People
Lab Director Heading link
Kara Morgan-Short
Professor of Spanish Linguistics and Psychology
Director of the Cognition of Second Language Acquisition Laboratory
1706 University Hall
karams@uic.edu
Informed by the fields of linguistics, cognitive psychology and neuroscience, Kara Morgan-Short’s research aims to elucidate the linguistic and cognitive processes underlying late-learned second language acquisition and use. Further, her research explores how these processes may be moderated by the effects or interactions of factors external to the learner, such as the context under which a second language is learned, and factors internal to the learner, such as learners’ level of proficiency or learners’ individual cognitive abilities (e.g., working memory, declarative/procedural memory, attention). These issues are examined using a set of complementary behavioral (e.g., accuracy on spoken language tasks) and electrophysiological (event-related potentials, ERPs) approaches.
Doctoral Graduate Students Heading link
Alexis Berles
Ph.D. Student
Hispanic Linguistics
aberle6@uic.edu
Alexis is interested in examining the role of individual differences (IDs) in adult second language acquisition and the cognitive processes underlying second language learning. Specifically, she is interested in how these processes may vary due to the effects or interactions of internal and external factors such as context, proficiency level, and individual cognitive abilities. Other interests include investigating the impact of ambient linguistic diversity and variation of the monolingual experience and SLA. Prior to coming to UIC, Alexis received her Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Spanish with minors in Biology and History from Coker University and her Master of Arts in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Florida.
Ridchenko Heading link
Marina Ridchenko
Ph.D. Student
Cognitive Psychology
mridch2@uic.edu
Marina is interested in the role of individual differences on adult language acquisition and processing. Her current research focuses on how long-term memory systems, specifically declarative and procedural memory, modulate grammar learning in implicit and explicit contexts. Before coming to UIC, Marina received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Philology from Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy (Ukraine) and a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from Kent State.
Rodriguez Gallego Heading link
Ana Rodriguez Gallego
Ph.D. Student
Hispanic Linguistics
arodr276@uic.edu
Ana is interested in examining the role of cognitive control in adult L2 learners with ERP methods. She is particularly interested in cognitive individual differences, specifically the role played by working memory in L2 processing through both behavioral and electrophysiological approaches. Other interests include analyzing feedback processing and feedback effectiveness among L2 learners.
Prior to starting her Ph.D. at UIC, Ana graduated with honors from the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain) and she completed an M.A. in Hispanic Studies at the University of Connecticut and an M.A. in Hispanic Linguistics at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Post-Baccalaureate Fellow Heading link
Victor Hernandez
Post-Baccalaureate Fellow
Undergraduate Research Assistants Heading link
Aarya Labade
Major: Psychology
Minor: Nutrition
Hazal Ceylan
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: French
Morgan Chinski
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: Professional Writing
Chloe Swerdlick
Major: Psychology & Spanish
Yael Lenga
Major: Neuroscience and Sociology
Minor: Disability and Human Development
Christine Forde Gude
Major: Anthropology & Applied Psychology
Minor: Linguistics
Daisy Munoz
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: Linguistics
Jessica Sakalas
Major: Applied Psychology
Minor: Education
Affiliate Members Heading link
Nahia Frias
Affiliate member
Jefferson Israel Imbaquingo-Ramon
Affiliate member
CogSLA Alumni Heading link
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Josh Buffington
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David Abugaber-Bowman
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Irene Finestrat
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John Escalante
M.A., 2020
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Alicia Luque-Ferreras
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Brianna Villegas
M.A., 2019
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Kate Brill-Schuetz
Ph.D., 2016
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Bernard Issa
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Mandy Faretta-Stutenberg
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Sara Fernandez-Cuenca
MA., 2014
Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Assistant Professor
Wake Forest University -
Laura Bartlett
Ph.D., 2013
Co-Advised with Dr. Kay González-Vilbazo
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Janire Zalbidea