The University of Alabama (UA) Summer REU, Engineering Sensors Systems and Signal Processing for Speech Pathology

The University of Alabama (UA) REU, Engineering Sensors Systems and Signal Processing for Speech Pathology, is a recruiting 9 students for a 10-week summer research opportunity between the departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Communicative Disorders! http://reu.eng.ua.edu/programs/engineering-sensors-systems-signal-processing-speech-pathology/

 

This multidisciplinary program runs from May 23 through July 29 and offers research opportunities for students from engineering (electrical, computer, biomedical, mechanical), computer science, and related fields (physics, math) to engage with research challenges with a clinical focus on speech pathology applications. Speech language pathology is an applied behavioral science whose scope of practice includes screening, assessment, treatment, and technology/instrumentation related to the areas of fluency, speech production, language, cognition, voice, resonance, feeding and swallowing, and auditory habilitation/rehabilitation.  Available research projects for the summer will allow participants to work on interdisciplinary problems requiring image analysis, building circuits, sensor design, algorithm development, collecting data from participants, and information processing. 

 

As a part of this program students will be mentored by both engineering and speech pathology faculty, shadow clinical practice at the Speech and Hearing Center in Tuscaloosa, attend/present a local conference on Speech Pathology, participate in cultural trips in the state of Alabama, have social activities with other REU groups and graduate students in speech pathology.  We offer a competitive stipend ($5000) and meal allowance ($500).  Also, travel to Tuscaloosa and housing on the UA campus is paid by the program for all accepted participants.  We are planning for the program to be in-person but may transition to virtual depending on recommendations by federal, state, and university health officials.  But we will keep applicants up to date on all program decisions as quickly as possible.

 

Students DO NOT need to have prior research experience to be competitive for our program.  We understand that completing courses during the academic year can leave little to no time for to explore research.  Major goals of our program are to provide students with their first experiences in research to help build technical skills and figure out if a research career (and potentially graduate studies) is a good fit.  In the application, students have the opportunity to explain why this program is exciting for them and how it will help with future career or education goals.  These application pieces play a major role in how we evaluate and select participants for the program.

 

The complete details of the program (projects, benefits, eligibility, and support) and application are online at:http://reu.eng.ua.edu/programs/engineering-sensors-systems-signal-processing-speech-pathology/

 

While the application deadline is March 15, 2022 applications will be reviewed as they are received, so we recommend getting them in early! 

 

If you have any questions about the program, please reach out to the program coordinator:

Dr. Todd Freeborn (tjfreeborn1@eng.ua.edu)