Category: Speech and Hearing Science

From the lab to the concert hall, virtual reality plays a growing role in acoustics studies

May 05, 2026 | Ethan Simmons

Virtual reality helps “bridge the gap” between lab environments and the real world

To simulate classrooms, performance halls and other indoor environments, the Speech Accommodation to Acoustics Lab uses virtual reality and “auralization” techniques in controlled settings. (Photo provided)

At the Speech Accommodation to Acoustics Lab, researchers are trying to solve a common problem for teachers and vocal performers. How can they be heard and understood without straining their voices? 

Pasquale Bottalico, associate professor of speech and hearing science, runs the Speech Accommodation to Acoustics Lab, which investigates the acoustical conditions of rooms—classes, restaurants and concert halls alike—that lend themselves to intelligible speech with minimal vocal effort from the speakers. 

Over the last 5 years, the lab’s research has steered toward virtual reality and auralization, a technique to replicate the sound conditions of different spaces, to simulate these indoor conditions and make their studies more applicable to real-life scenarios. Here, Bottalico expands on his SpAA Lab’s recent projects and VR experiments.

When did your lab begin using virtual reality? What compelled you about this type of technology for your area of research?

Our lab began working with virtual reality (VR) in 2020 as part of our broader research on how acoustic environments influence voice production and communication. In many traditional speech and voice studies, experiments are conducted in quiet laboratory settings that do not fully represent the complex environments people encounter in everyday life.

VR provides a powerful way to bridge that gap. It allows us to recreate realistic environments—such as classrooms, concert halls, or social settings—while still maintaining precise experimental control. For example, VR makes it possible to manipulate room acoustics, background noise and visual cues independently and observe how speakers adapt their voice. Research has shown that both auditory and visual environmental information can influence voice production and perception, highlighting the importance of studying communication in multisensory contexts rather than purely auditory ones.  

For virtual reality studies you’ve worked on, could you describe what these experiences look, feel, and sound like for participants?

Participants wear a virtual reality headset and headphones that immerse them in a simulated environment. For example, someone might find themselves standing in a classroom, a concert hall or a restaurant while speaking or singing. The visual environment allows them to look around the space, while spatialized audio reproduces how their voice would sound in that particular room.

This means participants hear realistic acoustic effects such as reverberation, reflections and background noise. Studies using these methods have shown that speakers and singers naturally adjust their vocal production depending on the acoustic properties of the environment, even when those environments are simulated.  

What equipment or tools do you use to simulate these experiences?

To create these simulations, we combine several technologies. 

Participants typically use a VR headset for the visual environment and high-quality headphones to deliver spatial audio that reproduces realistic room acoustics.

Behind the scenes, we use auralization techniques, which allow us to simulate how sound propagates in real spaces such as classrooms, concert halls or lecture halls. We use real measurements to simulate the acoustics of the environments, like a University of Illinois classroom, or venues at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. 

Microphones and acoustic analysis tools are also used to measure vocal parameters such as sound pressure level, pitch, and vocal effort while participants interact with the virtual environment.

Because virtual reality can replicate the sensory conditions of real communication environments, it may help improve the transfer of therapeutic strategies from the clinic to everyday life.

Pasquale Bottalico

Associate Professor Speech and Hearing Science

Tell us more about VR as a training or therapy tool. How might virtual reality benefit professional voice users and individuals with voice disorders?

VR has enormous potential as a training and therapy tool, especially for professional voice users such as teachers, singers and public speakers. These individuals often need to communicate in demanding environments for long periods of time, which can lead to vocal fatigue or voice disorders.

One challenge in voice therapy is that exercises performed in a quiet clinic may not transfer easily to real-life environments. VR can help address this problem by allowing people to practice communication in realistic scenarios—such as teaching in a noisy classroom or speaking in a crowded social setting—while still being in a safe and controlled therapeutic environment.

Because VR can replicate the sensory conditions of real communication environments, it may help improve the transfer of therapeutic strategies from the clinic to everyday life.

What are some examples of virtual reality studies you’ve performed? What did you learn?

Our lab has been exploring VR applications for voice and speech research through several projects and doctoral dissertations.

For example, the doctoral work of Charles Nudelman, Ph.D., supported by the Raymond H. Stetson Scholarship, examined how visual aspects of an environment—such as room size and occupancy—affect voice production using immersive virtual reality. His research demonstrated that visual characteristics of a room can influence acoustic voice parameters and self-perceived vocal fatigue and discomfort, highlighting the importance of visual cues in voice production.  

Similarly, the doctoral research of Ümit Daşdöğen (now at CSD University of Delaware), funded through an NIH R21 grant, investigated how auditory, visual and audiovisual sensory inputs influence voice perception and production in immersive VR environments. This work showed that multisensory factors can significantly affect vocal loudness, vocal effort, and acoustic voice parameters, helping establish a scientific foundation for the use of VR in voice training and therapy.  

Another related project is the doctoral research of Carly Wingfield at the Illinois School of Music in collaboration with Professor Yvonne Gonzales Redman, which was supported by the prestigious Kate Neal Kinley Fellowship. Her work explored the use of VR simulations to help singers rehearse in virtual replicas of performance venues. The results suggested that practicing in VR environments allowed singers to better adapt to the acoustics of the real performance space and feel more confident when performing in unfamiliar venues.  

We also currently have a new project underway in the lab focusing on virtual reality–based voice therapy and communication training. This study involves Giulia Fusari, a visiting scholar from the Politecnico di Milano, and Mariah Bates, a master’s student in Health Technology at the University of Illinois completing her capstone project with our lab.

The project is developing a human-centered VR platform designed to simulate realistic conversational environments, such as social interactions in restaurants or other everyday communication settings. Participants complete weekly sessions over several weeks, and we evaluate usability, communication effort, realism of the environment and overall user experience. The goal is to better understand how immersive environments can support communication training and voice therapy in ecologically valid contexts.

In future developments, these types of VR environments could also be adapted to support individuals with neurological conditions that affect speech and voice, such as Parkinson’s disease, where patients often struggle to generalize speech therapy skills from the clinic to real-world communication settings.

If there are studies open to participants, how can they reach out?

Individuals interested in participating in research studies in our lab can contact us directly at pb81@illinois.edu. We regularly recruit participants for studies involving speech perception, voice production and immersive communication environments.

Editor’s note:

To learn more about the Speech Accommodation to Acoustics Lab, visit their website.


 

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Where does AI fit into the big picture of public health?

May 13, 2026 | Ethan Simmons

AI could revolutionize disease prevention—but flawed data could deepen health inequalities

Bruno Nunes is trained as an epidemiologist. Now he studies how machine learning can lead to better health outcomes at the population level. (Photo by Ethan Simmons)

In the view of University of Illinois public health researcher Bruno Nunes, artificial intelligence shapes up as a potent tool to predict and prevent public health problems, such as chronic diseases. 

But before AI-powered models are deployed in public health settings, they must be trained on richer data sets so they don’t amplify inequalities that exist in our healthcare system and society.

“To reach this future, we need to have better data to develop these models,” said Nunes, associate professor at the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the College of Applied Health Sciences. “Machine learning is a data learning process. It’s not just about using the fanciest algorithm—the problem is if you don’t have good data, you won’t have a good model.” 

Trained as an epidemiologist, Nunes is focused on public health strategies: how to prevent chronic disease and promote positive health outcomes at the population level, in some cases before people visit the doctor’s office. 

Artificial intelligence is already widely deployed in healthcare settings to better diagnose patients, especially reading medical imagery like X-rays, MRIs and CT scans.

With machine learning’s superior ability to detect patterns using huge tranches of data, Nunes envisions a future where models can accurately predict the risks of developing chronic diseases and allow populations to intervene earlier than before.

Part of this, Nunes argues, is AI may help us untangle “multimorbidity.” Many healthcare patients show up to the doctor’s office with two or more diseases, such as hypertension combined with diabetes or high cholesterol, which complicates management and quality of life. 

“Our health system and services are tailored to one disease. But in most cases, especially when talking about populational aging, most people are presenting different diseases at the same time,” Nunes said. “And the worst part of that is when we aren’t able to manage this patient well because they have such complex conditions and interactions.” 

His recent research has tested machine learning models on their ability to predict real-world outcomes. One recent study showed that machine learning models can predict a population’s dental service usage with solid accuracy but show poorer results with certain demographic subgroups. 

Machine learning is a data learning process. It’s not just about using the fanciest algorithm—the problem is if you don’t have good data, you won’t have a good model.

Bruno Nunes

HK Associate Professor

Nunes collaborated on a study that used an AI model to predict dental service use for adults in Southern Brazil. The model used 47 different characteristics—sociodemographic data, behavioral traits and oral and general health markers—to predict whether participants went to the dentist in the past year from a cohort study in Pelotas. 

Though the machine learning model’s predictions were largely accurate, it performed significantly worse across the board for mixed-race individuals in the study compared to Black and white participants, making the model unsuitable for real-world implementation in its current form.  

“None of the models are perfect: they present an error rate, and we need to deal with it,” Nunes said. “But if this error rate is higher for a subgroup of the population, the subgroup may be under- or over-diagnosed.

“If the model is not so good for people who already present with historical inequalities in the health system, the model can amplify these inequalities instead of decrease them.”   

Nunes tries to teach his students to frame the right questions in his new class, Artificial Intelligence in Public Health, which debuted in fall 2026 in HK.

Through critical discussions, he hopes to get students to think more about how “AI can fit into the big picture of public health,” and construct their own models around the right questions. 

“In most cases we tend to develop models for disease-related consequences or for problems which we already have an effective public health strategy, for example—but what if we could create equitable models to predict the problems in advance or issues without scalable solutions?” Nunes said. 

“You can’t just press a button to develop a machine learning model. You must have prior knowledge of the topic, skills and abilities to interpret the model considering public health principles. How can it be useful to solve the disease burden at the population level?”

Editor’s note:

To reach Bruno Nunes, email nunesb@illinois.edu 

“Dental services use prediction among adults in Southern Brazil: A gender and racial fairness-oriented machine learning approach” is available online.  

DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2025.105929The database is publicly available: https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.7910/DVN/BTLAAD


 

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Roots and reach: Malandraki named Khan Professor in Applied Health Sciences 

April 30, 2026 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

SHS Department head thanks her parents and mentors for helping reach a career milestone

Georgia Malandraki, center, called the professorship a milestone and a homecoming (Photo by Mike Heiniger)

The investiture of Georgia Malandraki as the Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor of Applied Health Sciences was, in many ways, a story about roots and the far-reaching branches they sustain. 

Held at Huff Hall, the ceremony brought together university leaders—such as Provost John Coleman—faculty, family, mentors and donors to celebrate Malandraki’s appointment to one of the college’s most prestigious endowed positions. The event underscored both her global impact as a scientist and clinician and the philanthropic vision that made the professorship possible. 

“This is a special occasion, not only for our college and university, but for the broader community,” said Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell, dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences. She described endowed professorships as among the most meaningful traditions in academia, recognizing excellence while enabling innovation through donor support. 

The professorship is funded by Shahid Khan and Ann Carlson Khan, whose longstanding ties to the university date back to their time as students. Their contributions span multiple colleges and initiatives, including major investments in facilities, academic programs and community outreach. 

Shahid “Shad” Khan, who arrived in the United States from Pakistan to study industrial engineering, built a business empire after purchasing automotive supplier Flex-N-Gate. Ann Carlson Khan, who studied business at Illinois, later turned her focus to philanthropy, helping guide the family’s charitable efforts through the Khan Foundation. Together, they have supported causes ranging from education and the arts to healthcare and community development. 

“It’s absolutely a joy and a privilege to be here … and all the ideas and thoughts we’ve had (and) what we wanted to do here, and it’s wonderful to see it come to life,” Shad Khan said. 

Their gift establishing the Khan Professorship reflects a commitment to advancing research and leadership in applied health sciences. “Because of you, we are able to support leaders like Dr. Malandraki, whose work is improving lives across the globe,” Hanley-Maxwell said. 

For Malandraki, the honor marks both a professional milestone and a personal homecoming. 

An internationally recognized expert in swallowing disorders, she returned in January to her alma mater, Illinois, as head of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science after building a distinguished career at Purdue University. There, she led pioneering work in the Imaging, Evaluation, and Treatment of Swallowing Research Laboratory and Clinic, advancing understanding of how the brain controls swallowing and developing new approaches to rehabilitation. 

Her research—supported by the National Institutes of Health and other major funders—has explored cutting-edge interventions, including telehealth and wearable technologies designed to expand access to care. Her work has earned numerous accolades, including the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Early Career Contributions in Research Award and designation as an ASHA Fellow. 

Yet in her remarks, Malandraki focused less on accolades and more on the journey that led her to the moment. 

“I’m profoundly humble to be given this distinguished honor and opportunity,” she said. 

Born and raised in Crete, Greece, Malandraki is a first-generation college student whose path to academia was shaped by family, perseverance and early exposure to the transformative power of education. She recalled leaving Greece in 2002 for the United States with a book gifted by her sister, containing a handwritten Cretan poetic verse (mantinada) that would come to define her outlook: “Tree branches must never forget their roots, for when the roots run dry, the branches wither, too.” 

Those roots, she said, began with her parents, Maria and Andreas Malandrakis, who never had the chance to attend college but insisted their children would. Education was not optional in their household; it was woven into daily life. 

“My earliest memories are of our family gathered around the kitchen table, everyone studying,” she said. “Reading and education were simply part of daily life. My mother survived World War II as a child. (My parents) raised six children, and I was, believe it or not, the sixth. My mother often joked that raising me felt like raising six more all at once. Despite the issues they faced, including raising me, there was never any debate in our home. Their children would have the opportunities today they themselves did not.” 

Tree branches must never forget their roots, for when the roots run dry, the branches wither, too.

Georgia Malandraki

SHS Department Head and Professor

Another formative influence was her nephew, Telemachus, who was born when she was 10 years old. Telemachus was diagnosed with autism at a time when speech and support services were scarce. Watching her family navigate those challenges helped shape her decision to pursue speech and language therapy, first in Greece and later in the United States. 

“Growing up alongside Telemachus, I witnessed firsthand both his challenges and my family’s determination to support him, an experience that profoundly shaped my career path,” she said. 

She earned her bachelor’s degree at the Technological Educational Institute of Patras, followed by a master’s degree from Ohio University and a doctorate from Illinois, making her return to campus especially meaningful. 

“This moment is a full circle,” Hanley-Maxwell noted in introducing Malandraki. 

Colleagues describe Malandraki as a leader who blends rigorous science with compassion and mentorship. Beyond her research achievements, she has served in key leadership roles, including as president of the Dysphagia Research Society, and is widely recognized for her commitment to evidence-based care and collaborative scholarship. 

In accepting the professorship, Malandraki emphasized gratitude and responsibility. 

“I accept the Khan Professorship with humility, gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility,” she said. “To my family, mentors, trainees, collaborators and colleagues, thank you for being my roots, my support system and my inspiration.” 

Kim Graber, left, Georgia Malandraki, center, and Wendy Rogers, far right, are the three Khan Professors of Applied Health Sciences, as endowed by Shahid Khan, right. (Photo by Mike Heiniger)

She framed the honor not as an endpoint, but as a platform for continued impact, particularly in improving access to care and advancing research that bridges science and clinical practice. 

“May our work continue to grow strong branches, deeply rooted in those who came before us, and reaching ever higher toward a future that improves lives,” she said. 

The ceremony concluded with closing remarks from Hanley-Maxwell, who highlighted the collective effort behind the achievement, from donors and university leadership to colleagues and family members. 

“Dr. Malandraki, congratulations once again,” she said. “We are proud to celebrate your achievements and excited for the impact you will continue to make as the Khan Professor.” 

As attendees gathered for a reception following the ceremony, the significance of the moment lingered, not just as a celebration of one scholar’s accomplishments, but as a testament to the interplay of opportunity, philanthropy and purpose. 

In the language of Malandraki’s sister’s verse, the investiture honored both the strength of the roots and the promise of the branches yet to grow. 

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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Champaign-Urbana celebrates ‘World Voice Day’

April 15, 2026 | Ethan Simmons

Faculty members in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science brought “World Voice Day” to both cities and the University of Illinois.

Our vocal folds are roughly the length of our thumbnail, and yet they enable us to speak, sing, laugh and share our favorite stories.  

On April 16, the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana—home to the University of Illinois—will recognize World Voice Day, an international celebration of the human voice that shines a spotlight on vocal health. 

Behind the scenes, both proclamations were driven by clinicians and instructors at the Department of Speech and Hearing Science, based in the College of Applied Health Sciences.

“We wanted to bring World Voice Day to both Champaign and Urbana to raise awareness at the community level and emphasize that voice health is relevant to everyone, not just professionals or individuals already seeking care,” said Mariana Mendes Bahia, assistant professor of speech and hearing science. “Voice disorders can affect anyone in our community, and recognizing this day at the city level helps extend awareness beyond the clinic or classroom.” 

Bahia was inspired by the advocacy of Dysphonia International, an association that supports people with voice disorders. Clarion Mendes, clinical associate professor at SHS, encouraged her to get the day recognized locally. The Department of SHS and officials from both cities were fully supportive. 

Champaign city council member Matt Gladney reads the World Voice Day proclamation for the city, with Speech and Hearing Science students and faculty in attendance. (Jeff Hamilton | City of Champaign)
  • On Tuesday, April 14, Champaign city council member Matthew Gladney read the World Voice Day proclamation in the city council chambers, with Speech and Hearing Science faculty and students present. 
  • On Thursday, April 16, at 11:15 a.m., Urbana city council member James Quisenberry will come to the Speech and Hearing Science building to proclaim World Voice Day for Urbana, with the whole department in attendance.

A wide range of professions rely on the voice—not just performers. Actors, singers and broadcasters may come to mind, but retail workers, healthcare providers and teachers also lean on their vocal ability and presence every day at work. 

Mariana Mendes Bahia outside the Speech and Hearing Science Building. (Photo by Ethan Simmons | Applied Health Sciences)

And for reasons that aren’t fully understood, the rate of voice disorders appears to be rising in the United States, Mendes said. An estimated 17.9 million adults in the U.S. reportedly experienced a problem with their voice in the last year, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

“I think of individuals who may not realize the demands they place on their voice, and individuals experiencing voice disorders, for whom communication becomes effortful, limited or even distressing,” said Bahia, who researches swallowing disorders, clinically known as dysphagia.  

To Mendes, World Voice Day is an “extraordinary confluence of art and science,” exciting her students about anatomy and physiology, while showcasing an important part of the speech-language pathology vocation: outreach, education and illness prevention. 

“This day is a reminder that even if we studied and analyzed the voice 24/7, mysteries would still abound, and sometimes we can benefit from taking a pause and simply enjoy the wonder that is the human voice and its capacity for moving us through song or story,” Mendes said. “The Department of Speech and Hearing Science has a legacy of championing the human voice, and it’s incredible to share this with our students and the public.” 

Undergraduate and graduate students in Speech and Hearing Science helped develop educational materials for World Voice Day; explainers on how to protect the voice and when to seek medical attention.

“Our goal is for individuals to better understand how their voice works, recognize early signs of potential problems, and adopt simple habits to protect their voice,” Bahia said. “We also hope these events encourage people to seek care when needed and to view voice health as an important part of overall well-being.”

The Department of Speech and Hearing Science will celebrate “World Voice Day” on Thursday, April 16, at 11:15 a.m. at the Speech and Hearing Science Building.

Editor’s note:

To reach Mariana Mendes Bahia, email mmbahia@illinois.edu.
To reach Clarion Mendes, email cmendes2@illinois.edu.
 

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Two AHS faculty members recognized for excellence in instruction

March 18, 2026 | Ethan Simmons

Recognized by the Office of the Provost: Speech and Hearing Science Associate Professor Mary Flaherty and Health and Kinesiology Instructor Christy Bazan

SHS Associate Professor Mary Flaherty (left) and HK Adjunct Instructor Christy Bazan were recognized for excellence in instruction.

Every year, the University of Illinois Office of the Provost recognizes faculty members for excellence in instruction, who are nominated by committees of faculty, staff and students at each college.

This year, two Applied Health Sciences faculty members won campus awards for their teaching and mentorship in the classroom: Speech and Hearing Science Associate Professor Mary Flaherty won for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, and Health and Kinesiology Adjunct Instructor Christy Bazan won for Excellence in Online Teaching.

Both instructors will be recognized at the university’s Celebration of Academic Excellence on Wednesday, March 25, at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

On top of mentoring student researchers through her Child Speech Research Lab, Flaherty teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in Speech and Hearing Science, such as SHS 358: Understanding Research Methods in Communications Sciences and Disorders and SHS 352: Hearing Health and Society, along with advanced SHS 552: Pediatric Audiology and SHS 570: Evidence-Based Practice for SLPs and AuDs.

Bazan, a licensed environmental health practitioner, teaches several community health-oriented classes in the college and Department of Health and Kinesiology, including AHS 199: Applied Data Solutions in Health Sciences, HK 204: Drug Use and Misuse—a subject she co-authored a book on—HK 207: Introduction to Epidemiology and HK 408: Environmental Health.

The College of Applied Health Sciences asked them about what this recognition means to them, and what they’d like to say to students past and present.

What does this recognition mean to you?

Bazan: I am honored and grateful to receive this online teaching award.  With support from AHS and my colleagues, many doors were opened to me that allowed me to grow in teaching in online environments.  From course redesign, Open Education development, video recoding lectures and developing online content, I have placed emphasis in my courses that shows how important it is to ensure students learn and have experiences just like they might when taking an in-person course.

Flaherty: This recognition means a great deal to me because my undergraduate teaching is centered on helping students learn how to evaluate information responsibly and use evidence thoughtfully in real-world decisions. Many students encounter an overwhelming amount of health and science information online, and a core goal of my teaching is to help them distinguish credible evidence from oversimplified or misleading claims. I aim to make research feel accessible and relevant, while also supporting students as individuals through structure, feedback, and mentorship. Being recognized for this work affirms the importance of teaching students not just what to learn, but how to think, question and apply evidence with care.

Anything you’d like to say to past and current students?

Bazan: My goal as an educator is to cultivate learners who are critical thinkers, empathetic communicators and lifelong learners. I want students to leave my courses not only with knowledge of content but with the confidence and tools to apply that knowledge ethically and creatively in their own lives and in their own communities. Keep learning, learn things in new ways, connect with your professor and your peers in your online classes and engage thoughtfully in an increasingly interconnected world.

Flaherty: This award belongs to my students. I love teaching, and I care deeply about undergraduates and their growth, both inside and outside the classroom. My students show up with curiosity, honesty and a willingness to engage deeply, and they continually remind me why this work matters. Their questions, perspectives and trust shape how I teach, and their commitment to learning pushes me to be a better instructor every year. I am grateful to every student who has shared their time, effort and openness with me. This recognition reflects what we have built together.

Editor’s note:

To reach Mary Flaherty, email maryflah@illinois.edu.
To reach Christy Bazan, email cbazan3@illinois.edu.
 

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Master of Health Administration program receives accreditation

Feb. 25, 2026

CAHME Announces the Initial Accreditation of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Master of Health Administration

Lynne Barnes is director of the MHA program and a longtime healthcare executive.

The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) Board of Directors approved the initial accreditation of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Applied Health Sciences’ Master of Health Administration for a four-year term.

The accreditation affirms that the Illinois MHA program meets CAHME’s high standards for healthcare management education and demonstrates a strong commitment to academic excellence, professional preparation and continuous improvement.

“We are pleased to have the recognition of the premier accrediting body for master’s degrees in health administration,” said Lynne Barnes, clinical professor and director of the MHA program and a longtime healthcare administrator. “The requirements are rigorous and further strengthen the quality of education and number of opportunities that we are providing for our students. This distinction will allow us to continue to attract top students from across the country and internationally.”

The four-year term of accreditation marks a significant milestone for the Illinois MHA program and reinforces its commitment to educating the next generation of healthcare leaders. An online MHA degree program will launch in 2026, along with several graduate certificates that will enhance specialized training in the field.

Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell, dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences—where the MHA program is housed in the Department of Health and Kinesiology—emphasized the significance of the milestone for the university and its students.

“This accreditation reflects the dedication and collaboration of our faculty and staff in building a curriculum that prepares graduates to become highly effective healthcare management professionals,” Hanley-Maxwell said. “Our mission is to equip students with the leadership skills, analytical expertise, and ethical foundation necessary to improve healthcare delivery systems and advance health outcomes in Illinois and beyond.”

CAHME accreditation is widely recognized as the benchmark of quality in graduate healthcare management education. Programs that earn accreditation undergo an extensive self-study process and peer review to ensure alignment with standards designed to prepare graduates for leadership roles in healthcare organizations.

“CAHME’s mission is to advance the quality of healthcare management education,” said Al Faber, interim president and CEO of CAHME. “CAHME-accredited programs have successfully navigated a complex and careful accreditation process managed by experts in the study and practice of healthcare management. The program meets the rigorous standards set by leading academicians and practitioners who are experts in their fields.”

 For more information, visit cahme.org. 

Editor’s note:

To reach CAHME, email dalexander@cahme.org .
 

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A message to Speech and Hearing Science, from Department Head Georgia Malandraki

Feb 02, 2026 | AHS Staff

“I welcome perspectives from everyone (…) because the future we create together will be stronger for it.“

Georgia Malandraki, professor and department head of Speech and Hearing Science, has begun her second month as department head. (Ethan Simmons/College of AHS)

Dear Speech and Hearing Science community,

It is with pride and a deep sense of responsibility that I begin my role as Head of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science. Returning to Illinois, where I completed my Ph.D. and where many of our distinguished faculty shaped my early career, feels like coming home. It is both humbling and exciting to now have the opportunity to give back to the community that supported me from the start.

Over the past several months, I have begun to learn the many stories, strengths, and aspirations that make SHS such a vibrant community. Every conversation with faculty, staff, and students has reminded me of something I have known since I was a student here: SHS is a community where excellence and compassion go hand in hand, and where people genuinely care about making an impact. I am grateful to join you as we continue building on that foundation together.

I am thankful to be joining the department at a time of remarkable momentum, built under the leadership of former Head and Professor Pamela Hadley and Dean Cheryl Hanley Maxwell. The shared governance model, the selfless and dedicated service of faculty, the collective passion for impactful research and clinical training, and the strong commitment to inclusion that I have witnessed during this transition are outstanding.

Equally impressive is the work ethic and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students, clear indicators of the remarkable potential ahead. Importantly, the support and enriching environment provided by the College of Applied Health Sciences and the University as a whole foster collaboration, innovation, and sustained excellence, creating the conditions for SHS to grow and continue its legacy as one of the leading departments in the state and the country.

As we look toward the future, I see a department that not only sustains this legacy but continues to grow its reach locally, nationally, and globally. Together, we will focus on our shared goals:

  • Strengthening our position as a global leader in research and clinical training in communication sciences and disorders
  • Empowering students through exceptional and forward-thinking education
  • Expanding our engagement with communities and partners who rely on our expertise
  • Growing the resources and support needed to enhance discovery, education, and service

These are meaningful goals, and I am confident we can achieve them. The talent, commitment, and heart I see within SHS are truly remarkable.

In the coming months, I look forward to hearing your ideas, learning from your experiences, and working with you to shape the next chapter of SHS. I welcome perspectives from everyone—students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends—because the future we create together will be stronger for it.

Thank you for the very warm welcome. I am inspired by this department, energized by its potential, and honored to walk forward with you.

With warmest regards,
Georgia A. Malandraki, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-S, ASHA Fellow
Professor and Head

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SHS researchers patent method to extract speech from noise using high frequencies

Dec. 18, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

Extended high frequencies, above 8 kHz, can make speech more intelligible in noisy environments.  

Associate Professor Brian Monson and Speech and Hearing Science Ph.D. student Rohit Ananthanarayana.

When we speak, the air moving through our vocal cords generates soundwaves vibrating at different frequencies: the higher the frequency, the higher the pitch. 

Most of our modern audio technology, including hearing aids, headphones, and phone conversations chop off the “top end” of these soundwaves to compress the information coming in while keeping speech understandable. 

But these extended high frequencies—8,000 Hz and above—contain important signals in the human voice, especially for comprehending speech in noisy environments. 

Two researchers in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Associate Professor Brian Monson and doctoral student Rohit Ananthanarayana, have patented an algorithm to identify and extract speech signals from noise by using extended high-frequency information. 

The technique is novel, and with some investment, could be mapped onto existing modern hearing aids, earbuds and more. 

Where are these high frequencies useful? Picture a restaurant date where you’re trying to pay attention to your partner speaking on the other end of the table, and voices of other customers are bouncing all around you. 

“In those noisy settings in particular, that’s when these higher frequencies become valuable,” Monson said. “All the background noise masks out and interferes with those low frequencies, whereas these really high frequencies tend to stay pretty stable and unmasked, undegraded by the background noise.” 

Humans can hear frequencies vibrating from 20 Hz all the way up to 20,000 Hz. Most modern hearing aids capture frequencies up to 6,000 Hz, which covers most everyday sounds. Most clinical hearing tests don’t test subjects’ hearing above this range. 

Consonant sounds called “voiceless fricatives,” such as “s,” “sh,” “f” and “ph” sounds, contain energy above 8,000 Hz. Through grant-funded experiments, the researchers have shown the usefulness of these high-end frequencies—such as determining whether someone is facing you and speaking, or if they’re facing a different direction. 

In those noisy settings in particular, that’s when these higher frequencies become valuable.

Brian Monson

Associate Professor, Department of Speech and Hearing Science at Illinois

One experiment conducted by Monson and Ananthanarayana asked participants to listen to another person speaking, with and without the high-frequency range, and determine whether the speech was directed at them or not. 

“If you test listeners’ ability to perform this task, to determine whether someone’s looking at you or looking away, they do quite a bit better at that task if they have access to those really high frequencies,” Monson said.

While performing high-frequency research, the algorithm became an interesting side project to work on. The algorithm was developed to be retrofitted as well: the listening benefits could be implemented on existing tech with a firmware update. 

“We wanted to find some way to utilize the information in those extended high frequencies to enhance the target speech signal,” said Ananthanarayana, who began his Ph.D. at Illinois in 2021. “We identified a way that was novel but also feasible to try out with the resources and time that we had.” 

The patent itself was four years in the making; Monson filed the provisional patent in December 2021, and the two researchers used their backgrounds in electrical engineering to test, code and strengthen the algorithm further. 

To test its efficacy, they ran the algorithm on simulated speech recordings, where the “target talker” uttered short sentences in a noisy environment. The algorithm was judged for its ability to enhance the target signal’s clarity while suppressing background noise. 

Together with the Office of Technology Management, Ananthanarayana and Monson put together their patent application to safeguard their idea, which was awarded in October. 

“Ideally, someone would take interest in this—whether that’s us or someone else—and run with it to see if it’s implementable in hearing aid technology or other assistive listening device tech, like over-the-counter hearing aids, earbuds, headphones,” Monson said. “We think there’s potential there.”

Editor’s note:

The patent “Speech Identification and Extraction from Noise Using Extended High Frequency Information” was approved in October 2025. 

To reach Brian Monson, email monson@illinois.edu 
To reach Rohit Ananthanarayana, email rohitma2@illinois.edu
 

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Illinois Speech and Hearing Science at ASHA 2025

Assistant Professor Meaghan McKenna won the 2025 ASHA Early Career Contributions in Research Award. (Provided)

The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) held the 2025 ASHA Convention from Nov. 20–22 in Washington, D.C.

Our Department of Speech and Hearing Science at Illinois was well-represented: several SHS faculty and graduate students were in attendance to accept awards and present seminars on their research and teaching contributions.

SHS faculty and students’ ASHA Awards

  • Assistant Professor Meaghan McKenna is being awarded the 2025 ASHA Early Career Contributions in Research Award
  • Ph.D. student Tracy Preza is being awarded an ASHFoundation Student Research Grant in Early Childhood Language Development
  • Ph.D. student Eliza Baby and mentor Professor Raksha Mudar are being awarded a Research Mentoring-Pair Travel Award
  • Ph.D. student Daniela Fanta Alarco is selected for the ASHA Student Leadership Program
  • M.A. student Raina Harpalani is being awarded an ASHFoundation Graduate Scholarship

SHS faculty and students’ talks

Thursday, Nov. 20

12:30 p.m.—Poster: “Examining the Effectiveness and Feasibility of a WebBased First Grade Writing Intervention”
McKenna, M.
Location: CC/Poster (Hall D); Screen #: 134

4:30 p.m.—Poster: “Measuring Functional Communication in Mild Cognitive Impairment”
Lydon, E., Wallace, N., Mudar, R.
Location: CC/Poster (Hall D); Screen #: 134

6 p.m.—One-hour seminar (Invited): “The Speech Accessibility Project: Reflections on Technological Innovation & Visions for Communication Empowerment”
Mendes, C.
Location: CC/151B (Lvl 1)

Friday, Nov. 21

8 a.m.—One-hour seminar: “Building on Legacy, Transforming Practice: Tools to Support SLP Engagement with Multi-Tiered Systems of Support”
Sylvan, L., McKenna, M., Ireland, M.
Location: CC/202A (Lvl 2)

11 a.m.—One-hour seminar: “Imitation and Lexical Overlap in Toddlers with Language Delays: Automated Coding and Sequential Analysis”
Harrington, E., Hadley, P.
Location: Marr/Independence Salon F/G/H (Mtg Lvl 4, LL)

1:30 p.m.—One-hour seminar (Invited): “Research Symposium on Hearing: The Utility of Extended High-Frequency Hearing and Assessment for Speech Communication”
Monson, B., Calandruccio, L.
Location: CC/151B (Lvl 1)

5:30 p.m.—Technical/Research Presentation: “Practice improvement in swallowing management: Using skill-based training in hospitalized post-stroke patients with dysphagia”
Bahia, M.M., Rogers, K., Carpenter, J., Cherney, L.R.
Location: Marr/Liberty Salon K (Mtg Lvl 4, LL)

Speech and Hearing Science faculty and students gathered at this year’s ASHA conference. (Provided)

Saturday, Nov. 22

11 a.m.—One-hour seminar: “Addressing Elementary Writing When Delivering Intervention: Preparing Young Children for Success in School and Life”
McKenna, M.
Location: CC/204B (Lvl 2)
** Designated as a Centennial Session!

Meet Jerri and Lesli, our newest American Sign Language instructors

Oct. 16, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

New Speech and Hearing Science instructors Lesli Williams and Jerri Seremeth are both “native signers”—they grew up learning American Sign Language as their first language and primary mode of communication. They joined the Department of Speech and Hearing Science this fall, and teach classes remotely.

Lesli Williams (Provided)
Which classes are you teaching this year?

Jerri: I’m teaching two ASL III (SHS 321) courses and re-designing SHS 222: Language & Culture of Deaf Communities.

Lesli: This year, I’m teaching SHS 121: American Sign Language I, SHS 221: American Sign Language II and SHS 321: American Sign Language III.

Why did you want to become an ASL Instructor for the U. of I.? What attracted you to the role?

Jerri: It’s a great opportunity to teach at U. of I., which has a well-known and highly respected team in the U.S. I come from a Deaf family and love sharing my authentic background.

Lesli: I was drawn to the position because of its commitment to inclusive education and strong support for language and cultural diversity. The opportunity to teach ASL at a university level allows me to share the richness of Deaf culture with a broader audience and help bridge communication between Deaf and hearing communities.

Tell us about your life and career experience. How did you become an instructor of American Sign Language, and where has that taken you so far?

Jerri: I began teaching ASL in 2014 at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Jerri Seremeth (Provided)

Lesli: My journey with ASL started at the age of 2, I learned from a Deaf Mentor, Bob Laughna, self-taught books and old VHS signing videos, and learned signs from the Deaf Community. I grew up in only-mainstream education with no Deaf programs in my elementary, middle and high school. I graduated from Negaunee High School in 2005. I graduated from Northern Michigan University with associate’s degree in cosmetology, which I worked in salons for 15 years.

Over time, I developed a deep appreciation not just for the language, but for the culture and history of the Deaf community. After finishing up my cosmetology journey, I pursued a bachelor’s degree in Deaf Studies from Gallaudet University in 2015 and Masters in Adult Education and Training, specializing in Technology from University of Phoenix in 2017.  I eventually began teaching in 2017 at my alma mater Northern Michigan University while pursing my master’s with University of Phoenix at the same time.

Since then, I’ve taught in various settings—Northern Michigan University, where I did face-to-face and online teaching from 2017 to 2025, and Columbia College, where I taught online for the last two years, and I just started my new teaching career here at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign this semester —and have loved seeing students grow in both skill and cultural understanding.

If you had to choose, what is the most rewarding part of being an ASL instructor for you?

Jerri: The most rewarding part is being able to teach my language and culture, giving students exposure that helps them understand us better.

Lesli: One of the most rewarding parts of teaching ASL is witnessing students make meaningful connections—not just linguistically, but culturally. When students begin to understand Deaf culture and the importance of visual language, it opens their eyes to a whole new way of experiencing communication.

For those who haven’t taken any ASL classes, or those who aren’t familiar with the Deaf community, what do you think they would find the most surprising about American Sign Language or how it’s taught?

Jerri: They might be surprised by how important facial expressions are—they make up about 70% of our language.

Lesli: Many people are surprised to learn that ASL is a complete and complex language with its own grammar and syntax completely separate from English. They’re also often surprised by how interactive and visual ASL classes are—learning through movement, facial expressions, and storytelling is very different from traditional classroom learning.

Is there anything else you’d like folks in the department to know about you?

Jerri: My husband and I have eight children together. Our youngest is an exchange student from Africa, and all of our children are Deaf. Also, hiking is my favorite escape!

Lesli: I’m passionate about creating inclusive and engaging spaces for all learners. I also love collaborating with others in the department and beyond to promote awareness of Deaf culture and language. Outside the classroom, I enjoy walking, hiking, camping, playing with my beautiful daughters—ages 6, 5 and 2 years old—and attending Deaf events and traveling, which often feed back into my teaching. 

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