Undergraduates in the Department of Communication Disorders Learn Valuable Research Skills

Honors Theses Will Be Defended All Throughout The Month of April as Seniors Get Ready to Graduate

Seniors in the Department of Communication Disorders are getting ready to graduate, and a select few are defending their honors theses. This year there are a total of 11 honors theses coming from the department of communication disorders. Those who signed on to complete an honors thesis have gained a wealth of information on the world of research. Not only have they had the experience of writing literature reviews and analyzing data; they have also gotten the opportunity to develop a relationship with a faculty supervisor. This experience is helping develop some of the future researchers in the field of communication disorders. For Communication Disorders majors, doing an honors thesis has provided valuable research experience they can utilize at the graduate level. Senior Briana Groeger has gained research skills that will help her in graduate school. "Though the process is arduous," says Groeger, "it helps prepare you for future graduate work and research." Fellow senior, Lauren Meyer gained other valuable insights while undertaking an honors thesis. According to Meyer, "the experience made research less intimidating, and made me more open to doing research in the future."

The honors thesis topics in the area of communication disorders range from English Vocabulary Acquisition in Bilingual Preschoolers to the Effects of Cognitive Linguistic Load on Gait and Fall Risk of Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis. The students who completed honors theses will graduate with honors in the major and will be recognized at the College of Communication Honors Recognition Ceremony. Many of them will also go on to present their research at venues such as the Atlantic Coast Conference Meeting of the Minds and the American Speech and Hearing Association national convention. Doing this will give them an experience that few undergrads can boast; the chance to present their own research to other professionals in the field. Whether these students are going to graduate school or straight to work they are likely to become valuable contributing members to the Profession of Speech Language Pathology.