PhD '18 Alumni

What year did you start the program? 2014

Lauren is Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Project Coordinator in the South Carolina Research on Language and Literacy Lab at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. She is working on two NIH-funded studies led by her mentor, Suzanne Adlof, PhD, that will investigate word learning and reading abilities in children with developmental language disorders from kindergarten through fourth grade. Tiffany Hogan is a Co-PI with Suzanne Adlof on one of the NIH studies.

What are your prior degrees and at which institutions?
BS, Communication Disorders, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2009
MS, Speech-Language Pathology, MGH Institute of Health Professions, 2011

What were your research settings?
2014-2018: Mentor: Tiffany Hogan, PhD, CCC-SLP, Director
Lab: Speech, Language and Literacy (SAiL) Lab, MGH Institute of Health Professions

2016-2018: Mentors: Pamela E. Hook PhD, and Elizabeth Crawford Brooke, PhD, CCC-SLP
Setting: Lexia: A Rosetta Stone Company

What was your dissertation title?
"Factors that Influence Learning for Children with Language and Literacy Impairments"

On what was your research focused?
My broad interests are language, literacy, and cognition. I worked on a project that looked at how children with dyslexia learn new words. The project explored the interaction of language skills and working memory abilities.

What publications or external presentations have you produced that are based on the research you did while in the program?

Baron, L. S., Hogan, T. P., Alt, M., Gray, S., Cabbage, K. L., Green, S., & Cowan, N. (2018).  "Children With Dyslexia Benefit from Orthographic Facilitation During Spoken Word Learning."  Journal of Speech Language Hearing Research, 61(8), 2002-2014.

Mitchell, A., Baron, L. & Macaruso, P. (2018). "Assessment without testing: Using performance measures embedded in a technology-based instructional program as indicators of reading ability." Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 27(2), 179-192.

Baron, L., Hogan, T. & Christodoulou, J. (2018, November). Working memory and response to intervention for elementary students at risk of reading difficulty. American Speech Language and Hearing Association Annual Convention, Boston, MA.

Mitchell, A., Baron, L., & Macaruso, P. (2018, March). Assessment Without Testing: Using Technology to Gather Information on Student Reading Needs. Poster presented at the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Empower18 Conference, Boston, MA.

Hogan, T.P. & Baron, L. (2017, November). How print boosts spoken word learning in children with dyslexia. In symposium led by S. Adlof entitled, Towards the understanding and improvement of word learning in children with language or reading impairment. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention, Los Angeles, CA.

Baron, L. S., Hogan, T. P., Schechter, R. S., & Brooke, E. C. (2017, October). Educational technology can effectively differentiate instruction for reader profiles. Poster presented at the 3rd Annual Meeting of the New England Research on Dyslexia Society, Storrs, CT.

Baron, L. S., Hogan, T. P., Schechter, R. S., & Brooke, E. C. (2017, July). Educational technology can effectively differentiate instruction for reader profiles. Poster presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading Annual Conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Mitchell, A., Baron, L. S., & Macaruso, P. (2017, June). Assessment Without Testing: Using performance measures embedded in a technology-based instructional program as indicators of reading ability. Educational Media & Technology Conference, Washington, DC.

Baron, L. S., Hogan, T. P., Alt, M., Shelley, G., Cabbage, K. L., Green, S. B., & Cowan, N. (2016, July). Predictors of orthographic boost during word learning in second-graders with dyslexia and language impairment. In symposium led by S. Adlof, entitled, Oral and written word learning in special populations: Dyslexia, SLI, and second-language learners. Society for the Scientific Study of Reading Annual Convention, Porto, Portugal.

Baron, L. S., Hogan, T. P., Alt, M., Shelley, G., Cabbage, K. L., Limson, C., Brinkley, S., Green, S. B., & Cowan, N. (2015, November). Orthographic influences on word learning by second-graders with comorbid dyslexia and specific language impairment. American Speech Language and Hearing Association Annual Convention, Denver, CO.

Hogan, T. P., Alt, M., Shelley, G., Baron, L. S., Cabbage, K. L., Green, S.B., & Cowan, N. (2015, July). Orthographic influences on word learning by second-graders with dyslexia and typical development. Society for the Scientific Study of Reading Annual Convention, Kohala Coast, HI.

Review Dr. Baron's CV.

What do you think is special about the PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences program here at the MGH Institute?
I think this program is special because it is housed within an institution that specializes in the health professions. The academic community’s shared focus on the health professions is evident in the coursework, skilled faculty teams, and extracurricular opportunities (guest lectures, networking, volunteering, etc.)  

Why did you choose to come to this program rather than a doctoral research program in your specific profession?
I came to this program because I was familiar with the Institute and the high-quality learning experience I would receive. I was also drawn to the interdisciplinary nature of this program. In my clinical work, I learned so much from those outside my profession. I knew being part of a program with PTs and OTs would expand my perspective and make me a better researcher. 

What are your goals for the future after you graduate?
I hope to work in an academic institution where I can do research as well as teach. I would like to explore the connection between language and executive function in school-age children. My ultimate goal is to make a difference in the clinical knowledge and practice of SLPs treating language and literacy disorders.