Research Assistants

Elizabeth Alvarez Alfaro

Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Education in teaching English from Universidad Católica de Costa Rica and a Masters in Teaching Spanish from CIESE-Comillas, UCantabria in Spain. She returned to university in pursuit of a post-baccalaureate Diploma in Linguistics and a Certificate in the Linguistics of Speech Science at SFU. She is very interested in bilingualism, first and second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, language education, educational resources and communication disorders. Outside the lab, she enjoys writing stories for children, doing storytelling and Spanish language heritage family workshops. She also loves dancing with her two daughters and relaxing with her hubby. Following her graduation, she aspires to become a Speech-Language Pathologist.

Danielle Brady

Danielle is pursuing her undergraduate degree in Linguistics and a Certificate in Speech Sciences. She loves all areas of linguistics, especially phonology and morphology. Volunteering with Fraser Health at an outpatient rehabilitation facility, she helps Speech-Language Pathologists who work with patients recovering from strokes, heart attacks, or accidents. After graduating with her BA, she hopes to pursue an MA in Linguistics before going to graduate school for SLP. Her main hobby is writing music and performing at open mics.

Zach Fletcher

Zach is an undergraduate student pursuing a major in Cognitive Science and an extended minor in Linguistics and Education in Learning and Developmental Disabilities. He volunteers with Queen's Park Rehabilitation and Care Center, where he helps Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) work with senior residents who have difficulty speaking, swallowing, and breathing. Following his graduation, he plans to pursue a master's degree in SLP. Zach enjoys getting lost in a city and listening to good music.

Aishah Ismail

Aishah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics with a minor in Learning and Development Disabilities. She returned to SFU to complete additional coursework for future grad school programs. Her areas of interest include speech aphasia, communication disorders, language acquisition, and phonology. Outside of the lab, you can find Aishah volunteering, working with children, baking, at the gym or spending time with her family. Her goal is to pursue an MSc in Speech-Language Pathology and work with children who have communication disorders.

Kayla Koch

Kayla is an undergraduate student pursuing a major in Linguistics, an extended minor in English, and a Certificate in the Linguistics of Speech Science. Her areas of interest include phonology, phonetics, and historical linguistics. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she plans on pursuing a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, playing Word Hunt, and maintaining her Duolingo streak.

Alev Maleki

Alev is an undergraduate student pursuing a major in Linguistics with a minor in Learning and Developmental Disabilities, and a Certificate in Speech Sciences. She is deeply committed to speech rehabilitation, where her focus lies in assisting individuals in enhancing their communication skills and overcoming speech-related challenges. Following the completion of her BA, Alev aspires to pursue a Master's in Speech-Language Pathology. Outside of school, you may find her volunteering, at a spin class, or hanging out with her dogs!

Breelyn Plesha

Breelyn is an undergraduate student pursing a major in Linguistics and minor in Education in Learning and Developmental Disabilities, alongside a Certificate in Speech Sciences at SFU. Her interests lay in speech and language disorders like aphasia and the affect they have on individuals. She plans to complete a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology when she finishes her BA. In her spare time, Breelyn enjoys volunteering, reading, baking, and being outdoors.

Marina Van Woudenberg

Marina is an undergraduate student pursuing a double major in Linguistics and English with a minor of Psychology. She is interested in speech aphasia, speech acquisition and sociolinguistics. After completing her undergraduate degree, Marina plans to pursue a MSc in Speech-Language Pathology. Outside of SFU, Marina enjoys writing, creating art, and spending time with her cat.