Lizbeth H. Finestack, PhD, CCC-SLP
Director, Child Language Intervention Lab (CLIL)
Dr. Finestack is a professor in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Her research focuses on identifying effective and efficient language assessments and interventions for children with significant language impairments, including children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Down syndrome, and autism.
Education:
- Post-doc Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin
- PhD, University of Kansas
- MA, University of Minnesota
- BA, University of Kansas
Olivia Matthys, CCC-SLP
Research Lab Manager
Olivia is a speech-language pathologist who has specialized in the pediatric population for the last 10 years. She is the current lab manager of the child language intervention lab and enjoys the world of research and discovery. During Olivia's free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog, cooking, being outdoors, and reading.
Lizbeth H. Finestack, PhD, CCC-SLP
Director, Child Language Intervention Lab (CLIL)
Dr. Finestack is a professor in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Her research focuses on identifying effective and efficient language assessments and interventions for children with significant language impairments, including children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Down syndrome, and autism.
Education:
- Post-doc Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin
- PhD, University of Kansas
- MA, University of Minnesota
- BA, University of Kansas
Olivia Matthys, CCC-SLP
Research Lab Manager
Olivia is a speech-language pathologist who has specialized in the pediatric population for the last 10 years. She is the current lab manager of the child language intervention lab and enjoys the world of research and discovery. During Olivia's free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog, cooking, being outdoors, and reading.
Current Students
Miriam Kornelis, CCC-SLP
Ph.D. Student: Research Assistant - Interventionist
Miriam is a Ph.D. student in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Miriam is a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) and graduate of Calvin University. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Miriam worked as an early childhood SLP for three years in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her research interests include language acquisition and disorders, bilingual language acquisition, bilingual intervention and evaluation, parent/caregiver coaching models, and school-based service delivery models. Miriam's goal is to work to close the research-to-practice gap within the realm of preschool, and school-age language disorders. Outside of her work and studies, she enjoys hiking, sewing, and making pottery.
Jamie Linert
Ph.D. Student: Research Assistant - Assessor
Jamie is a PhD student studying the cognition of language in neurodevelopmentally diverse language users. She has been working with Dr. Finestack since 2019 and officially joined CLIL in 2021. In addition to the research she does with CLIL, she's working on two independent research projects: an investigation of syntactic growth in adolescents with fragile X syndrome, and a scoping review of language ability in Smith-Magenis syndrome. When she's not studying, she enjoys listening to podcasts while knitting or gardening.
Liz Ancel, CCC-SLP
Ph.D. Student: Research Assistant - Interventionist
Liz Ancel is a third-year doctoral student in the Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences department at the University of Minnesota. She received a bachelor’s degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Purdue University. She has experience working clinically as a Speech-Language Pathologist with an early childhood population. In her research, she is interested in the role of prosodic variation in repetition tasks with children who have communication disorders.
HaeJi Lee, CCC-SLP
Ph.D. Student: Research Assistant - Interventionist
HaeJi is a PhD student in speech-language-hearing sciences at the University of minnesota. HaeJi is a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) and worked at a pediatric clinic in California as a Korean-English bilingual SLP for six years. Her research interest includes the treatment, assessment, and diagnosis of speech and language disabilities of multilingual and multicultural children. In addition, she would like to explore the effects of parents' and/or caregivers' language use, social interaction, and cultural components in early intervention. Her long-term goal is to develop a Korean-English bilingual assessment or screening tool for children for determining typical differences versus disordered characteristics. During her free time, she enjoys figure skating, working out, and watching movies.
Abigail Spoden, CCC-SLP
PhD Student: Research Assistant - Interventionist
Abbie is a PhD student in speech-language-hearing science at the University of Minnesota. She also received a bachelor's degree in Speech-Language-Hearing Science and a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Minnesota. She has worked clinically as a speech-language pathologist in both early childhood and elementary education settings. Her primary research interests lie in neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases in children and pediatric dysphagia.
Miriam Kornelis, CCC-SLP
Ph.D. Student: Research Assistant - Interventionist
Miriam is a Ph.D. student in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Miriam is a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) and graduate of Calvin University. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Miriam worked as an early childhood SLP for three years in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her research interests include language acquisition and disorders, bilingual language acquisition, bilingual intervention and evaluation, parent/caregiver coaching models, and school-based service delivery models. Miriam's goal is to work to close the research-to-practice gap within the realm of preschool, and school-age language disorders. Outside of her work and studies, she enjoys hiking, sewing, and making pottery.
Jamie Linert
Ph.D. Student: Research Assistant - Assessor
Jamie is a PhD student studying the cognition of language in neurodevelopmentally diverse language users. She has been working with Dr. Finestack since 2019 and officially joined CLIL in 2021. In addition to the research she does with CLIL, she's working on two independent research projects: an investigation of syntactic growth in adolescents with fragile X syndrome, and a scoping review of language ability in Smith-Magenis syndrome. When she's not studying, she enjoys listening to podcasts while knitting or gardening.
Liz Ancel, CCC-SLP
Ph.D. Student: Research Assistant - Interventionist
Liz Ancel is a third-year doctoral student in the Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences department at the University of Minnesota. She received a bachelor’s degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Purdue University. She has experience working clinically as a Speech-Language Pathologist with an early childhood population. In her research, she is interested in the role of prosodic variation in repetition tasks with children who have communication disorders.
HaeJi Lee, CCC-SLP
Ph.D. Student: Research Assistant - Interventionist
HaeJi is a PhD student in speech-language-hearing sciences at the University of minnesota. HaeJi is a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) and worked at a pediatric clinic in California as a Korean-English bilingual SLP for six years. Her research interest includes the treatment, assessment, and diagnosis of speech and language disabilities of multilingual and multicultural children. In addition, she would like to explore the effects of parents' and/or caregivers' language use, social interaction, and cultural components in early intervention. Her long-term goal is to develop a Korean-English bilingual assessment or screening tool for children for determining typical differences versus disordered characteristics. During her free time, she enjoys figure skating, working out, and watching movies.
Abigail Spoden, CCC-SLP
PhD Student: Research Assistant - Interventionist
Abbie is a PhD student in speech-language-hearing science at the University of Minnesota. She also received a bachelor's degree in Speech-Language-Hearing Science and a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Minnesota. She has worked clinically as a speech-language pathologist in both early childhood and elementary education settings. Her primary research interests lie in neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases in children and pediatric dysphagia.
Alum
Kirstin Kuchler, PhD, CCC-SLP
Kirstin earned her Ph.D. in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at the University of Minnesota October 2024. She came to Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) as a second career. Her undergraduate, from Augsburg University, is in Theatre Arts. As a licensed SLP, graduate of Truman State University, she worked in several settings including public schools and charter schools with K-12 students. She spent several years working with bilingual Hmong and Karen students and wants to research evaluations to better serve the bilingual population.
Katherine Bangert, PhD, CCC-SLP
Katie received her Ph.D. in the Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department at the University of Minnesota in 2020 and is now an assistant professor of the University of Wisconsin - River Falls.
Timothy Huang, PhD, CCC-SLP
Timothy Huang earned his Ph.D. in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences in 2020 and is now an assistant professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
Kirstin Kuchler, PhD, CCC-SLP
Kirstin earned her Ph.D. in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at the University of Minnesota October 2024. She came to Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) as a second career. Her undergraduate, from Augsburg University, is in Theatre Arts. As a licensed SLP, graduate of Truman State University, she worked in several settings including public schools and charter schools with K-12 students. She spent several years working with bilingual Hmong and Karen students and wants to research evaluations to better serve the bilingual population.
Katherine Bangert, PhD, CCC-SLP
Katie received her Ph.D. in the Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences Department at the University of Minnesota in 2020 and is now an assistant professor of the University of Wisconsin - River Falls.
Timothy Huang, PhD, CCC-SLP
Timothy Huang earned his Ph.D. in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences in 2020 and is now an assistant professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
