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Heather Salvo, a doctoral student in speech language pathology, was awarded the Mary Ann Stephens and John R. Graham Award for the 2020-2021 academic year. Read further to learn more about her research, future goals and Kent State experience.
 

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1. Please give a short overview of your research.
   
   My research interests include perspectives of stuttering therapy, multifactorial aspects of childhood-onset stuttering and the role of emotions in the onset, maintenance and exacerbation of stuttering.
    
2. What made you choose to pursue your graduate degree here at Kent State?
   
   I chose to attend ºÚÁÏÍø because I wanted to learn how to conduct scientific research to benefit people who stutter under the advisement of Dr. Hayley Arnold. KSU is also home to respectable, ASHA-accredited master’s and doctoral speech-language pathology and audiology programs. KSU encourages research endeavors of students at all levels, meaning there are many opportunities for me to be a research mentee and mentor.
    
3. What do you enjoy most about attending Kent State for graduate school?
   
   I appreciate the support and sense of community that exists within the department of speech-language pathology and audiology, as well as the College of Education Health and Human Services.
    
4. What are your future goals?
   
   My long-term career goal is to become an active researcher in the field of speech-language pathology, with a focus on understanding the role of emotions in childhood-onset stuttering. As a certified speech-language pathologist (CCC-SLP), I intend to interact with individuals who stutter through research. I do not believe research can happen in a vacuum and that interacting with individuals who stutter can inform our research ideas and methods in ways that we otherwise would not think of. My primary focus for my career is to conduct well-executed, meaningful research.
    
5. What does this award mean to you and how will it aid you?
   
   This award will aid me in costs associated with tuition this upcoming school year. I’m honored to receive the Mary Ann Stephens and John R. Graham Award. To me, this recognition suggests my efforts and research ideas are strong and worth supporting.