This proposed project will bring together a committed and capable team to successfully realize our project objectives. The computer science / engineering team is composed of leaders in AI, user-centered design, and rehabilitation. The rehabilitation scientists / practitioner team is composed of AAC experts with a range of expertise in developmental disabilities.
Computer Science / Rehabilitation Engineering
Stephen MacNeil, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Computer and Information Sciences at Temple University, will lead engineering efforts on two projects and will support training and dissemination. His design approach is characterized by deep authentic engagement of users and stakeholders as partners in design and an emphasis on problem framing and systems thinking. He has 47 peer-reviewed full papers, including two Best Paper awards. He was one of two US Representatives for the World Design Organization’s inaugural cohort of the Young Designers Circle.
Slobodan Vucetic, Ph.D., Professor of Computer and Information Sciences at Temple University, will serve as engineering lead for two projects. He has expertise in AI which he has applied to AAC and AT for individuals with developmental disabilities. He has a strong history of dissemination with over 100 peer-reviewed publications.
Eduard Dragut, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer and Information Sciences at Temple University, will serve as engineering lead for two projects. He has expertise in NLP and data management which he has applied to AAC and has published more than 80 peer-reviewed publications.
Erik Jakobs will contribute to development and technology transfer across all projects and will support engineering training. He is the primary software developer across all projects for the current RERC on AAC (2020-2025) and supports engineering training. He holds degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering. He has 18 years of experience providing AAC/AT technical support to people with disabilities, and 15 years of experience writing AAC software for InvoTek. He has managed development for 14 SBIR projects and 2 RERC on AAC projects (2020-2025; 2014-2019).
Practitioners / Rehabilitation Scientists
Christine Holyfield, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Arkansas, will serve as Project Director. She is the sibling of an individual with IDD who uses AAC and has AAC clinical service provision experience. Her research is focused on the development and evaluation of evidence-based, user-centered AAC supports for individuals with developmental disabilities. She is an Editor at the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. She has led/co-led externally funded grants totaling more than $2.1 million dollars and additionally has collaborated on externally funded grants focused on AAC totaling over $10 million dollars. She has a sustained commitment to dissemination of research, with more than 35 publications and over 90 conference presentations. Her research has been recognized through awards including the ISAAC Emerging Researcher Award (2016), the ArkSHA Research Award (2021), and her college’s Rising STAR (2020) and STAR (2023) Faculty Award.
David McNaughton, Ph.D., Professor of Special Education at Pennsylvania State University, will lead the RERC on AAC Training and Dissemination team in close collaboration with Constituent Board project team members. His research is focused on vocational opportunities, community participation, and literacy instruction for individuals who use AAC and online materials to support training. He currently leads training and dissemination for the current RERC on AAC (2020-2025) and has developed online AAC training used at over 100 universities. He has over 120 publications and is a past Editor of the Augmentative and Alternative Communication journal.
Sheida K. Raley, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of Arkansas, will contribute extensive expertise in self-determination, supporting people with developmental disabilities across R&D projects and dissemination activities. Across projects, she will prioritize the voices of individuals with developmental disabilities as co-creators of technology. Her experience in dissemination, including her over 70 publications, will further strengthen the project’s efforts to make findings approachable to all constituents, reinforcing the overarching goal of enhancing self-determination and agency.
Elizabeth Lorah, Ph.D., Professor of Special Education at the University of Arkansas, will serve as a project lead. Dr. Lorah has contributed more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and 100 presentations on AAC for children with IDD who are learning language or similar topics. She currently serves as an Associate Editor for Behavior Analysis in Practice. Her work has been awarded includingthrough the Arkansas Associations for Behavior Analysis Significant Contributions to Arkansas Award (2024).
Andrea Barton-Hulsey, PhD., CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor of Communication Science and Disorders at Florida State University, will serve as a project lead. Her research is centered on advancing the science of reading to develop equitable methods of assessment and instruction so that children with IDD who use limited speech have access reading instruction. She is the co-chair of the NJC and associate editor of Augmentative and Alternative Communication. She has published over 30 peer-reviewed publications and given over 90 presentations at national and international conferences. In 2022 she was awarded the Outstanding Faculty Research Award by the College of Communication and Information at Florida State.
Michelle Therrien, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communication Science and Disorders at Florida State University, will serve as a project lead. Her research focuses on connection building, and she is especially interested in understanding and supporting friendship for AAC users. She is an editor at the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. She is committed to disseminating research through publications, presentations, and teaching future generations of SLPs and AAC researchers, as evidenced by her 23 publications, over 60 presentations, and her 2024 Florida State University Graduate Faculty Mentor Award. In 2022, her research was recognized with the ISAAC/AAC Editor’s Award for most significant research paper
Christopher Schatschneider, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at Florida State University and Associate Director of the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR).
Lauramarie Pope, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at Auburn University, will serve as a project lead. Her research focuses on AAC system design and intervention for children on the autism spectrum, with a focus on naturalistic intervention methods and the integration of literacy skills and AAC. She has published over 15 peer-reviewed papers and given over 35 presentations at national and international conferences. She is an Editorial Board Member for the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology.
Constituent Board Members
Tracy Rackensperger, Ph.D., will serve as the leader of the Constituent Board as well as a co-leader of Training and Dissemination Activities, a role she would continue from the current RERC on AAC (2020-2025). She is a researcher, teacher, and individual with cerebral palsy who uses AAC. She publishes and presents on AAC and employment and related topics.
Lance McLemore is a researcher and individual on the autism spectrum who uses AAC. He is currently a co-leader of Training and Dissemination activities on the RERC on AAC (2020-2025) and would continue in that role in addition to his service on the Constituent Board.
Ski Adams is a researcher and individual with cerebral palsy who uses AAC. He has co-developed several high-impact dissemination materials related to AAC and other topics.
endever* corbin is a researcher and an autistic individual who uses AAC part-time. endever* contributes research, publications, and presentations on the topic of AAC, particularly on the topic of agency for individuals with developmental disabilities in AAC.
Kevin Williams is a researcher and an individual with cerebral palsy who uses AAC. He has published and presented research on agency in AAC technology development among other AAC-related topics.
Janice Light, Ph.D., is the PI of the current (2020-2025) and previous (2014-2019) RERC on AAC projects. She has led externally funded grants totaling almost $25 million and has contributed more than 140 publications.
Anjali Forber Pratt, Ph.D., is a Paralympian and Director of Research at the American Association on Health and Disability. She has published widely on disability, including guidelines for including individuals with intellectual disabilities in research.
Gregg Vanderheiden is an engineer who has been innovating in AAC for almost 50 years. He has led multiple RERC projects and has had success transferring AT innovations to industry.
Ed Cutrell is an engineer and Senior Principal Research Manager at Microsoft Research where he leads computing and design for disability