Holden Allen, is a Doctoral Student in Florida State University's School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Holden completed his B.S. and M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. His interests are in early language and literacy development and support. As an individual with Central Core Disease, a rare form of muscular dystrophy, and a proud member of the Disability Community, Holden also has research interests in supporting disabled students in higher education settings and preparing future field professionals for encountering disabled clientele.
Brielle Babcock is a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology as well as a FIREFLIES fellow. Brielle’s research interests include the implementation of evidence-based reading interventions. Brielle is most interested in supporting preschool and early elementary teachers. Her accompanying interests include language acquisition, classroom management, and applied behavior analysis.
Re'Shaun Blake is a FIREFLIES fellow & McKnight Affiliate pursuing her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Reading Education and Language Arts. She earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology from the Florida A&M University. Before starting the Ph.D. program, Re'Shaun worked as an early childhood educator, teaching children from age 3rd to 1st grade. Her research interests include culturally responsive teaching, early literacy development, and research-practice partnerships.
Yarui Chen is a first-year Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Learning and Cognition, under the mentorship of Dr. Phillips. Her research centers on early childhood language development, particularly in children with communicative disorders, and examines the roles parents and teachers play in this process. Prior to her Ph.D., Yarui earned a master’s degree in TESOL and Applied Linguistics from Boston University, where she contributed to the Social Learning Lab and the Boston University Conference on Language Development.
Christopher DeCamp is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology, as well as a FIREFLIES fellow. Christopher is interested in intervention efficacy, with a specific focus on improving outcomes for children with reading disabilities, as well as executive function's role in academic achievement.
Jordan Dozier is a third year PhD student at Florida State University and an Office of Special Education Programs fellow. He is interested in dyslexia, word reading development, and adolescent literacy. Specifically, he is interested in how student word reading abilities develop alongside the increasingly complex words they are expected to read over the course of schooling. He has experience as a classroom teacher, literacy interventionist, and school leader.
Currently, he is working on a project funded by the Institute of Education Sciences that focuses on instructional techniques to support students with dyslexia in reading complex words. He is also involved in a grant funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development exploring new predictors of word reading growth from kindergarten to first grade. Additionally, Jordan is a mentee on a new Learning Disabilities Innovation Hub Grant funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. As a mentee on this interdisciplinary LD Hub grant, Jordan will have the opportunity to work with scientists with diverse skills and areas of expertise.
Lexi Elara is a Ph.D. student in the Educational Psychology department Learning and Cognition program, as well as a FIREFLIES fellow. She is interested in early language and literacy development and interventions for students at-risk for reading disabilities.
Marleigh Elmore is a Curriculum and Instruction Ph.D. student in the School of Teacher Education, majoring in Reading Education. She is a Project TRANSLATE fellow working with Dr. Sonia Cabell. Marleigh graduated in 2023 from Florida State University Panama City with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She holds endorsements in Reading Education, Gifted Education, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and Literacy Coaching. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Marleigh taught second grade in Bay County, Florida. Her research interests include improving reading and language comprehension in young children and translating educational research into effective practice for diverse educational stakeholders.
C.J. Espittia is a Ph.D. student in Reading Education and Language Arts, as well as an R2D2 fellow working with Dr. Sonia Cabell. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2020 with her master's degree in early childhood education. Before starting her Ph.D., she worked in Miami-Dade County as a 2nd grade reading teacher and a preschool teacher. C.J.’s research interests include early literacy prevention and intervention for high-risk populations, as well as bridging the gap between research and practice for early childhood stakeholders. Through R2D2, she will also be pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia at the University of Florida.
Stephanie Estrera is a Ph.D. student in Developmental Psychology and a FIREFLIES fellow. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Computer Science in 2018 at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to starting her Ph.D. program, she served in the Philippines with the Peace Corps as an education volunteer, focusing on community-based literacy projects. Stephanie is interested in the genetic and environmental factors that impact reading, open science practices, and science communication.
Marie Fraser is a Ph.D. student in Special Education, as well as a FIREFLIES fellow working with Dr. Jenny Root. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2018 with a Master's in Teaching, specializing in English Education. Before beginning her Ph.D., she taught Middle School Language Arts in Tallahassee where she grew a passion for working with students with specific learning needs. Marie's research interests include reading motivation and using novels to build social-emotional skills and community culture in neurodiverse classrooms.
Laurel is currently a Ph.D student in Special Education as a part of the School of Teacher Education. She has a research interest in raising student literacy and learning opportunities particularly in students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She has additional research interests in behavioral analysis and learning strategies for students with behavioral disorders. Laurel completed her Bachelor of Arts at Flagler college earning a degree in Elementary Education as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education. Her Master’s was earned at Florida State University in Educational Psychology.
Prior to becoming a Ph.D student, Laurel was a teacher in third, fourth, and fifth grade inclusive classroom environments. These environments were a key component in her wanting to better support students with special needs.
As a dedicated and enthusiastic scholar, Zahra Gholami is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in the Higher Education program at Florida State University. With a strong foundation in Educational Management, Zahra earned her first Ph.D. from Kharazmi University. Currently serving as a Research Assistant at the Florida Center for Reading Research, Zahra actively contributes to cutting-edge research initiatives. Her work encompasses a diverse range of interests, including qualitative methods, research design, and educational policy and practices.
James Hernández is a Ph.D. student in the Learning and Cognition Program in the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems at Florida State University. As a former teacher James’ program of research is founded in supporting teachers in adapting their practices to maximize learning. At the Florida Center for Reading Research, James has contributed to the “Summary of 20 years of Research on the Effectiveness of Early Literacy Curricula and Instructional Practices." He has also assisted on the “Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Language and Vocabulary Project," a professional development state-wide coach and teacher training in both Mississippi and Florida. He is interested in innovative schools, classroom management, adaptive education, and assessment design.
Hannah Hudson, of the Communication Science and Disorders Department at Florida State University, is a PhD Student in Dr. Carla Wood’s lab. Hannah has a strong interest in language acquisition as it relates to literacy development and language acquisition/development as it relates to expressive language abilities. In addition she is interested in language disorders, learning disabilities, and reading and language comprehension.
Ashley Ippolito, a Doctoral Student at Florida State University in the School of Communication Sciences & Disorders. Ashley completed a B.S. in Cognitive Science, a B.A. in Linguistics, and a minor in Education at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She completed a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of the Pacific (School of Health Sciences). Ashley has a keen interest in literacy, literacy disorders, developmental language disorders, and language development with a focus on school-aged multilingual children.
Rachelle Johnson is a Ph.D. student in Developmental Psychology, as well as a FIREFLIES fellow. Rachelle’s goal is to further our understanding and support of students with learning disabilities. Her research focuses on the role psychological factors, particularly motivation, play in the academic achievement of students with learning disabilities.
Madison Kellenberger is a Ph.D. student in special education and an Office of Special Education Programs Predoctoral Training Fellow. She is interested in how children develop word reading and spelling abilities and how this development can be accelerated for students who are at risk for or identified with dyslexia. Before attending Florida State University, Madison was a special and general education teacher in Florida public schools.
Shaylyn King-St. Remy is a Ph.D. student in the School of Communication Science and Disorders, as well as a FIREFLIES & McKnight fellow. She is interested in contextual factors that influence language development, literacy skills of linguistically diverse and vulnerable populations, cultural dialect, and policy related to reading and special education. Shaylyn has previous work experience as a school-based Speech-Language Pathologist in Title 1 schools in Central Florida.
Peter Marti is a Ph.D. student in the College of Education under Dr. Laura Steacy and Dr. Kelly Whalon. He is also a R2D2 fellow. Peter is interested in researching ways to increase literacy for students with autism, dyslexia, and from culturally & linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Adjua McNeil is a graduate student in the School of Teacher Education who studies instructional design to enhance reading development. Her work in education has supported culturally and linguistically diverse students through curriculum development, program management, and teacher training. She has collaborated with institutions like Educational Testing Services, City of Philadelphia’s Office of Adult Education, and Fresno Unified School District.
Kaitlyn Mixon is a Ph.D. student in Reading Education and Language Arts at Florida State University, working under the advisement of Dr. Sonia Cabell. She is also a fellow with Project TRANSLATE. Kaitlyn earned her undergraduate degree in early childhood education from Florida State University in 2011 and has spent the past 14 years in the Leon County School District, where she served as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, and district curriculum developer. Her research interests are on the roles of language acquisition, vocabulary development, and background knowledge in shaping reading comprehension outcomes, particularly for young learners. Through her work with Project TRANSLATE, she is also investigating how to more effectively translate reading research into practical, accessible strategies for classrooms, educators, and families.
Mary Allison is a Ph.D. student and Triple L Fellow in the School of Communication Science Disorders, studying under Dr. Kelly Farquharson's direction. She graduated from Valdosta State University in 2022 and 2020 with an M.Ed. and a B.S.Ed. in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD), respectively. Mary Allison was a CSD graduate research assistant overseeing the Scottish-Rite Literacy Enhancement Project, which identified kindergarteners at risk for dyslexia in a large public school system. She also gained valuable leadership experience as the Georgia Student State Officer for the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association. Mary Allison’s research interests include the comorbidity of speech sound disorders and literacy impairments, the impact of sonority on phonological task performance, early identification and intervention procedures related to dyslexia in public schools, and the speech language pathologist’s role in school-based reading initiatives. Her teaching interests include clinical phonetics and childhood speech sound disorders.
Youngmin is a Ph.D. student at the Department of Educational Psychology in the Learning and Cognition program. She was an elementary school teacher in Seoul of Korea before starting her Ph.D degree. She is interested in elementary students' reading development and reading intervention to facilitate their reading for understanding.
Leah is a Ph.D. student in the Education Policy and Evaluation program in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Before attending FSU, she worked as a middle school teacher in the metro-Atlanta area and credits her students for inspiring her to pursue her dreams of obtaining a graduate degree. Leah's research interests include teacher working conditions, teachers' perspectives of discipline practices, and increasing and diversifying the teacher pipeline.
Jessica Ritchie is a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology. Jessica’s research interests include the implementation of evidence-based mental health instruction for K-5th teachers. Jessica is most interested in promoting positive mental health classroom environments. Her accompanying interests include implementation science, teacher attitudes and biases surrounding mental health.
Jasmine Smith is a Ph.D. student in the School of Communication Science and Disorders, as well as a FIREFLIES & McKnight fellow. Jasmine is interested in language and literacy development in linguistically diverse and vulnerable populations. Jasmine has previous work experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist in public schools.
Ashley Sposato is a Ph.D. student in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Special Education. She is also a Project TRANSLATE fellow, working under the mentorship of Dr. Jenny Root. Before beginning her doctoral studies, Ashley worked in Leon County Schools, where she taught in a self-contained ESE classroom (K–5) and discovered her passion for supporting diverse learners. She also has experience teaching first grade and providing reading intervention. In her final year in the district, she served as a behavior specialist, focusing on the implementation of behavior support strategies in classrooms. Ashley’s research interests focus on differentiating instruction and increasing access to the general curriculum to support and improve literacy outcomes for students with disabilities.
Rebecca Vasile is a doctoral candidate in Reading Education and Language Arts, as well as an Office of Special Education Programs Predoctoral fellow through the R2D2 program. Rebecca graduated from Florida State University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a minor in child development. In addition to her doctoral coursework at Florida State, Rebecca earned a graduate certificate in Dyslexia at the University of Florida in 2024. Currently, Rebecca works with Dr. Sonia Cabell. Her core interest is in language acquisition and how the nature of the environment impacts language learning from birth to age 5 and consequently later reading ability.
Cristian Vazquez is a developmental psychology PH.D. student working with Dr. Christopher Schatschneider and Dr. Don Compton. Cristian is a FIREFLIES fellow & McKnight Affiliate and has a strong interest in research design, measurement, and statistical methodology. He is interested in educational psychology, learning disabilities, and reading and language comprehension.
Christine White is a Ph.D. student in Developmental Psychology and a FIREFLIES fellow. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research interests include evaluating, comparing, and improving school-based dyslexia screening systems, creating free online tools to support educators' evidence-based decision-making, open science, and advanced data analysis/visualization.
