communication barriers and looks forward to gaining hands-on experience in language development research that supports inclusive communication.
Sarah Nichols
Sarah is a senior majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics with a minor in Cognitive Science. Sarah aspires to work as a Speech and Language Pathologist in a pediatric clinical setting. She is very interested in child language acquisition, especially in the areas of syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. She thoroughly enjoys working in the lab and is excited to pursue more research for her Senior Honors Thesis this year. In addition to her major areas of study, Sarah is very involved in music at Rutgers. She is a proud member of the Rutgers University Marching Scarlet Knights where she serves on the student leadership team. Outside of school, she loves going to the beach, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Marissa Nieves
Marissa is a junior majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics, with plans to pursue graduate studies to become a speech-language pathologist. Her interest in the field was sparked through observing communication differences and difficulties among her bilingual family members. She is also fascinated by language acquisition in children and hopes to work in a pediatric or school setting in the future. On campus, she is a member of the Honors College and involved in club gymnastics. As a first-generation college student, she is excited to get hands-on research experience and explore language development. Outside of school, she works as a gymnastics coach and loves watching her students progress and flourish. In her free time, Marissa enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.
Leticia Rodriguez
Leticia is a senior majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics and minoring in Developmental Psychology. She is especially interested in language acquisition in bilingual children. On campus, she works as a Student Educator at the Zimmerli Art Museum and also serves as a Peer Mentor for first-year students at the Honors College. Outside of school, her favorite activities include reading, baking, and traveling. After graduating, she hopes to become a pediatric speech-language pathologist.
Austin Zhang
Austin is a senior majoring in Linguistics and Computer Science, with minors in Mathematics and Business Administration. He is especially interested in natural language processing and aspires to work as a software engineer at the intersection of computer science and linguistics. On campus, he is involved with HackRU and the Undergraduate Student Alliance of Computer Scientists. In his free time, he enjoys playing ultimate frisbee and crocheting.
